Saddam, Al Qaeda, Taliban: OPERATIONAL TIES

FoxNews ^ | 7/7/2006 | FoxNews

[Maelstrom]

This particular document mentions two men with similar names, each with ties to Pakistani religious schools known as madrassas, Jihad training camps, the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

This original translation by my translator-colleague, who goes by the nom de guerre of "Sammi," comes from a notebook kept by an Iraqi intelligence agent. It provides evidence of a cooperative, operational relationship agreed to at the highest levels of the Iraqi government and the Taliban. The notebook is lengthy and we will present it on the FOX News Web site in a series of postings. It deals extensively with meetings between Maulana Fazlur Rahman, an Al Qaeda/Taliban supporter, and Taha Yassin Ramadan, the former vice president of Iraq, and other unnamed Iraqi officials.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,199052,00.html

...examination of a newly-released document captured in Iraq, Robison offers further evidence that in 1999 the Taliban welcomed "Islamic relations with Iraq" to mediate among the Taliban, the Northern Alliance and Russia, and that the Taliban reciprocated with an invitation to Iraqi officials to visit Afghanistan.

The document appears to be a notebook kept by an Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) agent, and apparently captured in 2003. The translation is provided by Robison's associate, known here as “Sammi.” The notebook deals extensively with the meetings between a prominent Taliban supporter and former Saddam regime officials.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,199757,00.html

...translation from this notebook indicated that the Taliban under the leadership of Mullah Omar was seeking Iraq's support in mediating with Russia and the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan. This translation reveals that the Saddam regime had expectations of assistance from the Taliban, and that the two agreed to a secret intelligence relationship. The Iraqi official tells the Maulana that they want the Taliban to support Iraq against U.S. actions. They also discuss their common enemy: the United States.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,199757,00.html

[goarmy]

"A long list of Iraq/Al Qaeda connections going back to the 1990's when the media wrote dozens of articles about the world's alarm at the growing relationship between Saddam and Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden."

Good stuff. Thanks for the reminder.

[Grampa Dave]

Fyi & Ping list.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Scum of a feather flock together.

[omega4179]

Bush lied blah blah black Libtards and their LMSM do not care what the prewar docs say or how many Aq fled to Iraq safety after Afghanistan.

[veronica]

Iraq always was part of the war on terror.

It's all connected. It all needs to be crushed into oblivion.

[The_Victor]

Iraq always was part of the war on terror.

The entire region is part of the war on terror. Al Qaeda is a trans national organization working clandestinely throughout the Middle East. Some of the countries cooperate with us. Those that don't will be systematically altered.

[RandallFlagg]

I hope so. We've heard all of this before on FoxNews, FR, books, WND, and all of the right-side media, but the President STILL won't comment on it.

Saddam's ties to terror.
Saddam's WMDs.
Saddam's ties to OKC.

I, for one, think it's high time to do so.
NOW.

[Txsleuth]

I saw on Brit's show last night...that they had a segment about this..I was thrilled.

I hope they do keep it up...

[george76]

In Case You Missed It...

IAN SCHWARTZ has the video of Christopher Hitchens berating Ron Reagan on MSNBC.

here's a transcript of the heart of Hitchen's rant:

Excuse me. When I went to interview Abu Nidal, then the most wanted terrorist in the world, in Baghdad, he was operating out of an Iraqi government office. He was an arm of the Iraqi State, while being the most wanted man in the world. The same is true of the shelter and safe house offered by the Iraqi government, to the murderers of Leon Klinghoffer, and to Mr. Yasin, who mixed the chemicals for the World Trade Center bombing in 1993. How can you know so little about this, and be occupying a chair at the time that you do?

Obviously, Ron doesn't want to hear things that might challenge his world view.

How could Hitch be so insensitive?

http://www.indepundit.com/archive2/2005/07/in_case_you_mis.html

[Thermalseeker]

Get the proof out and rub some liberal faces in it's sweet scent.

We Freepers need to take up a collection and send the laimstream media a few truckloads of ketchup so that all that crow they'll be eating will be more palatable......

[Dr. Frank fan]

But Saddam was secular and Al Qaeda are religious.

Can't happen!

[DoctorMichael]

....notebook is lengthy and we will present it on the FOX News Web site in a series of postings....

Somebodys gotta get this out because the rest of the large media won't.

[Grampa Dave]

Ron is a poster pimp for the Marxist Homosexuals in the MSM, who promote the DNC lies and spins.


Good for Hitchens.

[RasterMaster]

The same DUnces who wrote these articles mysteriously forgot all that as soon as Bush was elected (not selected), just like the DUmocrats in office stated Saddam was a threat and now condemn Bush over Iraq (Kennedy, Kerry, Clinton and other assorted LIEberal clowns).

[I'm ALL Right!]

[tomnbeverly]

It won't surprise me one bit to find that Saddam actually had a major role in the 9/11 attacks....

[MEG33]

You will have a looooong wait!

[dynoman]

I've known about it for years and just now ordered it. Why? I don't know, that is an interesting question. I remember 9-11, standing in the living room listening to the radio and telling my wife, "you know this means we will be going into Iraq". Seems like a strange statement now with all the effort put into discounting the Iraq/terrorist links, but roll back the clock and remember the drumbeat against Iraq even during the Clinton years. I've always had a gut feeling Saddam had more to do with terrorism and 9-11 than the MSM lets on. I suspect the Clinton admin did all they could to cover up a lot of those connections, I suspect the reason was to not disturb the American people with the facts. In the end I don't know if there will ever be take to the bank truth about many of the things like flight 800, OKC etc.

I think it is amazing your liberal friends believed the book. When did they read it? And what are their feelings on the WOT now?

[FreedomPoster]

They're in complete denial on this whole thing. Have been for months, and all the new evidence in the world won't convince the faithful.

[gondramB]

1. Fox has changed the title of the article now "Terror Links to Saddam's Inner Circle
Monday, June 12, 2006
By Ray Robison"

2. I think they are over-reaching - this shows that there were discussions between somebody significant for Iraq and somebody very important for the Taliban and that the topic was seeking assistance from Iraq. That's interesting and worth investigating further but its nothing like proof that Iraq was enough involved in terrorism to justify invading - meaning that if you didn't already believe the invasion was justified this is not likely to change your mind.