Was Al-Qaeda Using Iraq As A Base?

That is the title of an article in Time Magazine. My question is not why this article was written but the timing of the release of this classified information.

President Bush declassified portions of a 2005 intelligence assessment Tuesday that alleges that Osama bin Laden authorized allies in Iraq to plan operations both in and outside of that country targeting the U.S. The President very quickly put it to political use against the Democrats. On Wednesday, speaking at a commencement address to the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., he said: "The question for our elected leaders is: Do we comprehend the danger of an al-Qaeda victory in Iraq, and will we do what it takes to stop them? However difficult the fight in Iraq has become, we must win it. Al-Qaeda is public enemy number one for Iraq's young democracy, and al-Qaeda is public enemy number one for America, as well. And that is why we must support our troops, we must support the Iraqi government, and we must defeat al-Qaeda in Iraq."

The reasons for the declassification are very transparent, its to try to increase support for the Iraq War. The problem with this strategy is that Al-Qaeda had no presence in Iraq before our invasion. The hell that is Iraq is the result of our invasion and no amount of declassified information will change that. There are no good options left in Iraq. They are in a civil war that is escalating and our presence is only making matters worse. It is time for this war to end.