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Terrorism Suspect Transferred to Egypt Gave Information on Alleged Iraq-al-Qaeda Connection
The Bush administration’s prewar assertion that Iraq was training al-Qaeda members on the use of chemical weapons was based on statements made by a prisoner who has since claimed that he lied to appease Egyptian interrogators, the New York Times reported today (see GSN, Nov. 29). While Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi made some statements about Baghdad’s connection to the terrorist organization while in U.S. custody, it was not until after his transfer to Egypt in January 2002 that he made his most specific claims, current and former government officials told the Times. Libi later recanted his statements and the CIA withdrew intelligence based on his claims in March 2004. U.S. officials have not previously acknowledged that Libi made the statements while in foreign custody or that he has since claimed they were made under coercion, according to the Times. A classified Defense Intelligence Agency report issued in February 2002 also indicated that the agency had identified Libi as a probable fabricator months ahead of the Bush administration’s public use of his statements (Douglas Jehl, New York Times, Dec. 9).
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