[cyncooper]

I have gone back to my Google search on "Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein 1999" (Used Advanced Search without the quotes).

Here is a lengthy report by Laurie Mylroie from February 10, 1999 which references a compilation of news reports from that timeframe:

OSAMA BIN LADIN AND IRAQ

Excerpts:

Vincent Cannistraro, ( former Chief of Counterterrorism Operations for the CIA's Counterterrorism Center, has suggested a very sensible and quite clever explanation for what was going on at al-Shifa--why it turned out to be a pharmaceutical factory; why the US had compelling evidence linking it to VX; and why it can't be found now. When US officials were obliged to defend their decision to attack the al-Shifa plant, after the Aug 20 strike, they revealed an Iraqi link to al-Shifa, as reported, for example, in the NYT Aug 25. US officials also revealed the existence of other sites in Khartoum thought to be associated with Iraq and VX production. Clinton chose al-Shifa as a target, because it was the only VX-related site not near a populated area.

~snip~

A senior Iraqi intelligence official, Farouk Hijazi, newly appointed as Iraq's ambassador to Turkey, did visit Osama bin Ladin in Afghanistan in December, as several of those articles reported. There has been more reporting on bin Ladin and Iraq. All of it included the suggestion that Iraq is coordinating with bin Ladin on CBW terrorism. The Italian paper, Corriere della Sera, reported Feb 1, "Terrorist cells belonging to the network organized by Osama bin Laden . . . are ready to go into action in the countries of the Persian Gulf and Europe. According to a confidential report, the list of targets is ready. It was agreed in Kandahar (Afghanistan) 21 December by Osama himself and Farouk Hijazi. .

~snip~

The New York Post, Feb 1, reported, "Saddam Hussein-battered, humiliated and increasingly isolated-plans to resort to terrorism in revenge for US airstrikes against his country. . . US officials say the CIA has received 'credible and reliable' intelligence reports that Saddam is forging alliances with some of the Middle East's most bloodthirsty terrorists-including Osama Bin Ladin and Abu Nidal-as part of an apparently new campaign to strike American targets and possibly destablise Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. . . . US officials are concerned about the possibility that Saddam could not only help with funding and logistics for Bin Ladin's far-flung network, . . . but he could also help the group acquire chemical and biological weapons."

~snip~

[windchime]

Thanks for your contributions to this thread, cyncooper.

This is new information to most of us because WJBC kept us distracted with his shenanigans. Knowing that was his MO while other events were taking place, I worked at keeping up with what was going on outside his tawdry little world. Missed these reports entirely!