Nearly eight years after the fact, former Vice President Dick Cheney finally admitted that there was absolutely no evidence to suggest that Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11. He did however defend the invasion and the subsequent war, saying Hussein had “without question” provided sanctuary to other terrorist groups.

Repeatedly during his two terms as vice president, Cheney claimed there was overwhelming evidence linking the former Iraqi president to the al-Qaeda attack, and publicly condemned the 9/11 commission for claiming that there was “no credible evidence” linking the two.

The issue was brought back to the public’s attention in April, when the Obama Administration released memos relating to the abuse of detainees in US custody. Officials pointed to Cheney (among others), saying he had pressed for the harsh tactics to produce proof of the link between Hussein and al-Qaeda.