Iraq and Al Qaeda

Atta in Prague

2006-09-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

In the days following 9/11, a picture was published of MOHAMED ATTA, the ringleader of the attacks. Officials of the Czech Republic immediately identified ATTA as the man who met AHMED SAMIR AL ANI, the consul at the Iraqi Embassy, at a café in Prague. This story, first reported on September 18, 2001--the day the deadly anthrax letters were mailed--was immediately disputed. As it stands today, U.S. officials doubt the accuracy of the story, including Vice President DICK CHENEY, a former proponent of the alleged connection.^[72] But certain Czech officials still believe ATTA is the man who met al-Ani and was deported from the country.^[73] Other evidence obtained in Iraq links Atta to Saddam's regime.

In the final analysis, the 9/11 Commission Report makes this statement (Page 229): "These findings cannot absolutely rule out the possibility that ATTA was in Prague on April 9, 2001. He could have used an alias to travel and a passport under that alias, but this would be an exception to his practice of using his true name while traveling (as he did in January and would in July when he took his next overseas trip)."

The fallacies of the 9/11 Commission's purported debunking went largely uncriticized. For nearly 3 years, the meeting was reported as occurring on April 8, 2001,^[74] but the story was changed to April 9. Though MOHAMED ATTA's cell phone was used on April 6, 9, and 11 to call lodging sites within the U.S.A., his cell phone was not used on the day in question. AL ANI was scheduled to meet a "Hamburg student" (ATTA's self-description on his Czech visa) on April 8 and was in Prague that day with a Middle Eastern male, not 60 miles away as AL ANI had told his interrogators.^{[citation needed]} ATTA had made 2 trips to Prague in 2000, on May 30 and June 2. His brief May 30 trip (which is sometimes incorrectly reported as another Pakistani with a different name^[75]), was marked by his urgency and careful avoidance of most security cameras, only possible by inside knowledge of the airport. A moustachioed ATTA and AHMED AL-ANI had been previously photographed on the outskirts of Prague. Ted Weaver of The X Report performed careful comparisons between the man walking with AL ANI and AA Flight 11 terrorist pilot ATTA are the similarities between the man in the photo and other photos of ATTA in eyebrows, eyes, hairlines, nose, Adam's apple, lips, jawbone, and ears.^[76] ATTA also had false documentation that was provided by RAMZI BINALSHIBH, who is now in American custody.

Operation Iraqi Freedom Documents

2006-09-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

ISGZ-2004-009247

The Reform and Advice Committee:

Headed by the Saudi Usamah Bin Ladin [UBL], who is a member of a wealthy Saudi family with his roots going back to Hadhramut. This family has a strong ties with the ruling family in Saudi. He is one of the leaders of the Afghan-Arabs, who volunteered for jihad in Afghanistan. After the expulsion of the Russians, he moved to live in Sudan in 1992 subsequent to the Islamists arrival to power in Sudan.

[A]s a result of his antagonistic positions against the ruling Saudi family in opposition to the foreign presence in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi authorities issued a decree to withdrawing his Saudi Citizenship. We approached the committee by doing the following:

A. During the visit of the Sudanese Dr. Ibrahim Al-Sunusi to Iraq and his meeting with Mr. `Uday Saddam Hussein, on December 13th 1994, with the presence of the respectable, Mr. Director of the Intelligence Services, he [Dr. Al-Sunusi] pointed out that the opposing Usamah Bin Ladin, residing in Sudan, who expressed reservations and fear that he may be depicted by his enemies as an agent for Iraq; is ready to meet with us in Sudan (The Honorable Presidency was informed of the results of the meeting in our letter 782 on December 17th 1994).

