Report: Iraqi agents killed Abu Nidal due to ties with Kuwait

Albawaba.com | 8/20/02 | Al-Bawaba Reporters

[kattracks]

Aug 20, 2002 (Al-Bawaba via COMTEX) -- Abu Nidal, whose body was reportedly found in a Baghdad apartment over the weekend, was killed by Iraqi agents, the London-based Al Sharq Al Awsat reported Tuesday. According to this report, the Iraqi assassins fired four bullets at Abu Nidal, after Baghdad had discovered he had relations with the Kuwaiti authorities.

The newspaper quoted a Palestinian source in Ramallah as saying he had spoken with a member of Abu Nidal's group.

The source told him that two armed men killed Abu Nidal during a Friday raid of his home, where he had been staying with four of his people in Baghdad, between 15:00 and 16:00. The source added that Abu Nidal and his accompanies, who were in the apartment at the time, were surprised to see the armed men enter the apartment, and that he was killed following an exchange of fire.

The source further added that the Iraqis had also arrested part of Abu Nidal's group, and that they were pursuing searches for additional members. Moreover, the Palestinian source claimed that a few members of Abu Nidal's group, who managed to escape Baghdad, might arrive either Tuesday or Wednesday in Amman.

According to the sources, it was not possible that Abu Nidal had committed suicide. "How could he have committed suicide if a few gunshot holes were found in his body?"

The source said that Abu Nidal began visiting Iraq at the end of 1998, and brought with him, during his first visit, 45 of his fighters, that started to undergo training in that country. However, Abu Nidal himself, had always been under Iraqi supervision in Baghdad, the report added. (Albawaba.com)

By Al-Bawaba Reporters

(C) All rights reserved. Albawaba.com ,

[Lion's Cub]

Interesting because of it's source. Divide and conquer?

OTOH, it's hard to imagine any Israeli or western intelligence operative getting in and out of Bagdad alive. I'll bet Hamas and Arafat are going crazy about now...

I wonder if Hussein will have another purge to try to prove he didn't order the hit? He can't afford to have all those other factions against him right now :)

[NerdDad]

Interesting report but questionable. Previous reports say that Nidal had been dead 3 days before being found in his appt. This report does not make it clear if the other occupants were all arrested/killed. Neither this nor previous reports say anything about other people being found dead in the appt. I wouldn't expect the Iraqi goons to have cleaned up after the shootout leaving just Nidal's body. Like many things in that part of the world, the more I learn, the more questions I have.
Personally, I'm just glad the guy is worm food. Discussions on previous threads kind of expected the Iraqis to find some what to take credit in an effort to show they don't harbor terrorists. Now if they can just explain away the Al-qaida chemical plant story from yesterday.

[NerdDad]

some what=some way

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Just an opinion, but it seems more likely that Israeli or other western agents made the hit. I'd like to think our CIA was involved but don't know if we have a robust enough presence in the region.

[aristeides]

I think it's likely the Iraqis killed the guy. Saddam Hussein may well want to eliminate any demonstrable ties he has with terrorism, so as to make it more difficult to mount an attack on him.

[bert]

....I think it's likely the Iraqis killed the guy. Saddam Hussein may well want to eliminate any demonstrable ties he has with terrorism, so as to make it more difficult to mount an attack on him.....

Precisely correct. Nidal was proof that Saddam was harboring terrorists.

[hellinahandcart]

I think it's likely the Iraqis killed the guy. Saddam Hussein may well want to eliminate any demonstrable ties he has with terrorism, so as to make it more difficult to mount an attack on him.

Or we did it, and this story is just CYA for Iraq.

"Yeah, we meant to do that. It's not like we'd deliberately shelter and pamper a terrorist for ten, twelve, fourteen years."

They have to say *something*, and they know we're not able to correct them.

Message delivered.

Just some morning musings...

[American in Israel]

Problem is that he is just as much proof dead as alive. But liars have very selective memorys. Think Sodamninsane is going to play the "Abu, what Abu? I dont got to show you no stinkin Abu" game?

[MinuteGal]

If this report is true, here's one of the "direct links" to terrorism that the liberal TV yappers, newsrags, "experts" and politicians claim don't exist regarding Iraq. If some of the thugs escaped the shootout, there may be even more evidence forthcoming.

BTW, Rush pretty much ripped Neville Screwcroft from limb to limb on his program yesterday.

Leni

[JohnGalt]

More like a Night of the Long Knives, circa Nazi Germany 1934. Kill the radicals to appear moderate.

[Go Gordon]

The source told him that two armed men killed Abu Nidal during a Friday raid of his home, where he had been staying with four of his people in Baghdad, between 15:00 and 16:00. The source added that Abu Nidal and his accompanies, who were in the apartment at the time, were surprised to see the armed men enter the apartment, and that he was killed following an exchange of fire.

When informed of the incident, Janet Reno became jealous.

[Dallas]

He may not be dead.....this could be just a ploy.

I wouldn't take his face off the wanted posters, or close his computer file just yet, if I were at Interpol.

[plain talk]

Seems possible. They shot him and he was found 3 days later. The story doesn't state what happened to the rest of them. Maybe they escaped unharmed. Maybe Iraqui agents drug the other ones out of the apartment & left Nidal to be found alone. Who knows? But I'm glad they got him.

[SMASH IMPERIALIST LIBERALISM!!]

"We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest."

President George W. Bush

[Sabertooth]

According to this report, the Iraqi assassins fired four bullets at Abu Nidal, after Baghdad had discovered he had relations with the Kuwaiti authorities.

Hell hath no fury like Baghdadies scorned.

[Southack]

Of course, if the Iraqis had meant to take Abu Nidal out, they would have sent their Republican Guard against the 45 armed Abu Nidal gunmen, not four assasins.

Not inside Baghdad proper.

And the arrests of the survivors would have been public news in the Iraqi media, as would their trials and executions.

Or if no publicity was desired, the terrorists' dead bodies would have been dumped in the desert, probably outside the borders of Iraq (see, no terrorists here).

No, this was a hit. Abu Nidal has a large number of enemies. He's one of the few people on this planet to be wanted dead by BOTH Yasser Arafat as well as Israel.

But a "hit" inside Baghdad city limits has got to be shaking things up in Iraq about right now!

[Sabertooth]

Abu Nidal has a large number of enemies. He's one of the few people on this planet to be wanted dead by BOTH Yasser Arafat as well as Israel.

But a "hit" inside Baghdad city limits has got to be shaking things up in Iraq about right now!

What did Ollie North know, and when did he know it?

[blam]

"But a "hit" inside Baghdad city limits has got to be shaking things up in Iraq about right now!"

That makes sense. If Iraq had done it, we'd never have known about it.

[demlosers]

Gee, I thought he died from a 20 bullets to the head suicide. ;)