Posted on 06/20/2004 8:29:56 PM PDT by FairOpinion
WASHINGTON, June 20 (UPI) -- The commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks has received new information indicating that a senior officer in an elite unit of the security services of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein may have been a member of al-Qaida involved in the planning of the suicide hijackings, panel members said Sunday.
John F. Lehman, a Reagan-era GOP defense official told NBC's "Meet the Press" that documents captured in Iraq "indicate that there is at least one officer of Saddam's Fedayeen, a lieutenant colonel, who was a very prominent member of al Qaida."
Lehman said that commission staff members continued to work on the issue and experts cautioned that the connection might be nothing more than coincidence.
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
Related article -- a Bill Safire editorial, pretty good:
The Zelikow Report (9-11 commission report Iraq - Al Qaeda ties)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1157138/posts
I was JUST reading that. I'm going to freepmail it to myself and add it to "the list".
Thanks.
We should respect the findings of the commission, and act upon their findings.
The question to ask is why a Republican chairman is such an incompetent or cowardly, to allow staffers at his commission release documents and spin directed against a Republican president?
Has Mr Kean no guts, what so ever?
"The LA Times tried to explain away Putin and the Russian Intelligence agents bombshell by saying they meant Iraq was planning insurgent activities against the US after the invasion...although, the quotes specifically said within the US."
My dad and I talked about this at Sunday lunch. He had read or heard that this intelligence came from Russian agents within a couple weeks of Sept. 11th, 2001. I think he said 10 or 11 days, but he didn't say where he got that from. I can call and ask him.
If what he learned is acruate, this was long before Iraq was clued in to any possible invasion.
"If this is true and I personally don't think it's a coincidence, this shows there is a direct link not only between Saddam and Al Qaeda, but that Iraq WAS actually involved in planning the 9-11 attack!"
I personally remember hearing on CNN during the first Gulf war that Sadam had threatened to get us in our tall buildings. I have never forgotten that Sadam statement and haven't run in to anyone yet who remembers hearing that also. Sadam was the first one I thought of on 9/11.
I am wondering if the committee KNEW there was a conection and the "preliminary" findings of no conection were done to gain what political advantage for kerry that was possible.
Release a preliminary report with great fanfare which condemns bush, and when the correct report is released with a whisper.
Maybe the little meeting was an Anthrax exchange.
Question: Why would Saddam have a painting made showing his pleasure at 9/11 .. IF he was not a participant in it ..?? Maybe Saddam didn't plan it, organize it, or train the terrorists .. but he could easily have funded it, and provided the place for training as evidenced by the airline shell at Salmon Pak.
Maybe the "9/11 Commission" should try using GOOGLE for their "investigation". Excuse me, "Chairman Keene", there is a member sitting on that side of the table that could help you out with the "investigation" if you were smart enough to put her UNDER OATH. Clue: Jamie Gorelick.
April 26, 2003
Farouk Hijazi was taken into custody near the Syrian border, U.S. officials said, indicating new cooperation from a government that had been accused of harboring members of Saddam Hussein's deposed regime.
Hijazi most recently served as Iraq's ambassador to Tunisia and was formerly ambassador to Turkey. But he is of particular interest to the CIA and the Pentagon because he was "a lifelong member of the Iraqi Intelligence Service," known as the Mukhabarat, a U.S. official said.
"He is significant," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said. "We think he could be interesting."
Hijazi is believed to have extensive knowledge of Iraqi operations and plots dating back decades. He occupied the No. 3 position in Hussein's spy apparatus in the early 1990s, when Iraq tried to assassinate the former President Bush in Kuwait.
Former CIA Director James Woolsey said Hijazi's capture was "the biggest catch so far," and that Hijazi is a key link between Hussein and terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda. "This man was involved, we know, with a number of contacts with al Qaeda," Woolsey told CNN.
The entire 911 Commission is a bunch of politcal buffoons! This 991 Commission Report is dead on arrival!
You can't trust anything the commission says - move on.
Z
This isn't really news, it is weeks-old information. The only reason it is being released now is to cover their collective asses, after a solid week of pounding the Bush Administration in the media. What a bunch of losers.
Ping..............
Right on.
I have been meaning to make this comment for a few days now. I was listening to NPR the day the commission made "the statement". Yes, I now NPR, but I was trolling to see the pap that they would be peddling.
Lo' and behold they had commissioner Jamie "I know the wall actually created the circumstances for 9/11, but won't admit it" Gorelick on.
The host asked (I'm paraphrasing), "The statement by the commission that there is no 'credible evidence' of a connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda: is that specific to 9/11 or do you mean that in broader terms?"
Gorelick replied, "We mean it in the broad (or broadest?) sense."
So, she is specifically saying that there is no connection...AT ALL! Or, well, pardon me, there is no connection in the broadest sense.
I don't know how these people can actually look at themselves. [mattdono shakes head in utter disgust]
You mean like he funded Hamas to blow themslves up?
Yep, just a "defense official". He was Secretary of the Navy. Which puts him directly below the Secretary of Defense, and thus only one tier below cabinet level.They also don't bother to mention that he is a member of the 9-11 Commission
A clear attempt to downgrade the significance of his information. Information which FReepers have had for some time.
I think "continues to rot" might be more appropriate. Stinks to high heaven too.
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