On Fox News' The Big Story, John Gibson falsely claimed that former Al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was recently killed in Iraq by American forces, “attacked” and “blew up” the USS Cole in October 2000. In fact, according to the 9-11 Commission report, the attack on the Cole was an Al Qaeda operation that was “supervised and directed” by Osama bin Laden.
Gibson falsely claimed Zarqawi “blew up the [USS] Cole”
Written by Ben Armbruster
Published
On the June 8 edition of Fox News' The Big Story, host John Gibson falsely claimed that former Al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was recently killed in Iraq by American forces, “attacked” and “blew up” the USS Cole in October 2000. In fact, according to the 9-11 Commission report, the attack on the Cole was an Al Qaeda operation that was “supervised and directed” by Osama bin Laden. The report made no mention of Zarqawi in the operation's planning or execution.
Discussing Zarqawi's death with Peter Brooks, senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, Gibson stated that “today the Cole sailed for the first time since Zarqawi attacked it.” Later in the show, talking with Rep. John Kline (R-MN), Gibson again claimed that "[i]t was Zarqawi who blew up the Cole."
But the attack on the Cole “was a full-fledged al Qaeda operation, supervised directly by Bin Ladin,” as the 9-11 Commission report detailed. The report said that bin Laden “chose the target and the location of the attack, selected the suicide operatives, and provided the money needed to purchase explosives and equipment.” According to the report, Abd Rahim al Nashiri was the field commander of the operation, and he was assisted by Tawfiq bin Attash (AKA Khallad), Jamal al Badawi, and Fahd al Quso. In addition, the report stated that “the two suicide operatives chosen were Hassan al Khamri and Ibrahim al Thawar, also known as Nibras.” The 9-11 Commission report made no mention of Zarqawi participating in the attack on the Cole, nor is he mentioned in the entire report.
On November 3, 2002, a missile fired from a U.S. aerial drone killed another Al Qaeda suspect in the Cole bombing, Abu Ali al-Harithi.
From the June 8 edition of Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson:
GIBSON: By the way, Peter, today the Cole sailed for the first time since Zarqawi attacked it.
[...]
GIBSON: Congressman, what is missing? I mean, Zarqawi was a very big problem, him personally. Now, we know the insurgency is a big problem. But it was Zarqawi who was creating this Shiite-Sunni sectarian war. He's now gone. It was Zarqawi who was the bomber and the beheader. Zarqawi who blew up the golden dome. It was Zarqawi -- Zarqawi who blew up the Cole. And he's gone. For whatever insurgency is left in Iraq, can't the Iraqis handle that?