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Terrorist Behind September 11 Strike was Trained by Saddam
The Telegraph ^ | December 14, 2003 | Con Coughlin

Posted on 12/13/2003 4:24:43 PM PST by quidnunc

Iraq's coalition government claims that it has uncovered documentary proof that Mohammed Atta, the al-Qaeda mastermind of the September 11 attacks against the US, was trained in Baghdad by Abu Nidal, the notorious Palestinian terrorist.

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 US 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".

The second part of the memo, which is headed "Niger Shipment", contains a report about an unspecified shipment — believed to be uranium — that it says has been transported to Iraq via Libya and Syria.

Although Iraqi officials refused to disclose how and where they had obtained the document, Dr Ayad Allawi, a member of Iraq's ruling seven-man Presidential Committee, said the document was genuine.

"We are uncovering evidence all the time of Saddam's involvement with al-Qaeda," he said. "But this is the most compelling piece of evidence that we have found so far. It shows that not only did Saddam have contacts with al-Qaeda, he had contact with those responsible for the September 11 attacks."

-snip-

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 911; 911hijackers; abunidal; alani; allawi; alqaeda; alqaedaandiraq; atta; baghdad; habbush; habbushaltikriti; hussein; husseincapture; iraq; iraqalqaedalink; iraqandalqaeda; libya; mohammedatta; nidal; niger; prague; saddam; saddamhussein; sept11; stoptheexcerpts; syria; terrorism; terrorist; timeline
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To: quidnunc
This will cause minimum grief among the "true believers" in the leftist, hate America crowd...

I'm still waiting for the BIG BOMBS that are sure to come, a few weeks or months before the election....

President Bush, in my opinion, is playing a major game of "rope a dope" --- in this case it's "rope the dopes"...
They are hanging themselves, with rope given to them by President Bush, and he has the facts that will "drop the door" beneath their feet and break their freaking necks....

Semper Fi
21 posted on 12/13/2003 4:38:14 PM PST by river rat
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To: Dog Gone
It'll be denied and countered with a flurry of alternate tales.
22 posted on 12/13/2003 4:38:37 PM PST by bvw
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To: LoudRepublicangirl
For some reason, I have a feeling that some liberal loudmouths have been allowed to stew in their own juices. I think that there will be some information made known, that will leave some people with egg, or in Barbra's case, sperm, on their faces.
23 posted on 12/13/2003 4:38:47 PM PST by Paul Atreides (Is it really so difficult to post the entire article?)
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To: Paul Atreides
Don't ever forget, Bore won in 2004! The Bushmachine must be stopped!
24 posted on 12/13/2003 4:38:53 PM PST by Killborn (I'd rather have Big Bizniz than Big Guvmint.)
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To: Quilla
"Someone needs to put Daschle on a suicide watch."

Can I watch too?
25 posted on 12/13/2003 4:39:02 PM PST by HighWheeler (Death is better than taxes because death doesn't get worse every year.)
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To: Quilla

More details on that painting?


========= Chemical Warhead found in Kirkuk, Iraq Ignored by the American Media =============

Chemical warhead found at an Iraqi air base, marked with a green band,
the symbol for chemical weaponry
. Trace amounts of a nerve agent were found
at two spots along the ~meter-long warhead. These amounts are consistent with
leakage from the chemically armed weapon. A 13-foot missile was found next
to it.


26 posted on 12/13/2003 4:39:23 PM PST by Diogenesis (If you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us)
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To: quidnunc
Okay. All kidding aside. This IS huge. And serious.

Qwinn
27 posted on 12/13/2003 4:39:44 PM PST by Qwinn
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To: quidnunc
This can't be true. I'm shocked, I tell ya.

Teddy, Terry, Dick, Al, Jesse, John, Howard, and (the other) John, and James, and Joeseph all told us so.

Moe, Larry, and Curly confirmed this after the Keystone Cops wrote a letter to Terry McAwfull asking for verification!

28 posted on 12/13/2003 4:40:00 PM PST by Cobra64 (Babes should wear Bullet Bras - www.BulletBras.net)
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To: quidnunc
Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti? Does anyone know if we have this yahoo in custody? Pardon me if I remain skeptical until I see more on this.
29 posted on 12/13/2003 4:40:11 PM PST by Normal4me
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To: Killborn
W was selected, not elected. Also, he's a real meanie!
30 posted on 12/13/2003 4:40:30 PM PST by Paul Atreides (Is it really so difficult to post the entire article?)
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To: quidnunc
Does This Link Saddam to 9/11?
A document discovered by Iraq's interim government details a meeting between the man behind the September 11 attacks and Abu Nidal, the Palestinian terrorist, at his Baghdad training camp.

For anyone attempting to find evidence to justify the war in Iraq, the discovery of a document that directly links Mohammed Atta, the al-Qaeda mastermind of the September 11 attacks, with the Baghdad training camp of Abu Nidal, the infamous Palestinian terrorist, appears almost too good to be true.

Ever since four hijacked civilian jets devastated the United States' eastern seaboard on September 11, 2001, there have been any number of reports circulating Western intelligence agencies suggesting that Saddam Hussein's Iraq had close links to al-Qaeda.

Most of the claims relate to meetings between al-Qaeda and Iraqi intelligence to discuss co-operation on matters such as funding, training and equipment.

Prior to the discovery of the document published today by the Telegraph, the most controversial report related to the suggestion that Atta had met Ahmed Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani, a senior Iraqi intelligence officer, in Prague in April 2001.

