A CIA report has found no conclusive evidence that former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein harboured Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, which the Bush administration asserted before the invasion of Iraq.
"There's no conclusive evidence the Saddam Hussein regime had harboured Zarqawi," a US official said on Tuesday about the CIA findings.
But the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stressed that the report, which was a mix of new information and a look at some older information, did not make any final judgements or come to any definitive conclusions.
"To suggest the case is closed on this would not be correct," the official said in confirming an ABC News story about the CIA report that the network said was delivered to the White House last week.
ABC quoted an unnamed senior US official as saying that the CIA document raises "serious questions" about Bush administration assertions that Zarqawi found sanctuary in pre-war Baghdad.
"The official says there is no clear cut evidence that Saddam Hussein even knew Zarqawi was in Baghdad," ABC reported.
The CIA report concludes Zarqawi was in and out of Baghdad, but cast doubt on reports that Zarqawi had been given official approval for medical treatment there as President George W. Bush said this summer, ABC said.
Comments
Comments are closed.