Terrorist Behind September 11 Strike was Trained by Saddam

The Telegraph ^ | December 14, 2003 | Con Coughlin

[quidnunc]

Iraq's coalition government claims that it has uncovered documentary proof that Mohammed Atta, the al-Qaeda mastermind of the September 11 attacks against the US, was trained in Baghdad by Abu Nidal, the notorious Palestinian terrorist.

Details of Atta's visit to the Iraqi capital in the summer of 2001, just weeks before he launched the most devastating terrorist attack in US history, are contained in a top secret memo written to Saddam Hussein, the then Iraqi president, by Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti, the former head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service.

The handwritten memo, a copy of which has been obtained exclusively by the Telegraph, is dated July 1, 2001 and provides a short resume of a three-day "work programme" Atta had undertaken at Abu Nidal's base in Baghdad.

In the memo, Habbush reports that Atta "displayed extraordinary effort" and demonstrated his ability to lead the team that would be "responsible for attacking the targets that we have agreed to destroy".

The second part of the memo, which is headed "Niger Shipment", contains a report about an unspecified shipment — believed to be uranium — that it says has been transported to Iraq via Libya and Syria.

Although Iraqi officials refused to disclose how and where they had obtained the document, Dr Ayad Allawi, a member of Iraq's ruling seven-man Presidential Committee, said the document was genuine.

"We are uncovering evidence all the time of Saddam's involvement with al-Qaeda," he said. "But this is the most compelling piece of evidence that we have found so far. It shows that not only did Saddam have contacts with al-Qaeda, he had contact with those responsible for the September 11 attacks."

-snip-

[archy]

Question that comes to mind: was it disarmed (can that be done once it's armed ?), or is nerve gas still within the weapon ?

It looks like a 152mm or possibly a 155mm artillery piece projectile, the standard artillery projectile for the old Soviet Union's Warsaw Pact troops as well as the present-day Russian army. Note too though that Saddam was one of the earliest users of the Space Research Corporation's developments of long-range projectiles for the 155mm artillery piece, used to great effect against the Iranians during the Iraqi-Iranian war, and further developed by the Israelis and South Africans as the G5 long-range munitions for the 45-caliber barrel length 155 artillery pieces. Whether that could be a 155-mm shell in a Iraqi Soviet-type shipping container, a 152mm projectile of Warsaw Pact, Russian or Iraqi manufacture, or something else is difficult to determine without at least a scaled reference in the pic, and preferably, firsthand examination.

As to whether it's a chemical shell or *nerve gas projectile* it could be a white phosphorous chemical smoke round that hadn't yet received its chemical filler; or it could be a WP round that was adapted for use with a single-component chemical warfare filler, either earlier WWII compounds such as Taubin or Saran [GB or VX as designated in US literature, or even WWI era Nitrogen Mustard] or one of the more recent Soviet binary nerve agents, such as Novichok 5 or 7, which could be expected to be shipped less one of the components needed for the projectiles to be lethally effective, preventing accidents during shipment.

Short answer: If there's no chemical filler, it's relatively safe, though some residues can be harmful or lethal- and the fuze assempbly used to rupture the projectile has a small explosive charge, about like that of a hand grenade.

Another question is if whether it was intentionally shipped empty, with one component of a two-part lethal mixture, or filled and leaked during shipment.

In general, I'd expect Saddam's chemical weapons to have been used in larger quantities- half-ton Scud warheads and aircraft-delivered devices similar to aircraft droppable fuel tanks or Napalm cannisters. But the Soviets very much make use of 152mm chemical and nuclear] weapons, and so their having been supplied to Iraq either directly or via a third-party surrogate would not be particularly surprising.

More on 155mm artillery ammunition and projectiles *here,* including US M121A1, M122 and M687 nerve gas projectiles.

One other possibility: the Chinese 130mm projectiles for their M46 130mm gun. They've certainly developed a long-range projectile, and if that's been combined with a chemical warfare projectile, a likely possibility, it'd certainly be worthy of notice.

The first 130 mm field gun produced by China was the Type 59, a virtually direct copy of the Russian M-46. The Type 59 130mm gun, with maximum rate of fire is at 8-10 rds/min, fires an HE projectile capable of penetrating 250mm of armour set at 0 degree at a range of 1,500m. The Type 59 gun also fires enhanced range projectiles: the MP-130 RAP that weighs 33.4kg with a maximum range of 34,360m; and an ERFB HE that weights 32.7kg with a maximum range of 30km. The Extended Range Full Bore-Base Bleed round was specifically designed by NORINCO Industries (China) for use with the Chinese 130-mm Type 59 Field Gun. However, this round may be fired by the M-46.

