gmsisko1
06-03-2006, 10:12 PM
There is much debate today regarding the existence of a relationship between Iraq and Al-Qaeda—even though in the late 1990s such a relationship was considered an established fact by the mainstream media and the Clinton Administration. We’ve seen analysts, policy-makers and politicians change their tune on this relationship over the past five years. It is interesting to note that during the race between Bill Clinton and Bush Senior, Al Gore attacked Bush for not removing Saddam. And one of the reasons he bashed Bush was a RAND report saying that 1,400 terrorists were harbored in Iraq. And this was back in 1992. It is easy to dismiss the words of a politician, so let’s examine what the Iraqis, in their own intelligence files and testimony, have revealed to us.
Defectors have informed the CIA that Sudan, specifically Hasan al-Turabi, brought Iraq into the terrorist legion and helped Iraq reach out to Al-Qaeda. Iraq, hoping to be provided with banned weapons and materials, offered Iraqi training and assistance in return. By the end of 2002, the CIA would write nearly 100 reports of contact between Iraq and Al-Qaeda. Mr. Shrimpton will discuss these links in-depth so I’ll just focus on one aspect of the relationship and that is what happened in Somalia.
The ambush of U.S. troops at Mogadishu may have been the first act of cooperation between Iraq and Al-Qaeda, and possibly others. In late January of 1993, Baghdad hosted the Popular Islamic Conference which included representatives from Palestinian, Afghan, Sudanese and Pakistani groups. A document dated January 18, 1993, also signed by Saddam’s secretary, stated that the regime “should move to hunt the Americans who are on Arabian land, especially in Somalia, by using Arabian elements, or Asian friends.”
Another document dated January 25, 1993, listed terrorist groups that Iraq could call upon for their operations. Among those listed are “The Afghani Islamist Party”, known to be a current ally of Al-Qaeda. After the groups are listed, it finishes with “Kindly nominate people to contact the mentioned parties to execute the mission.” Iraqi intelligence documents from this time also list Osama Bin Laden as a “collaborator”, so it is only logical to assume that the Iraqis had to at least consider using Bin Laden and/or Zawahiri’s forces for the mission. Another document shows that Islamic Jihad, led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, agreed to help attack the Egyptian government if Iraq supplied training, weapons and financing. We now know Iraq planned to attack our forces in Somalia. The attack on our forces took place only months after this decision was made. We also know that the groups involved in the ambush were considered friends of the Iraqis. It is clear that Iraq had some role in the brutal events in Somalia.
http://www.worldthreats.com/middle_east/IraqThenNow.htm
Defectors have informed the CIA that Sudan, specifically Hasan al-Turabi, brought Iraq into the terrorist legion and helped Iraq reach out to Al-Qaeda. Iraq, hoping to be provided with banned weapons and materials, offered Iraqi training and assistance in return. By the end of 2002, the CIA would write nearly 100 reports of contact between Iraq and Al-Qaeda. Mr. Shrimpton will discuss these links in-depth so I’ll just focus on one aspect of the relationship and that is what happened in Somalia.
The ambush of U.S. troops at Mogadishu may have been the first act of cooperation between Iraq and Al-Qaeda, and possibly others. In late January of 1993, Baghdad hosted the Popular Islamic Conference which included representatives from Palestinian, Afghan, Sudanese and Pakistani groups. A document dated January 18, 1993, also signed by Saddam’s secretary, stated that the regime “should move to hunt the Americans who are on Arabian land, especially in Somalia, by using Arabian elements, or Asian friends.”
Another document dated January 25, 1993, listed terrorist groups that Iraq could call upon for their operations. Among those listed are “The Afghani Islamist Party”, known to be a current ally of Al-Qaeda. After the groups are listed, it finishes with “Kindly nominate people to contact the mentioned parties to execute the mission.” Iraqi intelligence documents from this time also list Osama Bin Laden as a “collaborator”, so it is only logical to assume that the Iraqis had to at least consider using Bin Laden and/or Zawahiri’s forces for the mission. Another document shows that Islamic Jihad, led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, agreed to help attack the Egyptian government if Iraq supplied training, weapons and financing. We now know Iraq planned to attack our forces in Somalia. The attack on our forces took place only months after this decision was made. We also know that the groups involved in the ambush were considered friends of the Iraqis. It is clear that Iraq had some role in the brutal events in Somalia.
http://www.worldthreats.com/middle_east/IraqThenNow.htm