Posted on 09/23/2002 8:56:24 AM PDT by truthandlife
A group of Qaida activists conducted experiments with chemical weapons a few months ago in Iraq. The experiments were conducted in northern Kurdish Iraq, in an area controlled de facto by a extremist Islamic group known as Ansar al Islam.
It is doubtful that Saddam Hussein knew in advance about the experiments, but due to Ansar al Islam's close ties to conservative elements in Iran, Iraqi intelligence is making special efforts to penetrate the organization. While Iraqi agents may not have known of the experiments before they took place, they most certainly knew of it after the fact.
Halbaja, the Kurdish town where Saddam Hussein's troops used chemical weapons to kill thousands because he believed they were helping Iran during the war between the two countries, is in the same area where Ansar al Islam maintains de facto control.
It is not known if the experiments a few months ago included tests on living subjects whether human or animal. Until the end of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, Qaida experimented with chemical weapons in Afghanistan. The U.S. assault, however, scattered its experts, who were forced to find refuge in various places.
In addition to the problem of where to conduct their experiments, the organization now faces a problem where to store various chemicals. Qaida's efforts to acquire chemical munitions is part of its plan to surprise several targets and cause as many casualties as possible.
Iraq is perceived by them as a convenient place to work. Saddam's government is not in full control of the entire territory.
In the northern area, defined as Kurdish, Ansar al Islam has taken control over some sections of the territory.
Ansar al Islam is known to have close ties with Qaida, as well as ties with the Iranians who agreed to provide shelter to Qaida operatives, including those responsible for the terrorist attack on the synagogue in Jerba, Tunisia, last April.
Meanwhile, Qaida transferred various chemical materials through Turkey, that were meant for use against American targets in Turkey or were on their way to Chechnya to attack Russian targets.
Doubtful??
FWIW, I agree w/ the article that the Iraqis probably didn't know about this beforehand. From what little I know, the Kurdish areas of Iraq are pretty much lawless, which is the sort of place for which Al Qaeda looks for real estate.
I'm also guessing that Saddam views an Al Qaeda presence as a security threat to him.
I don't think he can control it. The place sounds like Chechnya, or certain areas of Afghanistan.
The Kurds in Northern Iraq are the same group that Turkey frequently invades Iraq to fight. Turkey has actually established a base in Northern Iraq -- to Saddam's advantage, I'm sure, but it's difficult to see why Saddam would allow such an infringement of sovereignty.
I think its called: Plausable Deniability
Although in Sodom's case: plausable is a bit of a stretch.
You're RIGHT ON the money here. Saddam gassed the Kurds before 1991 to quell their uprisings. The Norhtern no-fly zone keeps the kurds from being attacked by the Iraqi air force, and the southern no-fly protects the SHiites. On the ground, these rebels are able to hold their own, but if we give back air superiority, Saddam's remaining meager Air Force could pummel them daily.
Saddam /HAD/ control over vast majority of Iraq before he invaded Kuwait. Now he's temporarily in a "lock box" as Algore would say.
We know Saddam has plenty of people under his direct control for development and deployment of chem weapons. So giving powerful weapons to renegade groups that could be used against him doesn't make much sense, even for a psychopath like Saddam!
More likely, they either developed them themselves in a lawless uncontrolled area of Iraq, or they begged borrow or stole them from the Iraqis and Saddam is trying to figure out how they got them, too.
Like someone stole part of Dr. Evil's Laaazer Beam!
You know, we can't account for all of our "research" strains of Anthrax here in this country, but that doesn't mean the US government was complicit in its dispersal.
By your own reasoning, do you think that the Anthrax Mailer developed the powder all by himself? Either he made it himself, or he got it from the government.... So either terror groups can develop WMD like Anthrax on their own, or they can be "gotten" from government stockpiles, even though that may not implicate said government in being complicit in the scheme.
They mean the mad mullahs, not Rushdi al-Limbaugh.
LOL...BUMP!
Yeah right, like anything that big could take place in Iraq without Saddam knowing. The only question is was he there when they performed the tests and was he pleased.
Who helped al-Qaida test isn't all that important, as all sides involved have active chemical weapons programs. In any case, BOTH Iraq and Iran need to go.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.