An absurd war

• Gen. James Jones: "The al-Qaida presence is very diminished. The maximum estimate is less than 100 operating in the country, no bases, no ability to launch attacks on either us or our allies."--Robert Scheer, "A War of Absurdity," truthdig.com, October 6, 2009

• "We had and have no plan of harming countries of the world, including those in Europe ... our goal is the independence of the country and the building of an Islamic state," the Taliban said in a statement on the group's website www.shahamat.org.--Sayed Salahuddin, "Afghan Taliban say they pose no threat to the West," Reuters, October 7, 2009

• Former Vice President Cheney: "We've never made the case, or argued the case, that somehow Osama Bin Laden was directly involved in 9/11"--Enver Masud, "Bin Laden Not Wanted for 9/11: The 'FBI has no hard evidence connecting Bin Laden to 9/11'," The Wisdom Fund, June 8, 2006