When did Bush & Co. actually LINK 9/11 to Saddam?

[Phatfish]

I was wodnering if anyone had any sources about if and when the administration verbally linked Saddam and 9/11. I remember they were tap dancing around the idea without actually stating it and the RNC gave talking points to Congressmen, Senators, editorial writers, journalists, hacks, etc. to spread the word that Saddam was in on 9/11 so that the Bush admin. could say "We never said that." if the truth was revealed. I would love if someone had a direct quote from Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rummy, Ashcroft or Powell that actually stated "We have intelligence that Saddam Hussein knew about or was in on the Sept. 11th attacks." If we had them saying that, then we have some sure-fire ammo against them during the election.

[La_Serpiente]

1. Bush didn't say that there was a relationship between 9/11 and Iraq

But Cheney and other administration officials presented murky intelligence which stated there was a strong and robust relationship between Al Qaeda and Iraq. This perception in the American public continued for a very long time, long past the "Mission Accomplished" banner after the Iraq War.

I don't know why the American public thought that way. Was it because Bush continued to repeat the mantra that there was a relationship between Al Qaeda and Iraq, so the public put 2 and 2 together and felt that because Iraq supported Al Qaeda, then they helped in the 9/11 bombings? I am not sure why the American public felt that way, but there needs to be study to find out why.

Also, if Bush said after the war that there was no relationship between Iraq and 9/11, and they relied on both disproven and murky intelligence to invade Iraq, then why did Bush invade Iraq?

But I have never heard any critics saying that Bush said there was a relationship between 9/11. What I have heard from critics is that Bush and other administration officials falsely put forth statements that there was a relationship between Al Qaeda and Iraq. If you have any quotes of critics saying that Bush made statements that linked Sadaam to 9/11, then I would really appreciate it. :-)

[Crunchy Frog]

2. They were very careful

to do it by innuendo so that people would strongly associate the two in their minds, but they wouldn't actually be on record as having said it. Therefore it's unlikely that you will find a direct statement linking the two, but they mentioned them both in the same speeches countless times with the strong insinuation that they were connected. In that way they managed to convince 70% of the American people that Saddam was linked to 9/11. I think that the fact that they played around with peoples perceptions still gives us some pretty powerful ammo.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. Rumsfeld on September 11th, 2001...

Plans For Iraq Attack Began On 9/11
<http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/09/04/september11/main520830.shtml>

"With the intelligence all pointing toward bin Laden, Rumsfeld ordered the military to begin working on strike plans. And at 2:40 p.m., the notes quote Rumsfeld as saying he wanted 'best info fast. Judge whether good enough hit S.H.' – meaning Saddam Hussein – 'at same time. Not only UBL' – the initials used to identify Osama bin Laden."