President George W. Bush on whether keeping troops stationed in Iraq was the best option: “So we’re making good progress. We’ve reduced our troops from 160,000 more or less to 139,000. As you know, I announced to the country that we would step up our deployments — step up deployments and retain some troops for the elections. […]
4/25/2005
In a “Joint Statement by President Bush and Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah” on Saudi Arabia’s commitment to Iraq: “Both nations pledge to continue their cooperation so that the oil supply from Saudi Arabia will be available and secure. The United States appreciates Saudi Arabia’s strong commitment to accelerating investment and expanding its production capacity to help […]
4/25/2005
“CIA’s top weapons inspector in Iraq [Charles Duelfer] said Monday [April 25, 2005] that the hunt for weapons of mass destruction has ‘gone as far as feasible’ and has found nothing, closing an investigation into the purported programs of Saddam Hussein that were used to justify the 2003 invasion.” – “CIA’s Final Report: No WMD […]
4/22/2005
“His trial would have gone on years longer had [suspected terrorist Zacarias] Moussaoui not cooperated by pleading guilty on April 22, 2005… The government hadn’t yet presented a single piece of evidence or put a single witness on the stand.” – John Yoo, War By Other Means, Page 211 […]
4/21/2005
“In April [21] 2005, Lieutenant General Mike Hayden stepped down as director of NSA [National Security Agency] to become the first deputy director of national intelligence.” – Matthew M. Aid, The Secret Sentry, Page 286 […]
4/16/2005
“In a meeting with American reporters in Kabul in April [16] 2005, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Lieutenant General David Barno, confidently predicted that ‘the Taliban militia would collapse as a viable fighting force over the next several months,’ adding that he believed the Taliban rank and file would accept an amnesty offer […]
4/15/2005
Journalist Abdel Bari Atwan met with Mullah Krikar, the leader of Kurdish Sunni Islamist group Ansar al-Islam in April 2005. “…he vigorously denied that al Qaeda had helped Ansar al-Islam in any way. He did, however, concede that he had approached bin Laden for financial help in 1998 when he and two other members of […]
4/15/2005
“In April 2005 al Qaeda published a document on the Internet by its leading strategist, the Egyptian Muhammad Makkawi. Titled ‘al Qaeda’s Strategy to the Year 2020,’ it outlined the organization’s long-term project which began with 11 September 2001. The apparent purpose of posting this lengthy document online was to enable independent franchise cells to […]
4/11/2005
In an interview on April 11, 2005, “Zaki Badawi, the unofficial leader of what he describes as the ‘mainstream’ Muslims of Britain [said]: ‘The form of Islam espoused by al Qaeda is nonsense. The killing of civilians is against the shari’ah. They use force where reason would suffice. Osama bin Laden is not a religious […]
4/11/2005
When asked about his December 21, 2002, ‘slam dunk’ comment at a public forum in Los Angeles on April 11, 2005, former CIA Director George Tenet replied: ” ‘Those were the two dumbest words I ever said.’ ” – Bob Woodward, State of Denial, Page 304 […]