Miscellanea

Article from about two weeks ago, but still quite interesting. It argues the Bush administration was presented a clear opportunity in 2002 to strike at Abu Musab Zarqawi—the militant linked to al-Qaida and suspected mastermind of much of the recent violence in Iraq—but didn't for concern over how it might affect its case for going to war in Iraq. While there is no guarantee an earlier attack would have succeeded, if true, this is still quite upsetting.

Excerpts:

In June 2002, U.S. officials say intelligence had revealed that Zarqawi and members of al-Qaida had set up a weapons lab at Kirma, in northern Iraq, producing deadly ricin and cyanide.

The Pentagon quickly drafted plans to attack the camp with cruise missiles and airstrikes and sent it to the White House, where, according to U.S. government sources, the plan was debated to death in the National Security Council. ...

Military officials insist their case for attacking Zarqawi's operation was airtight, but the administration feared destroying the terrorist camp in Iraq could undercut its case for war against Saddam.

The United States did attack the camp at Kirma at the beginning of the war, but it was too late — Zarqawi and many of his followers were gone.