Iraq-Al Qaeda Bombshell: Mag Documents New Links

NewsMax.com ^ | March 17, 2002 | Carl Limbacher

[Carl/NewsMax]

A report set to hit newsstands Monday documenting ties between Iraq's Mukhabarat intelligence service and Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist organization is being called "a blockbuster" by former CIA Director James Woolsey.

The New Yorker magazine report details cooperation between al Qaeda agents in Northern Iraq and intelligence operatives working for Saddam Hussein, Woolsey told CNN's "Late Edition," including:

*Details of the ten-year-long working relationship between al Qaeda and Mukhabarat agents in attacks on the Kurdish minority.

*Evidence that the Mukhabarat smuggled weapons into Afghanistan to help al Qaeda forces.

*Accounts of al Qaeda refugees being brought into Iraq.

The New Yorker report also quotes Kurdish sources as saying the CIA had no interest the Mukhabarat-al Qaeda links, prompting this reaction from ex-Director Woolsey:

"The CIA has over recent years not been real enthusiastic about the Iraqi resistance and I think that's a shame. If they got beat on this story by the New Yorker and (its reporter) Jeff Goldberg, three cheers for the fourth estate."

"In think (the New Yorker) piece is a blockbuster," added Woolsey.

[wasp69]

Damn, but you make alot of sense. Is your specialty middle east studies?

[subrosa sam]

Also, Laurie Mylroie states in her latest book,"Study of Revenge: Saddam Hussein's Unfinished War Against America," that Ramzi Yousef, who was mastermind of the 1993 WTO bombing entered this country with an Iraqi passport and is actually an Iraqi intelligence agent. He is now in prison in this country under the name of Abdul Basit Karim, a name belonging to a Kuwaiti who is missing since Iraq invaded Kuwait. However, our country refuses to pursue positive identification of Yousef.

[GOP_1900AD]

Carl, thanks for researching and reporting this! We had a very interesting discussion regarding the potential for such ties over on the JRN Forum this past week. Indeed, there seems to be a thread that runs between Iraqi intel, Al-Queda, and, of course, the ISI. Extending one's view outward from there, the Iraqi intel - FSB / GRU linkage, and the ISI - PLA one, give one reason to take pause and ponder all of this very seriously. Looking at a sequence of events over the past two weeks with stories about the claimed linkages between Iraq and OKC, Abu Sayyaf, the ISI and Nichols, and the bust of a guy with ISI links over at Lawrence Livermore for apparent nuclear espionage, the pieces appear to be falling into place in an alarming manner. The recent highlighting of our Nuclear Posture Review came none too soon and thankfully highlights the geopolitical gravity of what were once characterized as isolated events. Our resolve must be rock solid!

Your efforts are bearing much fruit and are well appreciated by those of us who are serious about dealing proactively with the enemies of the USA! God bless you!

[The Great Satan]

Damn, but you make alot of sense. Is your specialty middle east studies?

No, just applied common sense. Thanks!

[TomB]

So, you do not believe this info in the article. So what information are you going to believe ? You do not believe any previous information about Iraq's involvement, either, I think. Such as terrorist training at Salman Pak. Atta's meeting with Iraqi operatives, to name two.

You could have a videotape of Saddam and Atta in an embrace with Hussien telling the Hijacker "Good luck crashing the planes into the WTC!"and Atta saying "We couldn't have done it without your help.", and there are people around here who still wouldn't believe it. Their powers of denial are manifest.

[a_Turk]

Which accounts for about 90% of believers of any religion :).

To some degree, I suppose you are right. When it's about murderers, paediophiles, etc. I draw the line. It seems hard for me to accept that one who really believed would still see their way clear to commit such hard core sins..

[BlackVeil]

Thank you for posting the article about Sadaam Hussein and his propaganda mosque. I had been told, some time ago, about this claim that he had had a Quran made which was written in his own blood. I dismissed this as a rumour - it was too weird! Aside from everything else, in Islam blood is always considered "najlis" (impure). Unless it is the blood of a martyr. However, nothing is too odd for Sadaam Hussein, it seems. I have always suspected an Iraqi hand behind the Sept 11 attacks, because I am convinced that someone gave those pilots advanced military training, their navigation etc. skills were otherwise inexplicable. And from Sadaam's point of view the election of George Bush's son would be an unbearable humiliation, he would try to organise something to strike back. This thing of Bush's son succeeding him would be much more powerful in the Arab world than in the west - their culture puts more emphasis on such ties of family. However, evidence of my favorite theory about Iraq is lacking. Also, there is a lot of other indirect evidence implicating members of the Saudi military and political elite. Some sort of secret faction determined to strike against the US and get rid of the bases. Yes, it does sound far fetched, but no more so than the Al-Quaida story we are now being given.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

You made me nervous there. And by the way...I am not Scott Ridder and the sooner Saddam eats a cruise missile for lunch the better.

