The always-astute Jeanne B. e-mails with the following observation about the media’s coverage of the newly-released Saddam tape recordings:

Regarding the new Saddam tapes, the media is focusing much of its attention on the portion about hiding weapons from U.N. inspectors. But
there’s another — much more interesting — segment that’s not only being
given short shrift… it’s being misinterpreted. I’m talking about this exchange between Saddam and Tariq Aziz:“Sir, the biological is very easy to make,” [Tariq Aziz] tells Saddam. “It’s so simple that any biologist can make a bottle of germs and drop it into a water tower and kill 100,000.” “This is coming. This story is coming out, but not from Iraq,” he says.I can’t find a single instance of reporting this exchange which isn’t followed by a notation interpreting this remark as Saddam saying “Iraq would not be involved in such an attack.” But are they deliberately
overlooking another, more sinister, interpretation? My instant reaction was that Saddam was saying “Iraq’s fingerprints won’t be on the attack.” Just look at the sentence structure: “This is coming… but not from Iraq.” Saddam is smart enough to have recognized that a non-state-sponsored attack would be exponentially more difficult for the U.S. to respond to. Letting an ephemeral terrorist group do his dirty work was his ultimate thumb in our eye.
For at least two years the media has mocked those of us who believe Saddam was involved in 9/11. If nothing else, the statement shows he had prior knowledge of a major attack. At worst, it strongly implies he intended to share biological weapons with terrorist groups. After showering us with scorn, the media could at least show some contrition and admit he obviously had connections with those planning to attack us.

If they report on the significance of these tapes at all, that is.