Saddan & Al-Qaeda (and the NY Times), part II
What a difference a week makes – NYT’s front page article this morning: Iraqis, Seeking Foes of Saudis, Contacted bin Laden, File Says

Contacts between Iraqi intelligence agents and Osama bin Laden when he was in Sudan in the mid-1990's were part of a broad effort by Baghdad to work with organizations opposing the Saudi ruling family, according to a newly disclosed document obtained by the Americans in Iraq.
. . .
The document provides evidence of communications between Mr. bin Laden and Iraqi intelligence, similar to that described in the Sept. 11 staff report released last week.
"Bin Laden also explored possible cooperation with Iraq during his time in Sudan, despite his opposition to Hussein's secular regime," the Sept. 11 commission report stated.
The Sudanese government, the commission report added, "arranged for contacts between Iraq and Al Qaeda."
"A senior Iraqi intelligence officer reportedly made three visits to Sudan," it said, "finally meeting bin Laden in 1994. Bin Laden is said to have requested space to establish training camps, as well as assistance in procuring weapons, but Iraq apparently never responded."
. . .
The Iraqi document states that Mr. bin Laden's organization in Sudan was called "The Advice and Reform Commission." The Iraqis were cued to make their approach to Mr. bin Laden in 1994 after a Sudanese official visited Uday Hussein, the leader's son, as well as the director of Iraqi intelligence, and indicated that Mr. bin Laden was willing to meet in Sudan.
A former director of operations for Iraqi intelligence Directorate 4 met with Mr. bin Laden on Feb. 19, 1995, the document states.

All fine and good, since, as even I have repeatedly pointed out, the evidence exists. Even the Guardian, (that banner-holder of The Right Wing Conspiracy?) was writing on this back in 1999, and there’s the “small matter” of a grand jury indictment. What is telling in today’s NYT article is the following statement (my highlights),

The new document, which appears to have circulated only since April, was provided to The New York Times several weeks ago, before the commission's report was released. Since obtaining the document, The Times has interviewed several military, intelligence and United States government officials in Washington and Baghdad to determine that the government considered it authentic.

Therefore, the NYT was calling for the President to apologize for stating that Saddam Hussein's government had a long history of ties to Al Qaeda, while the Times was witholding information that corroborated the President’s position.
Just four days ago I was stating that the NYT had completely divested itself of whatever little integrity it had left.
I stand by my words.
(For a more thorough examination of the Times’s text, read what Captain Ed has to say)