B. An approval to meet with opposer Usama Bin Ladin by the Intelligence Services was given by the Honorable Presidency in its letter 138, dated January 11th 1995 (attachment 6). He [UBL] was met by the previous general director of M 'I M 4 [QCC: possible the previous General Director of Intelligence] in Sudan, with the presence of the Sudanese, Ibrahim Al-Sannusi, on February 19th 1995. A discussion ensued with him about his organization, he [UBL] requested the broadcasting of the speeches of Sheikh Sulayman Al-`Udah (who has an influence within Saudi Arabia and outside, due to his religious and influential personality), to designate a program for them through the radio broadcast directed inside Iraq, and to perform joint operations against the foreign forces in the land of Hijaz. (The Honorable Presidency was informed of the details of the meeting in our letter 370 on March 4th 1995, attachment 7)

C. The approval was received from the Leader, Mr. President, may God keep him, to designate a program for them {QCC: UBL and the Sheikh] through the directed radio broadcast. We were left to develop the relationship and the cooperation between the two sides to find out what other avenues of cooperation and agreement would open up. The Sudanese were informed of the Honorable Presidency's approval of the above through the representative of the Respectable Director of Intelligence Services our Ambassador in Khartoum.

D. Due to the recent situation in Sudan, and being accused of supporting and embracing terrorism, an agreement with the opposer Saudi Usamah Bin Laden was reached, to depart Sudan to another region; whereas, he left Khartoum in July of 1996. The information indicates that he is currently in Afghanistan.

The relationship with him is ongoing through the Sudanese side. Currently, we are working to revitalize this relationship through a new channel in light of his present location.

Atta in Baghdad

2006-09-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

On December 14, 2003 Con Coughlin of the UK Telegraph reported that a handwritten letter from the former chief of the Iraqi Intelligence Service dated July 1, 2001 mentions Atta's involvement with a planned but unidentified Iraqi-sponsored attack.^[77] Former Iraqi Intelligence Service chief Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti allegedly sent a 7/1/01 handwritten memo to SADDAM HUSSEIN stating that MOHAMED ATTA had completed 3 days of training in Baghdad with deceased Palestinian terrorist ABU NIDAL:

Details of Atta’s visit to the Iraqi capital in the summer of 2001, just weeks before he launched the most devastating terrorist attack in U.S. history, are contained in a top secret memo written to Saddam Hussein, the then Iraqi president, by Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti, the former head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service. The handwritten memo, a copy of which has been obtained exclusively by the Telegraph, is dated July 1, 2001 and provides a short resume of a three-day “work programme” Atta had undertaken at Abu Nidal’s base in Baghdad. In the memo, Habbush reports that Atta “displayed extraordinary effort” and demonstrated his ability to lead the team that would be “responsible for attacking the targets that we have agreed to destroy”.

Ayad Allawi backs the validity of this document. Some allege that Abu Nidal killed by the Iraqi Mukhabarat on the order of Saddam Hussein to cover up Iraqi 9/11 complicity. The recipient of the memo states that the source is highly reliable. The authenticity of this document has been called into question but it has never been formally authenticated or debunked. The letter is still in the possession of the new Iraqi government. Newsweek experts attempted to debunk the memo.^[78] Their arguments can be summarized as follows:

"The memo also says that Iraq was receiving Niger shipments from Libya and Syria, but this story was discredited."
"The memo is too explicit, including details like 'small team from the Al Qaeda organization' and 'responsible for attacking the targets that we have agreed to destroy'?"
"Atta's timeline precludes a 3 day training session in Baghdad."

However, Fox News commentator and blogger Ray Robison criticized the debunking.^[79] Robison argued:

The Niger uranium story was based on credible intelligence and known facts.^[80]
The objection about the explicit nature of the memo is meaningless since many genuine Iraqi freedom documents contain very incriminating information.

Many other captured documents contain incriminating information:

"Document BIAP 2003-000654 was translated by Joseph Shahda and generated an article in the Weekly Standard. [21] The document is a memo from the commander of an Iraqi Air Force base requesting a list of "the names of those who desire to volunteer for Suicide Mission to liberate Palestine and to strike American Interests." [22]"
"A series of "Sheen 27" documents show Saddam's regime was very involved in training fighters in the use of "improvised explosive devices" or IEDs. In a news report by Laurie Mylroie, several documents are discussed that speak of * "Arab Fedayeen" (i.e. non-Iraqis) and the use of "of the people" bombs. Mylroie asserts that one of the documents that was posted was then taken down. [26]"
"Another document suggests that the Iraqi government planned to respond to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq with "camels of mass destruction" -- camels fitted with suicide bombs that would meet the invading army.[32] In another document, Saddam's son Qusay orders captured Kuwaitis to be used as "human shields" against the invaders.[33]"

The document expert cited by Newsweek as discrediting the memo did not even look at the document.
The memo does not specify the date of the training but Con Coughlin says that if it occurred it probably occurred in summer 2001.

