The FACTS

10.2001	According to statistics furnished by the White House, 23 Iraqi political prisoners are executed at Abu Ghraib on orders of Saddam Hussein.
10.14.2002	During a speech in Dearborn, Michigan, President George W Bush declares that Saddam Hussein maintains active ties to al Qaeda: "This is a man that we know has had connections with al Qaeda. This is a man who, in my judgment, would like to use al Qaeda as a forward army."
11.07.2002	During a press conference, President George W Bush declares: "Some people say, 'Oh, we must leave Saddam alone, otherwise, if we did something against him, he might attack us.' Well, if we don't do something he might attack us, and he might attack us with a more serious weapon. The man is a threat... He's a threat because he is dealing with al Qaeda... And we're going to deal with him."
03.19.2003	Operation Iraqi Freedom commences, with an airborne attack by the U.S.
04.09.2003	Statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad toppled by U.S. troops, and then beaten with sandals.
09.17.2003	President George W Bush: "No, we've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th."
12.14.2003	The 4th Infantry Division of American Special Forces captures Saddam Hussein, who for months has been hiding out in a spider hole outside a dingy, mud-brick hut 10 miles south of Tikrit.
06.17.2004	President Bush reiterates: "The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam and al Qaeda, because there was a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda. This administration never said that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated between Saddam and al Qaeda. We did say there were numerous contacts between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda. For example, Iraqi intelligence officers met with bin Laden, the head of al Qaeda, in the Sudan. There's numerous contacts between the two."