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Clarke is a highly partisan player and has been on both sides of the Al Qaeda/Iraq link. He has a side in this game: to show that his work as leader of the US's main counterterrorism group under Clinton was not poor and did not lead to bin Laden finding more resolve to attack the US.
Iraq's link to terror in general is not disputed. They were a terroristic state which harbored terrorists and paid terrorists. The War on Iraq, rightly or wrongly, was undertaken because of 9/11, and is linked to 9/11, but not because Hussein had anything to do with 9/11.
Despite the semantic confusion, Americans understand that. The entire "two-thirds of Americans" poll hysteria is simply that: hysteria over a little semantic confusion.
And wow, it's now turned magically into 70%. In another year it'll be 75%. Meanwhile you guys are cherry-picking items which seem to prove your point but actually don't, ignoring the bulk of what the administration said.
The bulk of what the administration said is because of 9/11, linked to 9/11, but not because Hussein had anything to do with 9/11.
Of course to hear the bulk, you have to listen carefully sometimes, because the administration is incompetent, and unable to get its message across to the public. This is partly because it is hostile to the media and partly because it only cares enough to convince 51% of the public.
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