Just wanted it on the record that all "Scott's" are not appeasers/self-aggrandizers.

[SauronOfMordor]

why hasn't anyone pointed out that the Al Qaeda \ Taliban hate Saddam as much as they have the USA.

Keep in mind that Stalin was an ally of Hitler when the two of them decided to carve up Poland between them. Then when Hitler attacked Russia, Stalin decided to switch to being our ally until Hitler was defeated, at which point Stalin was back to being our enemy.

Reality gets complicated, sometimes.

[BlackVeil]

"Which accounts for about 90% of believers of any religion :)" Yes, and this is allowed for in scripture. Does not the Lord Jesus Christ say that they honor Me with their lips but "their hearts are far from Me." Also, in the Koran it says "Yet the majority of humanity will not have faith, however much you might wish them to." All too true ... as one turns to another story about clerical sex scandals, and Muslim honor murders, and some crank who killed the kids in order to "save" them from Satan.

[Reactionary]

I've been waiting for payback in Iraq since Oklahoma City.

[DallasMike]

They have a natural alliance of mutual interests, and that's more important to them than dogmatic differences.

So right, and expressed much, much better than I could ever hope to do.

[AlGone2001]

The Great Satan

member since December 15th, 1990

I don't think so. 1990?

[kezekiel]

Keeping with God's commandments makes one a Muslim - automatically.

Is that a common teaching in Islam?

[Godfollow]

Do you not think they will support each other's ambition to harm America in whatever way they can? Does it matter whether they are Religious or secular dingbats? Yes and No!

[AlGone2001]

The answer is as I stated already: Keeping with God's commandments makes one a Muslim - automatically.

That is absolutely ridiculous.

First of all, Abraham was pre-law, meaning he had no law or commandments to obey. Hebrews 11 tells us that he was justified before God by his faith, not by any law.

Moses had a set of commandments, but they aren't used verbatim by the Muslims. One major point is that that the Jews were told to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. The Jews uses Saturday as their Sabbath. Tell us what day the Muslims use, and do they call it the Shabbat?

[Great Dane]

He's a murderer. That makes him an infidel. In order to be a Muslim one must live in keeping with God's commandments. Gassing Kurdish non-combatants is enough reason to declare that he is not in keeping with those..

That puts him in the same boat as Bin Laden and his merry band.

[a_Turk]

Is that a common teaching in Islam?

One would have to read the Koran and understand in order to get the message. The prevelant method for ones affirmation of being a Muslim is by declaring that "There is only one God, and that Mohammed is his messenger." That does not place Mohammed above the prophets, nor does it declare Him to be the only messenger of God. One would then presumably go on to learn what message Mohammad brings, which is that Noah, Abraham, Moses and the others taught us about the one God, and that Jesus was the Messiah, etc.

Islam teaches about Judaism and Christianity, and draws a distinction between what it means to pretend to be pious (an infidel) and to be pious.

[Edmund Burke]

This is just propaganda to prepare the sheeple for the upcoming war against Iraq. Remember during lead up to the last war when this young Kuwait woman testified before a congressional committee about the Iraqi soldiers who dumped the Kuiwaiti babies out of the incubators? Remember that it turned out that this woman just happened to the the Kuiwaiti ambassador to the US's daughter who made up this story. It sounded good at the time though. It made the Iraqi soldiers sound like real demons. Hitler tried the same thing to justify an attack on Poland to the German people. He dressed up a brigade of German troops in Polish uniforms and had them attack a German border outpost. Incidents like these are needed to beat the drums for war and get the sheeple excited and ready to go.

[AlGone2001]

Islam teaches about Judaism and Christianity

It teaches that Jesus is the only way to the father? Exactly what does it "teach" about Christianity?