Please differentiate me from your other correspondents and address me directly (if at all), because I am NOT here claiming (as others are trying to do) that Saddam indeed "controlled" the area of Iraq in which the A-a-I base was set up.
Because, you see, I consider whether he "controlled" that area to be a *straw man*.
I'll grant you for the sake of argument that Saddam Hussein's forces didn't "control", militarily, or otherwise, the zone in which that base was located. That is was something of a lawless zone (because let's face it, it wasn't "controlled" by the Kurdish military either - are you claiming that it was? if it had been, the Kurds would have wiped out the camp - which contained their enemies you see - themselves).
Here's what you are missing however: the fact that Saddam's troops didn't "control" the region containing the camp, doesn't mean he didn't support it, monetarily, logistically, with personnel, etc.
The fact that something is in a lawless zone outside a region Saddam has "control" over, doesn't mean Saddam would not have been able to set up, or (more likely) encourage the creation of, a camp there. It especially doesn't mean Saddam would not have been able to support it financially, logistically, or with personnel.
In fact, as I said, if he *were* going to set up, or encourage to be set up, a camp of proxy jihadi warriors, a "no-fly zone" nominally out of his "control" would be the IDEAL place to do it.
He's not gonna let them set up camp in downtown Baghdad for crying out loud. See my point?