Bob Dole: “in our post-9/11 world, most Americans would agree that to defend our Nation and the freedoms we hold dear we must…”

“in our post-9/11 world, most Americans would agree that to defend our Nation and the freedoms we hold dear we must continue to succeed in the war on terror. As many of my colleagues and I have said, Iraq is the central battleground in the war on terror. The terrorists certainly know what is at stake, which is why they are pulling out all the stops to derail our efforts there. They know that a free and democratic Iraq is a serious blow to their interests. Collaboration of Iraq's former regime with terrorist groups and its funding of them have not been in question. Democratic cochairman of the 9/11 Commission, former Congressman Lee Hamilton, told reporters that there were connections between al-Qaida, and Saddam Hussein's government. Still, few naysayers have passed up the chance to contest links between Iraq and al-Qaida, links that have existed for more than a decade. Charges have been made that Iraq was not a haven for terrorists before the war, this statement being made just days after terrorist followers of Zarqawi, arguably the most dangerous terrorist in the world today, kidnapped and beheaded American civilians in Iraq. Reports strongly suggest that Zarqawi himself committed the atrocities. He and his men trained and fought with al-Qaida for years. Not only was Zarqawi in Baghdad prior to Saddam's ousting, but nearly two dozen members of al-Qaida were there as well.”