Russian 152mm conventional round being loaded into a MSTA self-propelled artillery piece pic *here.*

-archy-/-

[nuffsenuff]

When was this warhead found?

And why haven't we heard about it from our news media?

Do you have a link?

[Lady In Blue]

Good point! I think though,since it's from the Telegraph and as 'poisedwoman' mentioned above,David Kay's group has said that it has documents which if stretched out would reach 7 miles - it's more than likely true.Just my opinion though.I'd still like to see more confirmation.

[cookcounty]

But the Democrats have already told us "there was no link..........."

[witnesstothefall]

This statement is till as false as it was when you posted it on its own thread.

You on drugs? You sound as though you think I wrote the article. I didn't, merely posted a highly relevant news article from a reputable outlet. I put it up so that freepers would give it the critical review you're doing by pointing out the fallacy of the Ansar statement.

Get a grip.

[FairOpinion]

I read that the timeline of Atta's whereabouts most certainly have some time during which he could well have gone to Iraq.

I don't have the link, but I read some fairly detailed account, where there was some missing time, and some evidence that he left Florida and came back a few days later, or something along those lines.

[Joy Angela]

"Hillary will demand an investigation into the Baghdad turkey photo-op. "


Hillary IS a photo-op.

And I, an American Citizen,
Demand an investigation!!!

[cookcounty]

" Too good to be true indeed. The tipoff that this is a fake is that the SAME memo vindicating the Atta-Iraq link also vindicates the Niger-Uranium link. Too improbable."

Bogus Alert?

On second reading, I picked that up, too. Even if the whole Niger uranium story we heard before was accurate, it wasn't that big of a deal and had nothing to do with 9-11. That both were discussed in the same Saddam- Al-Tikriti memo is just a little too cute. Be very skeptical of this.

[Joy Angela]

Dean looks like a goober.

[witnesstothefall]

Jack o'Diamonds

http://www.clicktogamble.com/cards/Iraq/Jack-Diamonds.html

[Joy Angela]

"Your cosmetic work makes Hitlery look much better than usual. She wishes she had a bustline like that."


Don't give her any ideas!

News at 11...

Hillary has a boob job!

(Bill Clinton is a boob job)

[FairOpinion]

The %$&*&* democrats.com is selling bumper stickers -- I actualy saw one on a car, which says:

"Bush lied -- thousands died. Impeach Bush. Democrats.com -- Join us"

Then I went to democrats.com and saw they really are selling them.

This is an affront to our troops and the USA.

Go to their website http://www.democrats.com, and click on the top left button, where they are selling their bumper stickers, it takes you to a page, where you can see what they look like.

This one is really offensive.

[the Real fifi]

The last big scoop the Telegraph ran which was based on INC provided documents was the one of Galloway being on the take. Galloway denied it, The Telegraph had the documents subjected to stringent forensic examination. Galloway sued. It has not yet come to trial, but Galloway has backed off some of his denials..and he was bounced from the Labour party.

Coincidence or not, I think the Telegraph is very careful, very well-connected, and the story makes sense to me.

[FairOpinion]

We can start making the Dems and his stooges eat their words.

[tcuoohjohn]

shh...your asking much too rational a question. When ginning up a stirring but questionable theory it is important that no rational person ask the question..

"Was it physically possible for Mohammed Atta to be in two different places at the same time?"

Like Hamburg and Iraq.

[Joy Angela]

re: 312 info about the Democrat bumper sticker.

What a disgrace.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is behind this
for sure.

If I see one of those on a car, I'm going to
peel it off.

[FairOpinion]

"the inclusion of the Niger uranium in a handwritten memo is pretty fishy."

==

Or maybe it's because it's true, and that lead to the information that Saddam was trying to buy uranium from Niger.

[FairOpinion]

"Good news! National Review's The Corner has now linked to the Telegraph article."

===

Great!

I am surprised Drudge doesn't even have it on his site -- it should be up in large letters with his flashing siren.

[Ingtar]

The part of the decision that actually stopped the "recount" was decided 7-2. If I recall correctly.

[Qwinn]

Yup. Newsmax has it now as well.

So far as I can tell, that now makes:

National Review's The Corner
WorldNetDaily
BlogsForBush
Lucianne
NewsMax

I would expect it to show on Drudge and AndrewSullivan next.

Qwinn