But while both President Bush and Tony Blair have dropped numerous hints that they believe there was a significant level of co-operation between Saddam and al-Qaeda, their respective intelligence agencies have actively sought to downplay the significance of the relationship, especially the suggestion that Saddam was in any way involved in the September 11 attacks.

To this end America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), with the backing of Britain's MI6, have poured scorn on Atta's Prague meeting.

However, the tantalising detail provided in the intelligence document uncovered by Iraq's interim government suggests that Atta's involvement with Iraqi intelligence may well have been far deeper than has hitherto been acknowledged.

Written in the neat, precise hand of Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti, the former head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) and one of the few named in the US government's pack of cards of most-wanted Iraqis not to have been apprehended, the personal memo to Saddam is signed by Habbush in distinctive green ink.

Headed simply "Intelligence Items", and dated July 1, 2001, it is addressed: "To the President of the Ba'ath Revolution Party and President of the Republic, may God protect you."

The first paragraph states that "Mohammed Atta, an Egyptian national, came with Abu Ammer (an Arabic nom-de-guerre — his real identity is unknown) and we hosted him in Abu Nidal's house at al-Dora under our direct supervision.

"We arranged a work programme for him for three days with a team dedicated to working with him . . . He displayed extraordinary effort and showed a firm commitment to lead the team which will be responsible for attacking the targets that we have agreed to destroy."

There is nothing in the document that provides any clue to the identity of the "targets", although Iraqi officials say it is a coded reference to the September 11 attacks.

The second item contains a report of how Iraqi intelligence, helped by "a small team from the al-Qaeda organisation", arranged for an (unspecified) shipment from Niger to reach Baghdad by way of Libya and Syria.

Iraqi officials believe this is a reference to the controversial shipments of uranium ore Iraq acquired from Niger to aid Saddam in his efforts to develop an atom bomb, although there is no explicit reference in the document to this.

Habbush writes that the successful completion of the shipment was "the fruit of your excellent secret meeting with Bashir al-Asad (the Syrian president) on the Iraqi-Syrian border", and concludes: "May God protect you and save you to all Arab nations."

While it is almost impossible to ascertain whether or not the document is legitimate or a clever fake, Iraqi officials working for the interim government are convinced of its authenticity, even though they decline to reveal where and how they obtained it. "It is not important how we found it," said a senior Iraqi security official. "The important thing is that we did find it and the information it contains."

A leading member of Iraq's governing council, who asked not to be named, said he was convinced of the document's authenticity.

"There are people who are working with us who used to work with Habbush who are convinced that it is his handwriting and signature. We are uncovering evidence all the time of Saddam's dealings with al-Qaeda, and this document shows the extent of the old regime's involvement with the international terrorist network."

This is the second document published by this newspaper that appears to highlight Saddam's links with al-Qaeda. Earlier this year the Telegraph published details of another Iraqi intelligence document that indicated Saddam's regime was attempting to set up a meeting with Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, who was then based in Sudan.

Intelligence experts point out that a memo such as that written by Habbush would of necessity be vague and short. "Trained intelligence officers hate putting anything down in writing," said one former CIA officer. "You never know where it might turn up."

-snip-

(Con Coughlin in The Telegraph, December 14, 2003)
To Read This Article Click Here

31 posted on 12/13/2003 4:40:58 PM PST by quidnunc (Omnis Gaul delenda est)
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To: Cobra64
That grinding noise you here is Pelosi Galore's teeth.
32 posted on 12/13/2003 4:41:59 PM PST by Paul Atreides (Is it really so difficult to post the entire article?)
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To: Paul Atreides
You are Killing Me!! HAHAHAHA!
33 posted on 12/13/2003 4:42:22 PM PST by cmsgop (Whatever You Do,..... Do Not PING Arthur McGowan)
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To: Paul Atreides
There are more pressing issues, such as W mispronouncing Nevada and displaying a "fake" turkey in a photo-op.

Not to mention the blatant lie about the "6" year old boy. He was actually 7 years old. 7 YEARS OLD! And he got away with that lie.

34 posted on 12/13/2003 4:42:44 PM PST by Gumption
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To: onyx; Howlin; MEG33; ladyinred; Calpernia; Miss Marple
Thought you'd find this interesting.
35 posted on 12/13/2003 4:44:47 PM PST by arasina (What will YOU do when Howard Dean or Hillary Clinton is president?)
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To: Paul Atreides
Kerry will start opening up about the, heretofore unknown, fact that he was in Vietnam. He was!

He was where now?

36 posted on 12/13/2003 4:44:48 PM PST by Gumption
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To: Paul Atreides
Pelosi Galore?!

Bwaaa haaa haaa haaaaa haaaaaaaaa!!!
37 posted on 12/13/2003 4:46:45 PM PST by Az Joe
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To: quidnunc
While I would love for this to be true,
I am going to hold off until the document is properly vetted .
38 posted on 12/13/2003 4:47:31 PM PST by polemikos (Ecce Agnus Dei)
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To: Paul Atreides
I believe that the final pre-election whine from the Rats will be over how Dubya sat on intel, leading to them running their mouths and looking like fools. They'll try to blame him for that, saying that he politicized intelligence information.
39 posted on 12/13/2003 4:48:56 PM PST by squidly
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To: polemikos
Vetted? By whom? Has the Telegraph lost credibility somewhere along the way that I don't know about?

Qwinn
40 posted on 12/13/2003 4:49:59 PM PST by Qwinn
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