As far as why Bush went into Iraq. This is what he said on September 11th 2001 just two days after the attack on the Twin Towers.
The search is under way for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources for our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.
A good number of the al Qaeda leaders were captured in Iraq.
It would appear that al Qaeda was in fact operating from within the borders of Iraq with the blessing of Saddam.
As promised in his September 11 speech, President Bush did go in and attack Iraq in an attempt to break up and capture al Qaeda leaders.
When the first strikes started, everyone cheered, but when it was realized that this was not going to be the short term cake walk that was originally described, people lost their stomach for the war even though terrorist leadership was being found and dealt with. Unfortunately, by this time it was too late to just walk out.
In order to leave, the Iraqi government had to be able and willing to keep al Qaeda out of business, at least in their country.
The problem with the American public is that we dont know exactly what is going on, we dont have all the intel available to the President. And this is why obama promised to end the Iraq war within 6 months or whatever it was, and why once he was privilaged to read the data, he realized that it was not possible to just walk away.
The continued effort in Iraq by the obama administration is one thing that he can be applauded for.
Weapons of Mass Destruction or not, President Bush did promise to bring the war to any country found harboring the terrorists. And he did.
The U.S. command said Wednesday the highest-ranking Iraqi in the leadership of al Qaeda in Iraq has been arrested, adding that information from him indicates the group's foreign-based leadership wields considerable influence over the Iraqi chapter.
Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, also known as Abu Shahid, was captured in Mosul on July 4, said Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a military spokesman.
"Al-Mashhadani is believed to be the most senior Iraqi in the al Qaeda in Iraq network," Bergner said. He said al-Mashhadani was a close associate of Abu Ayub al-Masri, the Egyptian-born head of al Qaeda in Iraq.
Bergner said al-Mashhadani served as an intermediary between al-Masri and Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri.
"In fact, communication between the senior al Qaeda leadership and al-Masri frequently went through al-Mashhadani," Bergner said. He added: "There is a clear connection between al Qaeda in Iraq and al Qaeda senior leadership outside Iraq."