The Bush Administration made many mentions in a year-long campaign to align Saddam to 9/11 and it worked. They never said "Saddam masterminded 9/11" but constantly talked about him supporting these specific terrorists (Al Queda or whatever we created) in their psyop to have willie yell get that Iraqi bastard!
The same month that Congress approved the use of force resolution against Iraq, 66% of the public said that “Saddam Hussein helped the terrorists in the September 11th attacks”; just 21% said he was not involved in 9/11. By connecting Hussein to terrorism and the group that attacked the United States, administration officials blurred the lines between Iraq and 9/11. “The notion was reinforced by these hints, the discussions that they had about possible links” with al-Qaida terrorists, the late Andrew Kohut, founding director of Pew Research Center.
The administration cited intelligence evidence of ties between al-Qaida and Iraq. The most thorough public explanation of the evidence to date came in February 2003, when Secretary of State Colin Powell included the alleged ties in a presentation to the U.N. Security Council as the debate over war raged on. “After the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, we will not allow grave threats to go unopposed. We are now working to locate and destroy Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. This is a historic moment. Just over a month ago, not all that long ago, a cruel dictator ruled a country, ruled Iraq by torture and fear. His regime was allied with the terrorists, and the regime was armed with weapons of mass destruction. Today, that regime is no more.”
and feel free to read this paper since you memory-holed the years 2001-2003, https://sgadaria.expressions.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Iraq-article_Gershkoff_Kushner.pdf
Saddam encouraged terrorism, rewarded terrorism, condoned terrorism and provided a safe haven for terrorists. He was an enemy of the state
Iraq was not invaded because of their involvement in 9/11. They were invaded because Saddam refused to let weapons inspectors do their jobs. If he allowed the UN weapons inspectors to do their job, to have access to his facilities without restrictions, he might still be alive and in power today. He made promises to provide access nearly a decade earlier. But he never complied with his promises. He didn't believe the paper tiger would actually invade, probably because the French had his back.
9/11 brought a change in attitude.