original italian here: http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Terrorismo&loid=8.0.169761766&par=0 translated, and with additional commentary here: http://mysteryachievement.blogspot.com/2005/05/why-did-we-invade-iraq-again.html and here: http://www.rogerlsimon.com/mt-archives/2005/05/before_911.php and more, w/ commentary here: http://austinbay.net/blog/index.php?p=356 -- Baghdad, 23 May - (Aki) - “Al-Qaeda’s number two man, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, visited Iraq under a false name in September 1999 to participate in the ‘Ninth Islamic People’s Congress’": revealed former Iraqi Premier, Iyyad Allawi, to the Arab daily, “Al-Hayat". The Shiite political figure supplied to the newspaper certain information discovered by the Iraqi Secret Service in the archives of the previous regime which clarify the ties between Saddam Hussein and Islamic terrorist organizations. “Al-Zawahiri was summoned by Izza Ibrahim Al-Douri,” said Allawi, “[who at the time] was vice president of the Council of the Direction of the Revolution, in order to participate in the congress along with 150 Islamic authorities coming from 50 Islamic countries.” According to Allawi important information was also gathered about the presence of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi[’s presence] in the country. “The Jordanian Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi secretly entered Iraq in the same period,” he affirmed, “and began to form a terrorist cell, although the [Iraqi Secret] Service did not have precise information about his entry into the country.” These revelations were released only following those made by the Jordanian king, Abdallah II (also to “Al-Hayat,") concerning the refusal on the part of Saddam to transfer Zarqawi to authorities in Amman. Regarding those revelations, Allawi said: “The words of the Jordanian king are precise and important. We have proven [the fact of] the Zawahiri’s visit to Iraq, but we do not have the exact date of Zarqawi’ entry into the country, even though it probably took place during the same period.” According to the ex-Iraqi premier, Saddam’s government would have thus sponsored the birth of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, as well as coordinating other terrorist groups, be they Islamic or Arab. “The Iraqi Secret Service had communications with these groups through someone named Faruq Hajizi,” Allawi continued, “who was the ambassador to Turkey and was then arrested after the fall of Saddam’s regime while trying to sneak into Iraq. The Iraqi Secret Services were helping the terrorists enter Iraq and taking them to the Ansar Al-Islam camps in the Halbija. area.” In sum, the ex-premier maintains that Saddam’s government also tried to involve Abu Nidal in its terrorist network, and his refusal to cooperate with the Islamist groups became his death sentence, which was carried out in the summer of 2002…
Fact #1: Sadaam was a dictator. Fact #2: Islamic extremists have a goal to create an Islamic based system of government. IE, the extremists (aka terrorists) had a vested interest to overthrow Sadaam since he did not run an Islamic State. Therefore, those two basic facts are directly contradictory. Since Sadaam was a secular dictator who openly crushed any Islamic opposition, I'm highly skeptical about this info. It seems to be more of a he say/she say rather than revelation of actual facts. I'll read more about it, however.
When did Al-Zarqawi become Al-Qaida's number 2 man? I thought No. 2 was the Egyptian doctor who was always on the side of Osama Bin Laden?
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. So what if Al-Zarqawi only linked himself with al Qaeda after the US invaded Iraq. This is still a good story. Thank God and Allah than AQ's #3 (recently promoted by the Pakastanis) is in jail. The world is a safer place.* * except if you are a US soldier in Iraq.
Breaking News!!! Former CIA asset says Saddam was responsible for the birth of Al Qaeda retroactively justifying the invasion of Iraq.
You are absolutely right. My bad. Al-Zawahiri IS the Egyptian doc. Damn all these Al's - All Gore's fault!
Fact #1: Shaq and Kobe hated each other Fact #2: Shaq and Kobe wanted NBA championships These two basic facts are directly contradictory.
These two sets of statements clearly do not follow the same line of logic. The second set of statements are mutually exclusive while the first have a correlation. Maybe that was the point. I don't know
sorry, 2 meclazines, a glass of red wine, and long flight later my brain is not firing on all cylinders. let's try again: He left out Fact 3: Saddam and Islamofascists hate the United States. History is full of examples of people who hate each other uniting for a common goal. Shaq and Kobe was a rather facile example, but a much more pertinient one is Hitler and Stalin via the Molotv- Ribbentrop Pact. it doesn't prove the report is true, but to suggest the report has to be false because one was secular and the other islamist makes no sense in light of their mutual hatred of the US.
That is actually a very good analogy. I don't necessarily agree that the insurgency and Saddam were on the same side per se. They clearly did not like one another. However, they were/are united in their hatred towards America. To continue the analogy, I guess America played the role of "Barbarossa."
Yes and we know how well that worked out for them. What makes me skeptical is more the source. Iyad Allawi as a dissident under Saddam and as a Shiite has reason to tie Saddam to the largely Sunni Al Qaeda. Further since the election Allawi has suffered a major political setback after being president and reporting a Saddam - Al Qaeda connection is a good way to curry favor with US.
I don't know how you draw this conclusion. Saddam was regional dictator, no more, no less. He may well have hated Israel and arch rival Iran, used biological and chemical weapons on Kurds and Iranians, and probably financially assisted Palestinian extremists terrorizing Israel. You could say at worst his regime was a threat to US interest in the Middle East. But it was never his desire to attack US with WMD. Although he was soundly defeated by US-led ally in the 1st Gulf War, he didn't really consider US his enemy. Privately he adored American movies and literature. One of his favorite books was Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea." He hoped for improved relations with the United States and, over several years, sent proposals through intermediaries to open a dialogue with Washington. You can find more about in Charles Duelfer's Iraqi Survey Group WMD report.
That's a nice piece of 6 year old vermicelli you've got there basso - don't try to put too much weight on it, you might hurt yourself.
Zawahiri was in Iraq in 1999...who gives a sh-t if he was in Iraq in 1899..he had the right to go wherever he wanted.......Ayman Al-Zawahiri,...is a spoon to the United States...won't believe anything out his a$$ anywayz......he will say whatever the u.s wants him to say...remember the U.S has to make sure the propaganda towards the reasoning for attacking Iraq is in full force... .. Alqueida and Saddam represent to different things....its funny how silly this is.
Basso you are truly struggling with the invasion of Iraq ~ have you considered professional help to get you through all the guilt?
this is one of the more incoherent posts i've read in a long time, and that's truely saying something. i have no idea what your point is, so, against my better judgement, i ask if you might restate it, w/ out the smilies...
