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Ansar al Islam, is of course, one of the many terrorist group smaking up al Qaeda's Terrorist International, aka "Jihad Against Christians and Jews"; the group has been funded, supplied and used by Iraq for some time in its fight against PUK, a common enemy.:

* Osman Ali : a captured Ansar al Islam member; 18-years-old. Ali was part of an Ansar suicide-bomb cell that Abdul Jaber commanded. Ali said he was a member of Ansar al-Islam's Al-Aqsa Battalion's six-member group of would-be suicide bombers. Ali was arrested by the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) six months ago after he was to carry out a suicide-bombing mission but lost his nerve. He told his story to the Star in the Sulaymania prison in northeastern Iraq, part of an autonomous Kurdish region kept out of Saddam's control by patrolling U.S. and British warplanes. During a two-hour interview, he told a detailed story of how he joined Ansar at the age of 15, how he trained to be a suicide bomber, and how he finally lost his nerve. Both Osman Ali and Didar Khaled Khedr say two former Iraqi intelligence agents are among Ansar's leaders - Abu Zurbeh and Abu Wahil. Ali said Abu Zurbeh refers to Saddam as "Uncle Saddam." Ali said he joined Ansar in April, 2000. He said he received 45 days of training in using AK-47 rifles, machine guns and grenades. Then he was chosen to be part of a six-man suicide bomb squad. "They choose the most religious fundamentalists among us to do that," he said. His suicide bombers course was held in Sergat village and lasted 10 days. Ali said the class listened to taped speeches by Abu Qatada, a Palestinian recently arrested in London and detained under Britain's anti-terrorism law. The young bombers were also told of a paradise filled with 72 virgins waiting for them, Ali said. In case religious fervour wanes in the moment of truth, Ali said bombers are given a drug in pill form that "makes you euphoric." Ali said he proudly graduated from the course and was chosen to carry out a suicide attack inside a PUK militia post. The plan was to simply walk in and pull a rod that would detonate four grenades hidden under his sleeve. He said he signed a declaration saying he was ready to blow himself up and Ansar also taped his statement on video. But he then described a torturous process of changing his mind three or four times, encouraged by friends not to do it and Ansar members to plow ahead. -"Canadian man called key in Iraq terror cell Iraq terror cell links Al Qaeda, Saddam," Sandro Contenta in Sulaymania, Iraq Toronto Star NEWS; Pg. A01 February 26, 2003 Wednesday Ontario Edition (it was abridged) see also The Hamilton Spectator for the unabridged version

1999 : (IRAQI INTELLIGENCE OFFICER LATIF aka ABU WA'IL IS IN AFGHANISTAN) Sa'adoon Mohammed Abdul Latif, or Abu-Wa'il, an Iraqi intelligence officer, first visited Afghanistan in 1999. - "U.S. negotiates trade of terror suspects," By Eli J. Lake, UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL via The Washington Times, May 9, 2003, http://washingtontimes.com/world/20030509-22822443.htm

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Not to mention that al Qaeda leaders have been present in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi Intelligence service YEARS before 9/11... and the Iraqi government footed their hotel bills.

Amazing that if OBL and Saddam weren't working together, OBL let Saddam in on his plans for 9/11, wouldn't you think?

Less than two months before 9/11/01, the state-controlled Iraqi newspaper “Al-Nasiriya” carried a column headlined, “American, an Obsession called Osama Bin Ladin.” (July 21, 2001)

In the piece, Baath Party writer Naeem Abd Muhalhal predicted that bin Laden would attack the US “with the seriousness of the Bedouin of the desert about the way he will try to bomb the Pentagon after he destroys the White House.”

The same state-approved column also insisted that bin Laden “will strike America on the arm that is already hurting,” and that the US “will curse the memory of Frank Sinatra every time he hears his songs” – an apparent reference to the Sinatra classic, “New York, New York”.

Two 9/11 families were awarded over $100 million last May by US District Court Judge Harold Baer based on this and other evidence that Iraq was involved in 9/11.

Evidence of alQ training camps in Irq BEFORE 9/11.

That's what this thread is about. The Ansar al Islam (=a subsidiary of Al Qaeda) camp in northern Iraq existed before 9/11 and trained Al Qaeda people there, according to the direct testimony (not "hearsay") of one of them.

I would also submit Salman Pak as a likely training camp which was, at times, visited by Al Qaeda members. Jihadis were taught how to hijack airplanes there. I don't know why that shouldn't count unless people are nit-picking semantics over who "counts" as "Al Qaeda" and who doesn't.

Bandying about stuff like Saddy was supporting alQ before 9/11 weakens our case by clouding the main issue.

How can it "weaken our case" or "cloud the main issue" if it's TRUE?

If it's TRUE then it IS the main issue. And for what it's worth I have absolutely no doubt that it's true: Saddam *was* supporting Al Qaeda before 9/11.

P.S. By the way, even that issue is something of a red herring. You seem to be implying that it would be "okay" if Saddam had been supporting Al Qaeda, but only *after* 9/11. Say what?? That makes no sense. If, as you seem to want to imply, Saddam only allied with our declared enemy after they had attacked our country, then even that, by itself, would be sufficient casus belli.