Cheney Admits No Link Between Saddam, 9/11

"It Turned Out Not to Be True"

Nearly eight years after the fact, former Vice President Dick Cheney finally admitted that there was absolutely no evidence to suggest that Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11. He did however defend the invasion and the subsequent war, saying Hussein had “without question” provided sanctuary to other terrorist groups.

Repeatedly during his two terms as vice president, Cheney claimed there was overwhelming evidence linking the former Iraqi president to the al-Qaeda attack, and publicly condemned the 9/11 commission for claiming that there was “no credible evidence” linking the two.

The issue was brought back to the public’s attention in April, when the Obama Administration released memos relating to the abuse of detainees in US custody. Officials pointed to Cheney (among others), saying he had pressed for the harsh tactics to produce proof of the link between Hussein and al-Qaeda.

Though no such evidence was ever found, and indeed Cheney finally concedes it never existed, the United States invaded Iraq in early 2003, sparking a bloodly war in which well over 100,000 American soldiers remain mired to this day.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.