To find opportunities other than summer 2001, we might extend the timeframe back to early 2001. Atta was out of the U.S. from 1/4 to 1/10 in 2001, and he spent at least part of that time in Spain. He inquired about cropduster planes in March 2001 and the next time he was confirmed in the U.S. is 4/3 or 4/4.

Powell's UN Speech

2006-08-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

The following is good information from Mr. Ron Cram about Colin Powell's 2003 speech before the United Nations, which is widely perceived to have been totally discredited because he exclusively relied on the deceptive Al-Libi. This is not the case:

"Powell's sources

These excepts are taken from a transcript of Powell's speech. [53]

"And it's no secret that Saddam's own intelligence service was involved in dozens of attacks or attempted assassinations in the 1990s." - This means there are lots of sources, probably both classified and unclassified.

"We asked a friendly security service to approach Baghdad" - This means a foreign intelligence service.

"According to detainee Abuwatia (ph)" - This is not al-Libi.

"the detainee who provided the information about the targets also provided the names of members of the network" - This could be Abuwatia or someone else.

"an Al Qaida source" - not clear, but almost certainly not al-Libi.

"We know members of both organizations met repeatedly and have met at least eight times at very senior levels since the early 1990s." This refers to multiple, credible witnesses about multiple meetings. Probably no one knew about all eight meetings, but several people knew about each of them.

"a foreign security service tells us" - Again, not al-Libi.

"A detained Al Qaida member tells us" - Not clear, but again this is probably not al-Libi because he described al-Libi differently.

"And the record of Saddam Hussein's cooperation with other Islamist terrorist organizations is clear." Again, Powell is talking about multiple reports by credible witnesses. This information is not in doubt.

"I can trace the story of a senior terrorist operative telling how Iraq provided training in these weapons to Al Qaida. Fortunately, this operative is now detained" This person is also described as "responsible for one of Al Qaida's training camps in Afghanistan." - This may indeed be al-Libi, but notice that Powell reports that al-Libi said "a militant known as Abu Abdula Al-Iraqi (ph) had been sent to Iraq several times between 1997 and 2000 for help in acquiring poisons and gases." This is important because...

"Abu Abdula Al-Iraqi (ph) characterized the relationship he forged with Iraqi officials as successful." Do you see? Abu Abdula Al-Iraqi confirmed the report al-Libi. Now stop spreading the disinformation that Powell's speech has been discredited."

King of Terror

2006-08-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

Saddam Hussein is the King of Terror: [1]

Use of chemical weapons to kill 20,000+ Kurdish civilians in Iran-Iraq War [2]
His intelligence agency's involvement in anti-American terrorist attacks which killed more than 3,633 people (see timelines)
Firing Scud missiles into Israel and Saudi Arabia
The public beheadings, in front of family members, of well over 130 women
Execution of parents who refused to place their children in the Ashbal Saddam
Anfal campaign murdering 100,000+ Kurds
Complete destruction of 5,000+ villages (schools, mosques, farms, power plants, etc.)
Massacre of 130,000+ Shi'ites, disappearances, rapes, torture, etc.
Torture chambers with electroshock devices, hooks to hang people by the hands for beatings
Saddam's financing of Palestinian homicide bombers

[UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

Salman Pak

2006-08-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

Is there more than meets the eye to Salman Pak?

In 1998 former Iraqi army captain Sabah Khalifa Khodad Alami reported the training of foreign terrorists by Mukhabarat officers in hijacking using knives at the Salman Pak facility. This was done on a Boeing 707. Since then, the existence of this plane was confirmed by satellite photos. Saddam Hussein had lied that there was no plane there. Khodada's drawing from memory of the Salman Pak facility is accurate, and he had not exaggerated his rank. He told PBS Frontline on October 14, 2001, "This camp is specialized in exporting terrorism to the whole world." [1] While it was said to be a counter-terrorist training camp by Douglas MacCollan, this is immediately supect given the existence of a "Tiger Group" of suicide bombers,[2] and MacCollan's claim was falsified.[3] Former Fedayeen officer and Unit 999 trainer Abu Mohammad claims that he first encountered Al Qaeda operatives at the Salman Pak facility in 1998. Additionally, there were 3 boxcars at Salman Pak where terrorists trained in railroad attacks, and there was an urban assault training center.

