Pre-War Intelligence

Senator Carl Levin, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, has released a declassified report of the DOD Inspector General on the review of some pre-war activities. Very interesting.

Pages 5 and 6 lay out the high-level contacts between al Qaeda and Iraq between 1990 and 2002.

"Basis of [enemy] Operation: The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend" ... along with motives and a quid pro quo.

Want to remember why we entered the fight without the war-for-oil conspiracy nonsense? Take a trip in the way-back machine. Unfortunately, some of the good stuff is still blacked out.

Pre-war intel findings:

• More than a decade of numerous contacts
• Multiple areas of cooperation
• Shared anti-US goals and common bellicose rhetoric; i.e. Unique in calling for killing of Americans and praising 9/11
• Shared interest and pursuit of WMD

Well worth the short read. Be aware: some of the claims made pre-war were later discredited.