Doubting Iraq's Ties to al-Qaeda

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French investigators ARE throwing cold water on a key element of Secretary of State Colin Powell's case that there is a link between al-Qaeda and Iraq. During his Feb. 5 presentation to the United Nations, Powell fingered Abu Mousab Zarqawi as the crucial figure, contending that police and intelligence information from recently arrested European terror suspects proves that Zarqawi commanded al-Qaeda terror camps in and around Chechnya from a base in Iraq. But French investigators tell TIME that while they have questioned several suspects who acknowledged being trained in those Chechen camps and who identified al-Qaeda officials they say ran the camps, not a single one mentioned or knew of Zarqawi. "When we heard Powell citing our Chechen-network suspects as the terror link directly to Zarqawi, everyone's mouth dropped open," says a French investigator — who calls Powell's Iraq — al-Qaeda link "unconvincing at best." The official adds, "Zarqawi hasn't been connected to these networks through material evidence or testimony. He doesn't even seem to be lurking at the boundaries."

Why didn't the French raise objections sooner? "Frankly, no one wanted to risk creating trouble by saying anything about Powell's report at that time," the official says. "Today relations between the two countries couldn't get any worse — so why not?"