Saddam and Al Qaeda

15 October 2002

The bombings in Bali are probably linked to al Qaeda and its war against the West.

The New York Times quotes President Bush on the Bali attack. "We need to think about Saddam Hussein using Al Qaeda to do his dirty work, to not leave fingerprints behind."

Huh?

Well, the anthrax letters last fall were supposed to be linked to Saddam - he had finely milled weaponized spores. Saddam has always been tight with medical researchers at Fort Detrick, so sure.

And all those Al Qaeda leaders traveling to and from Baghdad. I mean, if I were an atheist Marxist dictator trying to keep a tri-cultural piece of sand together through intimidation and a modern police state, yeah, I'd invite all my pan-Arab, Koran-thumping, Allah-fearing friends from Saudi Arabia. Hell, I'd have them set up shop.

And Iraq is the place for all loose nukes with capable delivery systems - not Russia, or Pakistan, or North Korea. Bad nukes are apparently only found in Iraq. I'm sorry, I meant to say "nuke" as in one, and actually not yet. Maybe next year if friends in Russia or Pakistan or North Korea come through with the good stuff, next decade otherwise.

Watching this Saddam-seeking blame missile pointing from the collective shoulder of the War Party front line (Sgt. Perle, CWO Wolfowitz and Captain Cheney) is kind of like watching a Three Stooges short. It is kind of entertaining, and kind of stupid, and among the stooges, no particular heroic figures emerge. OK, I always liked Curly, but still.

The real stooges did slapstick, and the audience laughed, and the actors went home to dinner and a beer.

The three stooges of the war party aren't quite as funny.

If and when we go into Baghdad to set up the new government (of our choosing, stay tuned), rebuild the infrastructure, and put the new American petroleum contracts in place, some of the stooges will be laughing and smiling, over dinner and a beer.

And a lot of other stooges will be coming home for good. Some may even need fingerprinting.

Meanwhile, the Al Qaeda channel will be having a 24-hour TV marathon fundraiser. I understand the phones are already ringing.