CNN 1999...
"Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has offered asylum to bin Laden"
http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9902/13/afghan.binladen/
AND.............
ABC 1999....
1999 ABC News Report : The Osama - Hussein Connection
http://www.radioamerica.org/audio/MR_ABC-Osama-Hussein-connections.mp3
ABC News, January 14, 1999
'". . . [Mamdouh Mahmud] Salim, alleged to be a key military advisor and
believed to be privy to bin Laden's most secret projects, is also apprehended.
The US government alleges that he was under secret orders to procure enriched
uranium for the purpose of developing nuclear weapons.
These are allegations bin Laden does not now deny. "It would be a sin for
Muslims not to try to possess the weapons that would prevent the infidels from
inflicting harm on Muslims, but how we could use these weapons if we possessed
them is up to us.
With an American price on his head, there weren't many places bin Laden could
go, unless he teamed up with another international pariah, one also with an
interest in weapons of mass destruction. Osama believes in the 'enemy of my
enemy is my friend, and someone I should cooperate with.' That is certainly
the current case with Iraq. Saddam Hussein has a long history of harboring
terrorists: Carlos the Jackal, Abu Nida, Abu Abbas. The most notorious
terrorist of their era all found shelter and support at one time in Baghdad.
Intelligence sources say bin Laden's long relationship with the Iraqis began
as he helped Sudan's fundamentalist government in their efforts to acquire
weapons of mass destruction. Three weeks after the bombing, on August 31st,
bin Laden reaches out to his friends in Iraq and Sudan. Iraq's vice president
arrives in Khartoon to show his support for the Sudanese after the US attack.
ABC News has learned that during these meetings, senior Sudanese officials,
acting on behalf of bin Laden, asked if Saddam Hussein would grant him asylum.
Iraq was indeed interested. ABC News has learned that in December, an Iraqi
intelligence chief, named Farouk Hijazi, now Iraq's ambassador to Turkey, made
a secret trip to Afghanistan to meet with bin Laden. Three intelligence
agencies tell ABC News they cannot be certain what was discussed, but almost
certainly, they say, bin Laden has been told he would be welcome in Baghdad.''
And intelligent sources say that they can only speculate on the purpose of an
alliance. What could bin Laden offer Saddam Hussein? Only days after he meets
Iraqi officials, bin Laden tells ABC news that his network is wide and there
are people prepared to commit terror in his name who he does not even control.
'It's our job to incite and to instigate. By the grace of God, we have done
that.'"
Great post. Even the White House has dropped the ball on this. WMD was NOT the primary reason we went to Iraq. If it were...then who's to say France, Germany and China would be next. The reason we went to into Iraq was the Saddam/Terrorist connection. The possibility that Saddam may have WMD sometime in the future was the reason we went sooner rather than wait until he had them.