How many times have you heard a Democrat politician, or a Bush basher, tell you that there was absolutely, positively no connection between Iraq and AlQaeda? A hundred? A thousand? Here’s more evidence. Sigh.
Osama Bin Laden Contact With Iraq
Following are the ABC News Investigative Unit’s summaries of five documents from Saddam Hussein’s government, which have been released by the U.S. government.
The documents discuss Osama bin Laden, weapons of mass destruction, al Qaeda and more.
A sample from one of the summaries,
Although contacts between bin Laden and the Iraqis have been reported in the 9/11 Commission report and elsewhere, (e.g. the 9/11 report states “Bin Ladn himself met with a senior Iraqi intelligence officer in Khartoum in late 1994 or early 1995) this document indicates the contacts were approved personally by Saddam Hussein.
It also indicates the discussions were substantive, in particular that bin Laden was proposing an operational relationship, and that the Iraqis were, at a minimum, interested in exploring a potential relationship and prepared to show good faith by broadcasting the speeches of al Ouda, the radical cleric who was also a bin Laden mentor.
The document does not establish that the two parties did in fact enter into an operational relationship. Given that the document claims bin Laden was proposing to the Iraqis that they conduct “joint operations against foreign forces” in Saudi Arabia, it is interesting to note that eight months after the meeting â?? on November 13, 1995 â?? terrorists attacked Saudi National Guard Headquarters in Riyadh, killing 5 U.S. military advisors. The militants later confessed on Saudi TV to having been trained by Osama bin Laden.)