New documents further illustrate Hussein's terror ties

Jewish World Review ^ | November 2, 2002 | Deroy Murdock

[christie]

Before voting today, Americans should consider further evidence that Saddam Hussein ran a terrorist state whose behavior merited his ouster by the 33-member, U.S.-led Coalition. Documents recently released by the Cybercast News Service detail Baathist Baghdad's terror ties, thus reinforcing a key rationale for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The memos and letters between Saddam Hussein's office and top IIS leadership include numerous examples of collaboration between Baghdad and anti-American Islamic terrorists. If accurate, the papers provide damning proof of Hussein's philanthropy of terror.

[Valin]

Egyptian Islamic Group. The memo explained that "our system met with Sheikh Ali Othman Taha the vice chairman of the National Islamic Front in Sudan." Among other things, "we agreed with him on the…Reopening of the relationship with 'Al-Jehad Al-Islamy.' This appears to be the Egyptian Islamic Group, "currently led by Dr. Omar Abdel Rahman," the record continues. "[T]he organization is considered as the most violent in Egypt, they assassinated 'Anwar Al-Sadat,'" among other crimes.

Egyptian imam Omar Abdel Rahman, better known as the Blind Sheik, inspired the February 26, 1993 World Trade Center attack and a 1994 conspiracy to bomb New York City landmarks, for which he was arrested and convicted. According to The 9/11 Commission Report, Rahman was spiritual leader to both the Egyptian Islamic Group and Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Ayman al-Zawahiri, a former leader of EIJ, later merged it with al-Qaeda.

"Iraq's contact with the Egyptian Islamic Group is another operational contact between Iraq and al-Qaeda," Tefft explained to CNS.


Bingo!

[Valin]

I'm thinking at lot of this was classified until recently.

As always I could be wrong.

[Valin]

Is there some sort of election going on today? :-)

[nw_arizona_granny]

Good research and links.

[VOA]

bump