Stephen F. Hayes reported:

Beginning in 1994, the Fedayeen Saddam opened its own paramilitary training camps for volunteers, graduating more than 7,200 “good men racing full with courage and enthusiasm” in the first year. Beginning in 1998, these camps began hosting “Arab volunteers from Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, ‘the Gulf,’ and Syria.” It is not clear from available evidence where all of these non-Iraqi volunteers who were “sacrificing for the cause” went to ply their newfound skills. Before the summer of 2002, most volunteers went home upon the completion of training. But these camps were humming with frenzied activity in the months immediately prior to the war. As late as January 2003, the volunteers participated in a special training event called the “Heroes Attack.” This training event was designed in part to prepare regional Fedayeen Saddam commands to “obstruct the enemy from achieving his goal and to support keeping peace and stability in the province.”

Motives

2006-08-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

Following the Gulf War, the angered Iraqi regime needed committed suicide terrorists to use against America. As a secular nation, Iraq had to recruit jihadis and so Iraqi intelligence established ties to Al Qaeda in the early 1990s. While Al Qaeda received the necessary funding, support, facilities, and training, Iraq had plausible deniability and so it thought it could escape retaliation from Western powers. Both Al Qaeda and Iraq viciously hated U.S. presence in the Gulf and had other motives to strike American interests (see below). Saddam Hussein's official Iraqi media praised bin Laden an "Arab and Islamic hero" after the 1998 embassy bombings; clearly, the evidence in the timelines shows, Iraq and Al Qaeda were able to overcome their ideological differences to unite against a common enemy.

No-Fly zones over 2/3 of Iraq
The liberation of Kuwait during the Gulf War
Destruction during the Clinton Administration of the IIS headquarters in 1993
UN sanctions against Iraq prompted by the USA
Attempted coups against Saddam and other efforts to topple his dictatorial regime sponsored by the USA
Destruction of chemical weapons plants
Destruction of Al Qaeda training camps
Continued USA presence in the Gulf region
December 1998 four-day bombing campaign on Iraq

Iraqi Military Celebrates 9/11

2006-08-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

*Murals in Iraq indeed show Iraqi airlines slamming into the Twin Towers, and Saddam Hussein celebrating the 9/11 attacks.

Common Objections, Pt. 1

2006-08-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

"The memo tying M. Atta to Baghdad is bogus."

Not true, as Ray Robison shows. [1] A common complaint about this memo from naysayers is that it is "too explicit," but the handwritten memo is not unique as containing incriminating information, as many Operation Iraqi Freedom documents do indeed (From Wikipedia):
"Document BIAP 2003-000654 was translated by Joseph Shahda and generated an article in the Weekly Standard. [21] The document is a memo from the commander of an Iraqi Air Force base requesting a list of "the names of those who desire to volunteer for Suicide Mission to liberate Palestine and to strike American Interests." [22]"
"A series of "Sheen 27" documents show Saddam's regime was very involved in training fighters in the use of "improvised explosive devices" or IEDs. In a news report by Laurie Mylroie, several documents are discussed that speak of "Arab Fedayeen" (i.e. non-Iraqis) and the use of "of the people" bombs. Mylroie asserts that one of the documents that was posted was then taken down. [26]"
"Another document suggests that the Iraqi government planned to respond to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq with "camels of mass destruction" -- camels fitted with suicide bombs that would meet the invading army.[32] In another document, Saddam's son Qusay orders captured Kuwaitis to be used as "human shields" against the invaders.[33]"

"The Ahmed Hikmat Shakir mentioned in the timeline is not a Fedayeen Officer; they are two different people."

