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Thursday, March 23, 2006

Saddam envoy met personally with Bin Ladin 
And they discussed terror attacks abroad. This just in from ABC News:

A newly released pre-war Iraqi document indicates that an official representative of Saddam Hussein's government met with Osama bin Laden in Sudan on February 19, 1995 after approval by Saddam Hussein. Bin Laden asked that Iraq broadcast the lectures of Suleiman al Ouda, a radical Saudi preacher, and suggested "carrying out joint operations against foreign forces" in Saudi Arabia. According to the document, Saddam's presidency was informed of the details of the meeting on March 4, 1995 and Saddam agreed to dedicate a program for them on the radio. The document states that further "development of the relationship and cooperation between the two parties to be left according to what's open (in the future) based on dialogue and agreement on other ways of cooperation." The Sudanese were informed about the agreement to dedicate the program on the radio.

The report then states that "Saudi opposition figure" bin Laden had to leave Sudan in July 1996 after it was accused of harboring terrorists. It says information indicated he was in Afghanistan. "The relationship with him is still through the Sudanese. We're currently working on activating this relationship through a new channel in light of his current location," it states.



So much for the "Al Qaeda could never have cooperated with Saddam because his regime is secular" argument (although that argument should have been blown out of the water by the 1998 Clinton Administration indictment of Osama Bin Ladin).

Some level of cooperation between Iraq and Al Qaeda would also explain why Al Qaeda did not seem to target Saddam. Yes, they targeted nearly everyone else in the region. Why not Saddam? What deal did he strike with them? What was the carrot he was holding out so as not to be attacked?

Splash, out

Jason

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