http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2008/04/saddam_and_alqaeda_1.html
"Saddam supported groups that either associated directly with al Qaeda (such as the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, led at one time by bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri) or that generally shared al Qaeda's stated goals and objectives."From: "Iraqi Perspectives Project Saddam and Terrorism: Emerging Insights from Captured Iraqi Document" DODBecause Saddam's security organizations and Osama bin Laden's terrorist network operated with similar aims (at least in the short term), considerable overlap was inevitable when monitoring, contacting, financing, and training the same outside groups. This created both the appearance of and, in some way, a 'de facto' link between the organizations. At times, these organizations would work together in pursuit of shared goals but still maintain their autonomy and independence because of innate caution and mutual distrust. Though the execution of Iraqi terror plots was not always successful, evidence shows that Saddam's use of terrorist tactics and his support for terrorist groups remained strong up until the collapse of the regime."
Many in the Baathist party were Wahhabi Sunni. They were loyal to Sadaam always and with them he suppressed any adverse parties such as the Sadr city shiite bunch. But he did not let them get out of hand and would kill them if they got too rambunctious. Sadaam was not a practicing Sunni until the last two years. He was a sectarian dictator. But he kept the two factions at bay and if you created problems you took a dirt nap. This is the same control we saw in multi-ethnic Yugoslavia with Tito. When you have ethnic rift that permeates your country ,you suppress it with force.Its not a pretty sight. That was done until we invaded and left. That unleashed living hell and directly created the AL Qaeda element ( ISIS) in Iraq and Syria. Now you see the result.
We had no business there. Im still not sure why we went there. I guess it was to set up a big control bases in the middle east. That is what Wolfowitz wanted for the protection of Israel ,IMO.