NEW LONDON, Conn., May 23 -- President Bush offered two-year-old information about Osama bin Laden's connections to al-Qaeda operatives in Iraq on Wednesday, as he used a commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy to try to bolster his long-held contention that Iraq is a central front in the "war on terror."

In anticipation of the address, the White House declassified the intelligence, which the president said showed that bin Laden tasked al-Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to form a cell to conduct attacks outside Iraq, with the United States as his "number one priority" to target. "Zarqawi welcomed this direction," Bush asserted. "He claimed that he had already come up with some good proposals."

Bush said the intelligence community also reported that bin Laden asked another one of his deputies, Hamza Rabia, to send Zarqawi a briefing on operations against the United States and that another deputy suggested bin Laden send Rabia to Iraq to plan attacks with Zarqawi. That deputy, Abu Faraj al-Libi, later speculated that if this effort proved successful "al-Qaeda might one day prepare the majority of its external operations from Iraq," Bush said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) issued a statement saying Bush's remarks underscore why a change of course is necessary in Iraq. "Intelligence analysts concluded long ago that Iraq has indeed become a training ground for a new generation of terrorists," he said. "That is exactly why it is so important to change course from the president's failed Iraq strategy to a new strategy that more effectively fights terrorists."

Democrats are arguing that the United States reduce its troop strength in Iraq and focus more on battling terrorists.

Bush Declassifies Bin Laden Intelligence - washingtonpost.com

Reduce troop strengths in order to battle terrorists when Reid states that the terrorists are there in Iraq? What the hell sense does that make? It's like cutting back on the chemo treatments in the middle of battling cancer!

Have a good one!:s4:
Psycho4Bud Reviewed by Psycho4Bud on . Bush Declassifies Bin Laden Intelligence NEW LONDON, Conn., May 23 -- President Bush offered two-year-old information about Osama bin Laden's connections to al-Qaeda operatives in Iraq on Wednesday, as he used a commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy to try to bolster his long-held contention that Iraq is a central front in the "war on terror." In anticipation of the address, the White House declassified the intelligence, which the president said showed that bin Laden tasked al-Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to Rating: 5