False; as Andrew C. McCarthy demonstrates at National Review Online. [2]

2001 Timeline

2006-08-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

SADDAM HUSSEIN and Al Qaeda form Ansar Al Islam.^[63]
April 8 - MOHAMED ATTA meets Iraqi spy AHMED AL-ANI in Prague,^{[citation needed]} where AL-ANI orders the IIS to wire ATTA money.^[64] A moustachioed ATTA and AHMED AL-ANI had been previously photographed on the outskirts of Prague. Comparisons by Ted Weaver of The X Report between the man walking with AL-ANI and AA Flight 11 terrorist pilot ATTA are the similarities between the man in the photo and other photos of ATTA in eyebrows, eyes, hairlines, nose, Adam's apple, lips, jawbone, and ears.^[65]
May - As part of a deal with SADDAM HUSSEIN, Al Qaeda operatives in Kurdistan assassinate Kurdish Democratic Party member FRANSO HARIRI.^[66]
July 21 - NAEEM ABD MULHALHAL, an Iraqi reporter affiliated with Iraqi intelligence, describes OSAMA BIN LADEN's plans to attack the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and White House using planes as weapons. This fits with Al Qaeda number one OSAMA BIN LADEN's practice of publicly threatening the United States of America before carrying out terrorist attacks against it.^[67] Later, on the floor of the Senate, Senator Ernest Hollings interprets this as foreknowledge, saying: “In other words, the World Trade Towers. Here, over a year ahead of time in the open press in Iraq, they are writing that this man is planning not only to bomb the White House, but where they are already hurting, the World Trade Towers.” Senator Hollings reads the opinion piece into the U.S. Congressional Record.^[68]
September 1 - SADDAM HUSSEIN personally praises NAEEM ABD MULHALHAL (see July 21, 2001) for his "documentation of important events and heroic deeds that proud Iraqis have accomplished."^[69]
Week before September 11 - Israeli intelligence gives an urgent warning to the CIA of an imminent, large-scale attack inside the U.S.A. by OSAMA BIN LADEN, with strong indications of Iraqi involvement.^[70]
September 11 - 19 Al Qaeda terrorists hijack four commercial passenger jet airliners, two striking the World Trade Center Towers in New York, one striking the Pentagon on Washington, D.C., and the other crashing in an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania due to the heroic efforts of the passengers. The 9/11 attackers murder 2,997 innocent American civilians that morning in the worst terrorist attack on American soil. Conspiracy theorists will promote anti-American conspiracy theories from September 11 through 2006; these theories have been discredited.^[71]
September 11 - Former Mukhabarat General JAMAL Al QURAIRY, who had long ago defected, sees the 9/11 attacks, turns to a friend, and says, "That's ours."^{[citation needed}

2000 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

January - Iraqi intelligence officer AHMED HIKMAT SHAKIR facilitates the travel of Al Qaeda veterans and future AA Flight 77 hijackers KHALID ALMIDHAR and NAWAF ALHAZMI to, and attends, the January 2000 Al Qaeda summit in Malaysia where 9/11 is plotted. SHAKIR worked with the plotters and executors of both WTC attacks, OKC bombing, embassy bombings, and USS Cole attacks as documented by his list of contacts and communication records.^[57] It is not a case of mistaken identity.^[58]
Saudi Arabia is on nation-wide alert after Saudi intelligence learns that Iraq is collaborating with Al Qaeda to attack U.S.A. interests there.^{[citation needed]}
Spring - Future UA Flight 175 pilot MARWAN ALSHEHHI and future UA Flight 93 pilot ZIAD SAMIR JARRAH meet with Mukhabarat officers in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.^[59]
May 30 - MOHAMED ATTA meets Iraqi spy AHMED AL-ANI in Prague, Czech Republic.^[60]
June 2 - MOHAMED ATTA again meets Iraqi spy AHMED AL-ANI in Prague.^{[citation needed]}
October 12 - A small boat packed with explosives strikes the side of the USS Cole at 11:18 A.M. local time. IBRAHIM AL THAWR and ABDULLAH AL MISAWA murder themselves as well as 17 U.S.A. Navy sailors, and injure 39 others. SADDAM HUSSEIN is very impressed.^{[citation needed]}
October 14 - Two Saudi Arabian Al Qaeda operatives hijack a Saudi Airlines Boeing 777 and fly it to Baghdad,^[61] demonstrating to Iraq their ability to hijack potential guided missiles. They are given asylum by SADDAM HUSSEIN's government.^[62]

1998 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:58:00.001-07:00

February 3 - SADDAM HUSSEIN's regime gives Al Qaeda #2 AYMAN AL ZAWAHIRI $300,000.^[53]

