'Source of Iraq's al-Qaeda link a suspected liar
A top al-Qaeda operative in US custody was identified as a probable liar months before the Bush administration began using his claims as the basis of its contention that Iraq trained al-Qaeda members to use biological and chemical weapons, The New York Times reported in its Sunday editions.
Citing newly declassified portions of a Defence Intelligence Agency document from February 2002 made available to the Times by Michigan Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record) of the Armed Services Committee, the paper reported it was likely that the prisoner, Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi, was intentionally misleading debriefers about Iraqi support for al-Qaeda's work with illicit weapons.
"It is possible he does not know any further details; it is more likely this individual is intentionally misleading the debriefers," the Times quoted the report as saying. "Ibn al-Shaykh has been undergoing debriefs for several weeks and may be describing scenarios to the debriefers that he knows will retain their interest."
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