Posted on 05/19/2006 7:14:48 PM PDT by FairOpinion
Baghdad, 23 May (AKI) - The number two of the al-Qaeda network, Ayman al-Zawahiri, visited Iraq under a false name in September 1999 to take part in the ninth Popular Islamic Congress, former Iraqi premier Iyad Allawi has revealed to pan-Arab daily al-Hayat. In an interview, Allawi made public information discovered by the Iraqi secret service in the archives of the Saddam Hussein regime, which sheds light on the relationship between Saddam Hussein and the Islamic terrorist network. He also said that both al-Zawahiri and Jordanian militant al-Zarqawi probably entered Iraq in the same period.
"Al-Zawahiri was summoned by Izza Ibrahim Al-Douri then deputy head of the council of the leadership of the revolution - to take part in the congress, along with some 150 other Islamic figures from 50 Muslim countries," Allawi said.
According to Allawi, important information has been gathered regarding the presence of another key terrorist figure operating in Iraq - the Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
"The Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi entered Iraq secretly in the same period," Allawi affirmed, "and began to form a terrorist cell, even though the Iraqi services do not have precise information on his entry into the country," he said.
Allawi's remarks come after statements to al-Hayat by King Abdallah II of Jordan over Saddam's refusal to hand over al-Zarqawi to the authorities in Amman.
On this question Allawi said: ''The words of the Jordanian King are correct and important. We have proof of al-Zawahiri's visit to Iraq, but we do not have the precise date or information on al-Zarqawi's entry, though it is likely that he arrived around the same time."
In Allawi's view, Saddam's government "sponsored" the birth of al-Qaeda in Iraq, coordinating with other terrorist groups, both Arab and Muslim. "The Iraqi secret services had links to these groups through a person called Faruq Hajizi, later named Iraq's ambassador to Turkey and arrested after the fall of Saddam's regime as he tried to re-enter Iraq. Iraqi secret agents helped terrorists enter the country and directed them to the Ansar al-Islam camps in the Halbija area," he said.
The former prime minister claims that Saddam's regime sought to involve even Palestinian Abu Nidal - head of a group once considered the world's most dangerous terrorist organisation - in its terrorist circuit. Abu Nidal's organisation was responsible for terrorist attacks in some 20 countries, killing more than 300 people and wounding hundreds more.
He added that Abu Nidal's refusal to cooperate with Islamist groups was the reason for his death in Iraq, in the summer of 2002.
(Ham/Aki)
23-May-05 12:08
The Clintons would be sending out legions of butt boys with the message and MSM would be covering each one orgasmically.
If Tony Snow doesn't start demanding full info gathering within the WH and relevant agencies, for release to the media on this and a host of other issues, I'm going to be even more disappointed in the Bush administration..... I cannot accept that 3+ years after the invasion of Iraq our government still does such an inept job of justifying its policies.
C'mon, Tony, you're our last best hope to crush the lying MSM and Demagogic Party hacks once and for all!!!
He was, reportedly, planing on emptying the entire 9 shot magazine into his head, but the pain became so great he was unable to finish.
To: Khan Noonian Singh; piasa; cyncooper; Allan; MitchellThe right question is: Who other than al-Ani did Atta meet with in Praha?
Or maybe Al Ani is a red herring, Atta met with someone else. Search "Hijazi". Remember the story of the Iraqi "ambassador" to Turkey???
NEW YORK, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The ringleader of the 19 hijackers from the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Mohamed Atta, met twice with Iraq intelligence operatives in Prague, in June 2000 and then again last April, Newsweek reports in the current issue. The second meeting was with Farouk Hijazi, Iraq's ambassador to Turkey, who was called back to Baghdad before Sept. 11. One intelligence source called the two meetings interesting, but still far from proof of Iraqi involvement in the plot, Newsweek reports.87 posted on 06/18/2004 9:58:11 AM PDT by Shermy
excellent find!! Sure to be gracing the Wash Post, oh, in about 6 years from now.
APRIL 1993 : (ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON FORMER PRESIDENT BUSH MAY HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED BY IRAQI FAROUK HIJAZI) [Iraqi ambassador/ Mukhabarat Intelligence service director of internal affairs Farouk Hijazi] Hijazi... was the man the Washington believes organized the April 1993 assassination attempt on President Bush's father during a visit to Kuwait. - "COWED SYRIA YIELDS SADDAM'S SPY BOSS," by NILES LATHEM, New York Post, 4/26/03
Thanks for all that great info.
That's no excuse for giving them nothing to ignore.
He must've missed 4 times.
"Allawi said this a year ago -- I don't recall reading any of this in the MSM."
Even if not new, worth repeating.
Reports indicate that al-Ani met with 11th hijacker Khalid al Midhar? Some maps and docs at link. http://www.geocities.com/republican_strategist/Iraq-Bin-Laden.html
bookmark for later reference
While Saddam may not have planned or organized the attack on America, he was certainly well known for wanting to attack America .. and evidence has supported the fact that Saddam helped train and finance the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11.
ping
(Allawi)
"The number two of the al-Qaeda network, Ayman al-Zawahiri, visited Iraq"
""Al-Zawahiri was summoned by Izza Ibrahim Al-Douri then deputy head of the council of the leadership of the revolution"
Now then what was that about no connection between al-Qaeda and Saddam?
Great link. Thanks.
Thanks for posting this.
The MSM will never cover this.
They are too busy lying about President Bush like the USA Yesterday phoney baloney story of the telephone companies selling/giving their data to NSA.
My office mate needs to see this ... as followup to a discussion we had yesterday.
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