February 22 - The published anti-American fatwa of BIN LADEN, KHALID AL FAWWAZZ, and AYMAN AL ZAWAHIRI states “The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies – civilians and military – is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it…” They cite America's alleged "great devastation inflicted on the Iraqi people" and "eagerness to destroy Iraq." They further state “The best proof of this is the Americans’ continuing aggression against the Iraqi people using the [Arabian] Peninsula as a staging post, even though all its rulers are against their territories being used to that end, still they are helpless.”^[54]
February 23 - Iraq's state press warns of "consequences."
March - Awaiting execution in federal prison, TIMOTHY MCVEIGH publishes his copyrighted "Essay on Hypocrisy" which attempts to justify Iraq's stockpiling of chemical and biological weapons.^[55]
May 1 - Iraq's state press warns of "dire consequences."^{[citation needed]}
May 9 - OSAMA BIN LADEN issues an anti-American fatwa, complaining about U.S.A. "aggression" in Iraq. BIN LADEN's and HUSSEIN's threats are synchronized this year.^{[citation needed]}
July 30 - Iraq threatens violent action unless the UN embargo is lifted.^{[citation needed]}
August - A former Iraqi army officer and an IIS agent are arrested in Pakistan before they can carry out a joint IIS/Al Qaeda plot to blow up the U.S.A. and British embassies.^[56]
August 5 - SADDAM HUSSEIN repeats his warnings after ousting UN weapons inspectors.^{[citation needed]}
August 7 - At 10:45 A.M. local time, the American embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania are bombed simultaneously, killing over 235 and injuring over 4,585.
Late October - The newspaper Al Quds Al Arabic mentions direct cooperation between OSAMA BIN LADEN and SADDAM HUSSEIN. It states, "President SADDAM HUSSEIN, whose country was subjected to a four day air strike, will look for support in taking revenge on the United States and Britain by cooperating with Saudi oppositionist OSAMA BIN-LADEN, whom the United States considers to be the most wanted person in the world." It also noted that the cooperation was not new: "BIN-LADEN was planning moving to Iraq before the recent strike."^{[citation needed]}

1997 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

February - OSAMA BIN LADEN states, “The hearts of the Muslims are filled with hatred towards the United States of America and the American President for American conduct towards Iraq.”^[51]
November - OKC terrorist HUSSAIN HASHEM AL HUSSAINI expresses concerns to his psychiatrist that he would be implicated if something bad were to happen at Boston Logan Airport, where he works. Four years later, AA Flight 11 and UA Flight 175 take off from Boston Logan Airport, are hijacked, and then crashed into the North Tower and South Tower of the World Trade Center, respectively.^[52]

1996 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

July 17 - TWA Flight 800 N93119, a Boeing 747-131, blows up midflight due to pre-planted plastic explosives at 8:45 P.M. on the 28th anniversary of the coup d'etat that brought Baathist SADDAM HUSSEIN into power,^[48] killing all 230 on board. Mimicking RAMZI YOUSEF's Oplan Bojinka plot (which used delayed timer tactics like YOUSEF'S associate DR. IHSAN BARBOUTI's 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing), it is an effort to help YOUSEF get a mistrial so he could be freed and plot more attacks for Al Qaeda and Iraq.^[49]^[50]

1995 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:56:00.001-07:00

April 19 - A 5,000 lb. ammonium nitrate and nitromethane bomb explodes outside of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City at 9:02 A.M. at Central Daylight time, killing 168 and injuring over 800.
VINCENT CANNISTRARO (CIA) calls KEVIN FOUST (FBI) shortly after the bombing of the Murrah building to give information about a royal Saudi official who had told him about a list of targets he had seen which were to be hit by Iraqis, with the Murrah building on the top of the list.^[45]
TIMOTHY MCVEIGH collects several Iraqi phone numbers shortly before being arrested. HUSSAIN HASHEM AL HUSSAINI, who served in the Iraqi Republican Guard, was the "John Doe #2" who was witnessed in the company of MCVEIGH.^[46]^[47]

1994 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

June 20 - RAMZI YOUSEF, together with his father and younger brother ABDUL MUNEEM and with help from Iraqi intelligence, bomb a Shi'ite Muslim Mosque in Mashad, Iran.^[43]
RAMZI YOUSEF meets with Terry Nichols in the Philippines to provide him with bomb-making expertise.^[44]

1993 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:54:00.001-07:00

February 26 On the second anniversary of Kuwaiti liberation,[2] at 12:17 P.M. a 1,310 lb. bomb explodes in the World Trade Center basement, killing seven and injuring over 1,040 while failing to topple the Trade Towers in a cloud of cyanide gas as the conspirators intended.
Iraqi WTC terrorist ABDUL YASIN flees the USA and "boogies to Baghdad," where he works for the dictatorial regime of SADDAM HUSSEIN and is paid a salary for a decade. He is still at large as of 2006 and has been personally interviewed by several Western news outlets.

