In a 1998 op-ed to the Washington Times, then National Security Advisor Berger defended the attack on Khartoum's al Shifa pharmaceutical plant, contending:

"Other products [besides VX gas] were made at Al Shifa. But we have seen such dual-use plants before - in Iraq. And, indeed, we have information that Iraq has assisted in chemical weapons activity in Sudan."

As State Department spokesman at the time, Rubin and his boss, Madeleine Albright, backed Berger's position on the attacks.

On Friday, Weekly Standard editor Stephen Hayes, who first noted the Kerry-Berger/Rubin contradiction, confronted Rubin on the issue during an interview on CNBC.

The Kerry adviser admitted that "Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein played footsie with each other," but he insisted that ultimately "they came to a decision, and the decision was 'We are not going to become allies.'"

Editor's note: