Jacob Levy asks the right questions

Before Operation Iraqi Freedom, I posted about the presence of Al Qaeda fighters in the parts of Iraq outside Saddam Hussein’s control, and suggested that, hey, maybe the U.S. should take some action there (as well as challenge Europeans to honor their commitments to combat terrorism). A year later, Kevin Drum highlighted this post in response to a disturbing NBC story:

NBC News has learned that long before the war the Bush administration had several chances to wipe out his terrorist operation and perhaps kill Zarqawi himself — but never pulled the trigger. In June 2002, U.S. officials say intelligence had revealed that Zarqawi and members of al-Qaida had set up a weapons lab at Kirma, in northern Iraq, producing deadly ricin and cyanide. The Pentagon quickly drafted plans to attack the camp with cruise missiles and airstrikes and sent it to the White House, where, according to U.S. government sources, the plan was debated to death in the National Security Council…. “People were more obsessed with developing the coalition to overthrow Saddam than to execute the president’s policy of preemption against terrorists,” according to terrorism expert and former National Security Council member Roger Cressey…. Military officials insist their case for attacking Zarqawi’s operation was airtight, but the administration feared destroying the terrorist camp in Iraq could undercut its case for war against Saddam. (emphasis added)

At the time, my response was the same as Jacob Levy’s: “At first I assumed that it was so extreme and appalling a claim that there was almost certainly a credible counter-story or at least contrary interpretation to be offered. But I never saw it.” Jacob now has two in-depth posts on this — here and here. Go read them. The disturbing allegation, which remains unanswered, is whether the administration chose not to take out these camps — and possibly Zarqawi — in order to prosecute a war of choice. Like Ramesh Ponnuru, I find this deeply troubling. It would be nice to see this story get the journalistic attention that, say, the impending nuptuals of Britney Spears… or the sudden weight loss of Anna Nicole Smith… or [You’re drifting off point! Focus!–ed] anyway, you get my drift.