1992 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

OSAMA BIN LADEN meets with Iraqi intelligence officers in Syria.
AYMAN AL ZAWAHIRI meets with SADDAM HUSSEIN in Baghdad.
MOHAMED SALAMEH calls his Baghdad-sponsored maternal uncle QADRI ABU BAKR up to 46 times. A senior Sunni representative of the MKO asks RAMZI YOUSEF on behalf of Bahgdad to carry out a spectacular terrorist attack inside the U.S.A.[The New Jackals by Simon Reeve] RAMZI YOUSEF then comes to the U.S.A. on a legitimate Iraqi passport issued to him on September 11, 1990. The JFK INS inspector says it "appeared to be valid and unaltered," and the 9/11 Commission Report states that "An examination of Yousef's passport by the Forensic Document Lab at INS later reveals that the date of birth has been overwritten and the passport binding has been cut and un-stitched, but no other alterations were detected." The legitimacy of his passport is also corroborated by the testimony of David Kelly.

1991 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:53:00.002-07:00

February 8 - On Baghdad Radio, SADDAM HUSSEIN says "We will chase [Americans] to every corner at all times. No high tower of steel will protect them against the fire of truth."^[39]
February 15 - TAHA YASIN RAMADAN says that Iraq "will avenge the pure blood that has been shed no matter how long it takes." ^[40]

1990 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

September 11 ABDUL BASIT KARIM, after collaborating with Iraqi occupying forces in the invasion of Kuwait in August, is issued a legitimate Iraqi passport in the name RAMZI AHMED YOUSEF. [1]
September 13 SADDAM HUSSEIN calls for jihad against supporters of UN condemenations of Iraq. TARIQ AZIZ said Iraq doesn't have to refrain from terrorism against the U.S.A., British, or French governments.

1989 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:52:00.001-07:00

ABDUL BASIT KARIM, who later adopts the identity "RAMZI AHMED YOUSEF," works with DR. IHSAN BARBOUTI, whose job is to obtain weapons for Iraq and Libya, in the London office of the Iraqi National Oil Company.^[37] BARBOUTI ships abundant sodium cyanide to Iraq in the next few years, and his coworker KARIM/YOUSEF proceeds to use sodium cyanide in his attack on the World Trade Center in 1993.

1988 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

DR. IHSAN BARBOUTI plots a successful attack on Pan Am Flight 103 N739PA, a Boeing 747-121, which explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21.^[35] 270 people perish, including 11 on the ground.
August 11 - Saudi OSAMA BIN LADEN forms Al Qaeda.^[36]

1987 Timeline

2006-08-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

Autumn
SABAWI IBRAHIM AL TIKRITI and DR. IHSAN BARBOUTI attend a fuel additive company in Oklahoma City as part of weapons procurements efforts. They seek such powerful chemicals as ammonium nitrate.

Coming Soon

2006-08-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

*Operation Iraqi Freedom Documents
*Ramzi Yousef, KSM, Ahmed Hikmat Shakir, and Other Major Players
*OKC Bombing, WTC attacks (inc. 9/11), Embassy Bombings, USS Cole Bombing
*The Prague Connection?
*Interesting Quotes
*Iraq and Other Terror Organizations
*Responding to Common Objections
*Pictures
*More ...

Introduction

2006-08-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda were alleged to have established a highly secretive relationship from 1992 through 2003, specifically through a series of meetings reportedly involving the Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS).^{[citation needed]} In the lead up to the Iraq War, U.S. president George W. Bush alleged that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda might work together to launch terrorist attacks on the United States[citation needed], basing the administration's rationale for war, in part, on this allegation and others. Critics of the Bush Administration have claimed Bush was intentionally building a case for war with Iraq without regard to the facts.

