How Many World Leaders Does It Take To Stop The Name Calling?

Republican National Committee ^ | July 1, 2004

[RWR8189]

HOW MANY WORLD LEADERS DOES IT TAKE TO STOP THE NAME CALLING?
New Evidence Continues To Emerge On
Threat Of Saddam Hussein’s Regime
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WHO WOULD KNOW?  AL GORE OR THE IRAQI PRIME MINISTER?

New Iraqi Prime Minister Certain Saddam Had Terrorist Connections.  IRAQI PRIME MINISTER IYAD ALLAWI: "I believe very strongly that Saddam had relations with al Qaeda. We know Saddam has relationships with a lot of terrorists and international terrorism. Now, whether he is directly connected to the September atrocities or not, I can't vouch for this, but definitely I know he has connections with extremism and terrorists."  (NBC's "Nightly News," 6/29/04)

WHO WOULD KNOW?  MICHAEL MOORE
OR RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN?

Russian President Putin Said Russian Intelligence Had Warned U.S. That Saddam Was “Preparing Terrorist Attacks” Against U.S. After 9/11 And Before Beginning Of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  “Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that Russia provided the United States with intelligence indicating that ‘official services in Saddam Hussein's regime had been preparing terrorist attacks on U.S. territory and on American military and civil sites outside the country.’ This information was earlier reported as coming from Russian special services. ‘It is true that after the September 11, 2001 events up to the beginning of the military operation in Iraq, the Russian special services repeatedly obtained intelligence of this sort and passed it on to their American colleagues,’ Putin said …”  (“Russia Provided U.S. With Info On Saddam Preparing Attacks – Putin,” Interfax, 6/18/04)

Russian Intelligence Skeptical Of 9/11 Commission Conclusions On Iraq-Al Qaeda Links.  “A Russian intelligence source expressed skepticism … about conclusions drawn by the U.S. commission investigating the September 11 attacks. The source argued that the point that there is ‘no credible evidence’ of any link between the Saddam Hussein regime and al-Qaeda attacks and other conclusions made by the commission failed to draw a comprehensive picture of what Iraq was like two years ago. ‘Separated from other elements of the Iraqi problem, the conclusions and generalizations that have been made cannot be recognized as objective,’ the source told Interfax.”  (“Russian Source Skeptical About 9/11 Panel's Conclusions,” Interfax, 6/17/04)

THE NEW YORK TIMES UNCOVERS
IRAQ-AL QAEDA RELATIONSHIP

Iraqi Intelligence Service Document Obtained By The New York Times Confirms Contacts Between Iraq, Bin Laden, And Other Terrorists.  “Contacts between Iraqi intelligence agents and Osama bin Laden when he was in Sudan in the mid-1990's were part of a broad effort by Baghdad to work with organizations opposing the Saudi ruling family, according to a newly disclosed document obtained by the Americans in Iraq. American officials described the document as an internal report by the Iraqi intelligence service detailing efforts to seek cooperation with several Saudi opposition groups, including Mr. bin Laden's organization, before Al Qaeda had become a full-fledged terrorist organization. He was based in Sudan from 1992 to 1996, when that country forced him to leave and he took refuge in Afghanistan.”  (Thom Shanker, “Iraqis, Seeking Foes Of Saudis, Contacted Bin Laden, File Says,” The New York Times, 6/25/04)

Pentagon Task Force Confirmed Document’s Authenticity And Said It “Corroborates And Expands On” Other Evidence Of Iraq-Al Qaeda Ties.  “A translation of the new Iraqi document was reviewed by a Pentagon working group in the spring, officials said. It included senior analysts from the military's Joint Staff, the Defense Intelligence Agency and a joint intelligence task force that specialized in counterterrorism issues, they said. The task force concluded that the document ‘appeared authentic,’ and that it ‘corroborates and expands on previous reporting’ about contacts between Iraqi intelligence and Mr. bin Laden in Sudan, according to the task force's analysis.”  (Thom Shanker, “Iraqis, Seeking Foes Of Saudis, Contacted Bin Laden, File Says,” The New York Times, 6/25/04)

Document Shows Iraqis Approached Bin Laden.  “The document, which asserts that Mr. bin Laden ‘was approached by our side,’ states that Mr. bin Laden previously ‘had some reservations about being labeled an Iraqi operative,’ but was now willing to meet in Sudan, and that ‘presidential approval’ was granted to the Iraqi security service to proceed. At the meeting, Mr. bin Laden requested that sermons of an anti-Saudi cleric be rebroadcast in Iraq. That request, the document states, was approved by Baghdad. Mr. bin Laden ‘also requested joint operations against foreign forces’ based in Saudi Arabia, where the American presence has been a rallying cry for Islamic militants who oppose American troops in the land of the Muslim pilgrimage sites of Mecca and Medina.”  (Thom Shanker, “Iraqis, Seeking Foes Of Saudis, Contacted Bin Laden, File Says,” The New York Times, 6/25/04)

Document Notes That Iraqis Planned To Develop “Other Channels” To Continue “Relationship” With Bin Laden When He Left Sudan For Afghanistan.  “The document is of interest to American officials as a detailed, if limited, snapshot of communications between Iraqi intelligence and Mr. bin Laden, but this view ends with Mr. bin Laden's departure from Sudan. At that point, Iraqi intelligence officers began ‘seeking other channels through which to handle the relationship, in light of his current location,’ the document states.”  (Thom Shanker, “Iraqis, Seeking Foes Of Saudis, Contacted Bin Laden, File Says,” The New York Times, 6/25/04)

[JLS]

Excellent release.

[Desdemona]

bump