Saddam Hussein's regime and Islamic extremists: Skeptical friends or absolute foes?

Mark Eichenlaub.blogspot.com ^ | 6-22-06 | Mark Eichenlaub

[ikez78]

A memo found on Hussein at the time of his capture was said by many to disprove the idea that Saddam could have worked with al Qaeda. The memo told leaders of the resistance to avoid working with foreign fighters and Islamic extremists (apparently they didn’t get the memo). But why would such a memo be necessary if Saddam Hussein’s regime had already been averse to working with Islamic extremists? According to the conventional wisdom of many, Saddam Hussein’s regime had always been hostile to Islamic extremists.

But, was Saddam Hussein’s regime “always”, or even generally, hostile to Islamic extremists (Wahhabis)? According to many people, close to and inside the former regime, Islamic extremists had been increasingly welcome in Iraq during the thirteen years leading up to the 2003 invasion.