In e.g. the case "The Estate of John Patrick O'Neill vs. The Republic of Iraq, et al" the collaborative relationship between terrorist organization Al Qaeda and the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein (wrongly denied by the 9/11 Commission) is extensively documented.^[1] There is also evidence implicating Iraq in various deadly anti-American terrorist attacks in recent history, since the end of the first Gulf War, including the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon via hijacked Boeing airliners on September 11, 2001. Unfortunately, many people believe the myths that Al Qaeda and Iraq did not have a collaborative relationship and that Iraq was not involved with 9/11 and other anti-American terror attacks. These dangerous falsehoods prevail, just like the lie that no WMDs were found in Iraq.^[2]

Viewpoints

Evidence of high-level contacts between Saddam and al-Qaeda raises two questions:

1. Did the Iraqi regime and al-Qaeda have a cooperative relationship?

2. Did Saddam Hussein's government support the attacks on 9/11?

There are several views regarding the relationship between Saddam and al-Qaeda:

The intelligence community (CIA, NSA, DIA, etc) view, as seen in the 9/11 Commission Report and the Senate Report of Pre-war Intelligence on Iraq, answers these questions "No" and "No." According to this view, the difference in ideology between Saddam and al-Qaeda would make cooperation in any terrorist attacks very unlikely, although could happen in extremis, that is if Saddam believed he was to be invaded by the US. The Senate Report, however, recognizes the possibility of some cooperation between Saddam and al-Qaeda in the area of training and offers of safe-haven.
The Bush administration view, as defined by the Colin Powell speech before the UN, answers the questions "Maybe" and "No." Powell presented several credible intelligence reports vetted by the Intelligence Community showing contacts between Iraq's Intelligence Service and al-Qaeda. Powell pointed out that Saddam had already supported Islamic Jihad, a radical Islamist group and there is no reason for him not to support al-Qaeda. Powell discussed concerns Saddam may provide al-Qaeda will chemical or biological weapons.
A minority view held by some intelligence analysts answers the questions "Yes" and "No." According to this view Saddam and al-Qaeda had an on-again, off-again cooperative relationship and were willing to use the other for their own purposes. This view does not claim Saddam supported the 9/11 attacks but believes that possibility should continue to be investigated.
The "false flag" view of Laurie Mylroie answers the questions "Yes" and "Yes." Mylroie claims Saddam's regime was behind the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and that Saddam used a "false flag" operation to attack the US on 9/11 and blame al-Qaeda for it. Very few people share Mylroie's view.

Why this subject is controversial

This subject is hotly debated in part because gathering and analyzing intelligence is a difficult business. Nations and terrorists sometimes run “false flag” operations in which they act in a way to lay blame to another country or group. At other times, detainees and defectors will intentionally provide intelligence agencies with false statements and faked documents. Sometimes these people change their story and it is difficult to know which story is true, if either. The entire question of the “level of certainty” of intelligence reports and assessments is a difficult business.

Former CIA Director Robert Gates makes the point by saying:

"If the stakes and the consequences are small, you're going to want ninety-per-cent assurance. It's a risk calculus. On the other hand, if your worry is along the lines of what Rumsfeld is saying—another major attack on the U.S., possibly with biological or chemical weapons—and you look at the consequences of September 11th, then the equation of risk changes. You have to be prepared to go forward with a lot lower level of confidence in the evidence you have. A fifty-per-cent chance of such an attack happening is so terrible that it changes the calculation of risk."^[1]

Another event adding controversy to the subject was the leaking of a classified memo written by Douglas Feith to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence during its review of Pre-war Intelligence. The contents of the memo were published in a ‘’Weekly Standard’’ article.^[2] Feith’s view of the relationship between Saddam and Osama differed from the official view of the Intelligence Community and engendered a great deal of ill will between intelligence analysts and the Bush Administration.

The issue is also controversial because some Intelligence Community analysts have charged the Bush Administration with “cherry-picking” the intelligence to support a predetermined decision to invade Iraq.^[3] The majority view of the Intelligence Community was that no working relationship existed between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda. In the speech by Colin Powell before the U.N. Security Council, the Bush Administration decisively rejected one of the major tenets of the majority view.