German spies offered help to Saddam in run-up to war

The Telegraph | 20/04/2003 | David Harrison

[faithincowboys]

Germany's intelligence services attempted to build closer links to Saddam's secret service during the build-up to war last year, documents from the bombed Iraqi intelligence HQ in Baghdad obtained by The Telegraph reveal.

Documents recovered from Iraqi intelligence HQ in Baghdad They show that an agent named as Johannes William Hoffner, described as a "new German representative in Iraq" who had entered the country under diplomatic cover, attended a meeting with Lt Gen Taher Jalil Haboosh, the director of Iraq's intelligence service.

During the meeting, on January 29, 2002, Lt Gen Haboosh says that the Iraqis are keen to have a relationship with Germany's intelligence agency "under diplomatic cover", adding that he hopes to develop that relationship through Mr Hoffner.

The German replies: "My organisation wants to develop its relationship with your organisation."

In return, the Iraqis offered to give lucrative contracts to German companies if the Berlin government helped prevent an American invasion of the country.

The revelations come a week after The Telegraph reported that Russia had spied for the Iraqis, passing them intelligence about a meeting between Tony Blair and Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister. Both the British and Italian governments have launched investigations.

The meeting between the Iraqi and German agents took place some six months before Chancellor Schröder's Social Democrat-led government began its policy of direct opposition to the idea of an American/British-led war against Iraq. The policy was adopted in the heat of last year's German general election campaign, at a time when the Social Democrats were widely predicted to lose the contest. Mr Schröder was re-elected as Chancellor last September, largely because of the popularity of his government's outspoken opposition to the war against Iraq. The apparently verbatim account of the meeting between Lt Gen Haboosh and Mr Hoffner was among documents recovered by The Telegraph in the rubble of the Iraqi intelligence headquarters in Baghdad, which was heavily bombed.

During the meeting, Lt Gen Haboosh tells the German agent that Iraq has "big problems" with Britain and the United States. "We have problems with Britain because it occupied Iraq for 60 years and with America because of its aggression for 11 years," he says.

He adds, however, that Iraq has no problems with Germany and suggests that Germany will be rewarded with lucrative contracts if it offers international support to Iraq. "When the American conspiracy is finished, we will make a calculation for each state that helps Iraq in its crisis."

He also urges Mr Hoffner to lobby the German government to raise its diplomatic mission in Baghdad to full ambassadorial level. Mr Hoffner says that it would be a decision for the German foreign ministry, but Germany's diplomatic presence in the Iraqi capital made it easier for him to enter Iraq because he was able to use diplomatic cover.

Last night, a spokesman for the German government said it was "well known" that it had been offered lucrative contracts by Baghdad providing it maintained an anti-Iraq war stance. "Iraq made these kinds of promises before the war and praised Germany for its position," he said.

Iraqi police handed Saddam Hussein's finance minister to American forces after capturing him in Baghdad, raising hopes of tracing billions of dollars the ousted dictator may have spirited away. Hikmat Ibrahim al-Azzawi, who was also a deputy prime minister, is number 45 on America's list of 55 most-wanted Iraqis.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Germany should be punished for their aid of terrorism. The usual economic sanctions and token bitching is not enough. Any government that supports terrorism should be brought down, period. Europe needs to be shown graphically what happens when you crawl into bed with terrorists. What a bunch of dirtballs. We should bomb Berlin and Dresden tomorrow.

[11B3]

Along with Brussels, Paris, and Moscow.

[ikka]

We don't need to bomb the sour Krauts. But you know, there are a lot of Americans that would stop buying German stuff if this information were widely disseminated.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

[...the Iraqis offered to give lucrative contracts to German companies if the Berlin government helped prevent an American invasion of the country.]

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

Germany. France. Russia. Follow the money, and the basis for their diplomatic position becomes crystal clear. They are no "friends" of ours.

[longtermmemmory]

I say we break their anti-us parts stance for the EU's
Galileo project. (the one to compete with the US GPS system) The next front is the dominance of the US ecconomy.

[NordP]

And you know what that tells me?

That will ALL their help, we STILL got rid of a tyrant---and did it in LESS THAN A MONTH.

Shiver in your boots, (less than honorable) countries. THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN -- THE GROWN UPS ARE IN CHARGE!

...now, what were YOUR military successes like, again, other countries???

NordP

[thoughtomator]

I think each can claim to have conquered most of Europe at some point. Sort of a bonding between frustrated expansionist hedge powers is going on, that's why they had such an affinity for Saddam, another frustrated expansionist hedge power.

[Wilhelm Tell]

I think part of the problem with Germany is there are too many ex-communists from the former East Germany that are still really communists. They don't have the Soviet Union to suck up to anymore, so they do the next best thing and support ANYONE who is opposed to the West. Take away the environmental cloak from the Greens, and they are little more than Reds.

[green team 1999]

i`m glad we are to move our troops to poland and other countries, get out of germany,

[Kay Soze]

heres the link to this great article