And "experts" also point out that FDR, a President of a capitalist republic who refuses to communize all property and seize control of the means of production in the name of the people, was a natural enemy of Joseph Stalin.
Didn't stop them.
Another example: Ronald Reagan, a President of a capitalist republic who refuses to rule by the Muslim religious law of Sharia, was a natural enemy of Afghan jihadis (among them OBL).
Didn't stop them.
Frankly this "Saddam secular Osama religious therefore they can't mix" talking-point is getting really tired and needs to be put out to pasture. There are very few more idiotic things I have heard people say when discussing geopolitics than "secular and religious can't mix". It really makes one sound like a naif.
As for bin Laden, he has vowed to topple Arab leaders like Saddam who don't embrace Islamic fundamentalism.
In general, that's true. That's probably a big reason why Saddam felt such a need to reach out to "Al Qaeda" and come to some kind of ceasefire/accord with them in the '90s (as was extensively reported at the time). There are signs that Saddam succeeded in these experts, especially the Osama tape in which he declares that it is acceptable, for the greater good of Islam, to ally with "socialist" governments if they will help fight against and drive out the Crusaders.
Haven't you been paying attention to anything over the last two years? I feel like I'm giving a remedial course here.