This is REAL "explosive" revelation.
With lots of supporting evidence.
This should get a lot of attention, but you are right, it probably won't.
I think the relation here, and the reason for the gift is that both Saddam and Bin Laden were in need of money in 1998. Bin Laden had the oil, operatives, and financial connections to help Saddam set up the oil for food scandal.
In exchange, some Al Qaeda linked financiers were included in the loop. Hence in '99 both Al Qaeda and Saddam became flush with money.
The only attention it's getting is how weird-looking the pearl is <sigh)