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| 'No Saddam link to Iraq al-Qaeda' | 'No Saddam link to Iraq al-Qaeda' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| There is no evidence of formal links between Iraqi ex-leader Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq prior to the 2003 war, a US Senate report says. | There is no evidence of formal links between Iraqi ex-leader Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq prior to the 2003 war, a US Senate report says. |
| The finding is contained in a 2005 CIA report released by the Senate's Intelligence Committee on Friday. | The finding is contained in a 2005 CIA report released by the Senate's Intelligence Committee on Friday. |
| US President George W Bush has said that the presence of late al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq before the war was evidence of a link. | US President George W Bush has said that the presence of late al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq before the war was evidence of a link. |
| Opposition Democrats say the report has harmed Mr Bush's case for going to war. | Opposition Democrats say the report has harmed Mr Bush's case for going to war. |
| The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says that the US president has again and again tried to connect the war in Iraq, which most Americans think was a mistake, with the so-called war on terror, which has the support of the nation. | The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says that the US president has again and again tried to connect the war in Iraq, which most Americans think was a mistake, with the so-called war on terror, which has the support of the nation. |
| The report comes as Mr Bush makes a series of speeches on the "war on terror" to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the 11 September attacks. | The report comes as Mr Bush makes a series of speeches on the "war on terror" to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the 11 September attacks. |
| Requests rejected | Requests rejected |
| The report is the second part of the committee's analysis of pre-war intelligence. The first dealt with CIA failings in its assessment of Iraq's weapons programme. | The report is the second part of the committee's analysis of pre-war intelligence. The first dealt with CIA failings in its assessment of Iraq's weapons programme. |
| Saddam Hussein was distrustful of al-Qaeda and viewed Islamic extremists as a threat to his regime, refusing all requests from al-Qaeda to provide material or operational support, Senate report href="http://intelligence.senate.gov/phaseiiaccuracy.pdf" class="">Senate report 29kb Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader href="http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html">Download the reader here href="/1/hi/world/americas/5319522.stm" class="">'Terror war' loses direction Quick guide: Al-Qaeda | |
| The committee concluded that the CIA had evidence of several instances of contacts between the Iraqi authorities and al-Qaeda throughout the 1990s but that these did not add up to a formal relationship. | The committee concluded that the CIA had evidence of several instances of contacts between the Iraqi authorities and al-Qaeda throughout the 1990s but that these did not add up to a formal relationship. |
| It added that the government "did not have a relationship, harbour or turn a blind eye toward Zarqawi and his associates". | It added that the government "did not have a relationship, harbour or turn a blind eye toward Zarqawi and his associates". |
| It said that Iraq and al-Qaeda were ideologically poles apart. | It said that Iraq and al-Qaeda were ideologically poles apart. |
| "Saddam Hussein was distrustful of al-Qaeda and viewed Islamic extremists as a threat to his regime, refusing all requests from al-Qaeda to provide material or operational support," it said. | "Saddam Hussein was distrustful of al-Qaeda and viewed Islamic extremists as a threat to his regime, refusing all requests from al-Qaeda to provide material or operational support," it said. |
| The Senate report added that the Iraqi regime had repeatedly rejected al-Qaeda requests for meetings. | The Senate report added that the Iraqi regime had repeatedly rejected al-Qaeda requests for meetings. |
| It also deals with the role played by inaccurate information supplied by Iraqi opposition groups in the run-up to the war. | It also deals with the role played by inaccurate information supplied by Iraqi opposition groups in the run-up to the war. |
| 'Devastating indictment' | 'Devastating indictment' |
| White House spokesman Tony Snow told the Associated Press news agency the report contained "nothing new". | White House spokesman Tony Snow told the Associated Press news agency the report contained "nothing new". |
| "In 2002 and 2003, members of both parties got a good look at the intelligence we had and they came to the very same conclusions about what was going on," he said. | "In 2002 and 2003, members of both parties got a good look at the intelligence we had and they came to the very same conclusions about what was going on," he said. |
| But Democrat Senator Carl Levin described the report as a "devastating indictment" of the administration's attempts to link Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda. | But Democrat Senator Carl Levin described the report as a "devastating indictment" of the administration's attempts to link Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda. |
| Zarqawi, who is believed to be responsible for numerous killings and kidnappings in Iraq since the war, was killed in a US raid in June. | Zarqawi, who is believed to be responsible for numerous killings and kidnappings in Iraq since the war, was killed in a US raid in June. |
| Saddam Hussein and several close associates are standing trial for the killings of Shias in the village of Dujail in 1982 and of more than 100,000 Kurds in 1988. | Saddam Hussein and several close associates are standing trial for the killings of Shias in the village of Dujail in 1982 and of more than 100,000 Kurds in 1988. |