Friday, April 30, 2004
Saddam's Secret Police Lists Bin Ladin as "Asset" in 1992 Document
Christopher Hitchens serves up a tantalizing morsel with his customary bitter herbs.
Now comes a document from the files of the Iraqi secret police, or Mukhabarat, dated March 28, 1992, and headed routinely, "In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate." It is a straightforward listing of contacts and "assets," quite unsensational until it comes to the "Saudi front," where we find the name "Osama bin Ladin/he is well-known Saudi businessman, founder of Saudi opposition in Afghanistan, had connection with Syrian division." Of course, this is not a smoking gun.
It's a shame there's no link. The reader cannot assess the provenance of this information. Hitch doesn't say how he knows about it.
It's a failure of transparency.
Stand by for about a dozen right wing bloggers (like me?) to start fulminating about how the liberal media's not covering the story.
Well, I can start with Hitch. Where's the beef, bro?
Splash, out
Jason
Now comes a document from the files of the Iraqi secret police, or Mukhabarat, dated March 28, 1992, and headed routinely, "In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate." It is a straightforward listing of contacts and "assets," quite unsensational until it comes to the "Saudi front," where we find the name "Osama bin Ladin/he is well-known Saudi businessman, founder of Saudi opposition in Afghanistan, had connection with Syrian division." Of course, this is not a smoking gun.
It's a shame there's no link. The reader cannot assess the provenance of this information. Hitch doesn't say how he knows about it.
It's a failure of transparency.
Stand by for about a dozen right wing bloggers (like me?) to start fulminating about how the liberal media's not covering the story.
Well, I can start with Hitch. Where's the beef, bro?
Splash, out
Jason
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