WILLblog

Our computers have conditioned us to using the zoom control to change the scale on items large or small. Perhaps we sometimes loose track of what the zoom factor is, so that large things appear to us as small. This might explain the miniscule press coverage given to the continued statements by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney that infer a connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda. As we know, after months of hearings, examination of the records, and testimony by the principal actors up to and including the President and the Vice President, the bipartisan 9-11 Commission concluded that no significant connection existed between Iraq and Al Qaeda, and no credible evidence of any connection between Saddam Hussein and the events of 9-11. So when the Vice President said again on Monday of this week that Saddam Hussein "had long-established ties with Al Qaeda," it's more than a head-scratcher. Mr. Cheney goes on to say he "probably" knew more about the alledge link than the commission. In response the 9-11 Commission issued what may be the shortest statement on record (PDF file) from any government panel: "After examining available transcripts of the Vice President’s public remarks, the 9-11 Commission believes it has access to the same information the Vice President has seen regarding contacts between al Qaeda and Iraq prior to the 9-11 attacks." Where's that zoom control?