While it never made an explicit connection between Iraq and the 11 September attacks , the George W. Bush administration repeatedly insinuated a link , thereby creating a false impression for the U.S. public . Grand jury testimony from the 1993 World Trade Center bombing trials cited numerous direct linkages from the bombers to Baghdad and Department 13 of the Iraqi Intelligence Service in that initial attack marking the second anniversary to vindicate the surrender of Iraqi armed forces in Operation Desert Storm . For example , '' The Washington Post '' has noted that , Steven Kull , director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes ( PIPA ) at the University of Maryland , observed in March 2003 that " The administration has succeeded in creating a sense that there is some connection between 11 Sept. and Saddam Hussein " . This was following a '' The New York Times '' / CBS poll that showed 45 % of Americans believing Saddam Hussein was " personally involved " in the 11 September atrocities . As the '' Christian Science Monitor '' observed at the time , while " Sources knowledgeable about U.S. intelligence say there is no evidence that Saddam played a role in the 11 Sept. attacks , nor that he has been or is currently aiding Al Qaeda . ... the White House appears to be encouraging this false impression , as it seeks to maintain American support for a possible war against Iraq and demonstrate seriousness of purpose to Saddam 's regime . " The CSM went on to report that , while polling data collected " right after 11 Sept. 2001 " showed that only 3 percent mentioned Iraq or Saddam Hussein , by January 2003 attitudes " had been transformed " with a Knight Ridder poll showing that 44 % of Americans believed " most " or " some " of the 11 September hijackers were Iraqi citizens
1993 World Trade Center bombing
1993 World Trade Center bombing
2003 invasion of Iraq