Saddam Hussein’s Philanthropy of Terror

American Outlook Magazine ^ | Fall 2003 | Deroy Murdock

[quidnunc]

"Many critics of the war in Iraq belittle claims of Saddam Hussein’s ties to terrorism. In fact, for years, he was militant Islam’s Benefactor-in-Chief."

“I never believed in the link between Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, and Islamist terrorism,” former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright flatly declared in an October 21 essay published in Australia’s Melbourne Herald Sun.[1]

“Iraq was not a breeding ground for terrorism. Our invasion has made it one,” said Senator Ted Kennedy (D–Massachusetts) on October 16. “We were told Iraq was attracting terrorists from al Qaeda. It was not.”[2]

As President Bush continues to lead America’s involvement in Iraq, he increasingly is being forced to confront those who dismiss Saddam Hussein’s ties to terrorism and, thus, belittle a key rationale for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Bush’s critics wield a flimsy and disingenuous argument that nonetheless enjoys growing appeal among a largely hostile press corps. Hussein did not personally order the September 11 attacks, the fuzzy logic goes, hence he has no significant ties to terrorists, especially al Qaeda. Consequently, the Iraq war was launched under bogus assumptions, and, therefore, Bush should be defeated in November 2004.

West Virginia’s Jay Rockefeller, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s ranking Democrat, exemplified this thinking recently when he told the Los Angeles Times that Iraq’s alleged al Qaeda ties were “tenuous at best and not compelling.”[3] In a September 16 editorial, the L.A. Times slammed Vice President Dick Cheney for making “sweeping, unproven claims about Saddam Hussein’s connections to terrorism.” On August 7, former vice president Albert Gore stated flatly, “The evidence now shows clearly that Saddam did not want to work with Osama bin Laden at all.”[4]

All of these claims about a lack of ties between Hussein and terrorists, however, are untrue, and it is important that debate on this vital issue be informed by facts. The president and his national security team should devote entire speeches and publications — complete with names, documents, and visuals, including the faces of terrorists and their innocent victims — to remind Americans and the world that Baathist Iraq was a general store for terrorists, complete with cash, training, lodging, and medical attention. Indeed, this magazine article could serve as a model for the kinds of communications that the administration regularly should generate to set the record straight about Hussein and terrorism and reassert the reasons behind the Iraq mission.

Such an effort to reinvigorate U.S. public diplomacy on Iraq should be easy. After all, the evidence of Hussein’s cooperation with and support for global terrorists is abundant and increasing, to wit:

-snip-

[driftless]

I know the Bush administration honestly felt that weapons of mass destruction would be found within weeks or months of victory. But better justification would have been to present Hussein's record of terrorist support. Those WMDs might still be hidden in the Iraq sands, but more likely he destroyed them or shipped them out. There certainly wouldn't have been huge neon arrows pointing to them. Finding them, even if they're there, would be a daunting task. But the Hussein terrorist connection would and will have put the administration's case on much firmer ground...that's if they start stating this to the American people.... and all the doubters on this forum.

[supercat]

A better question might be: what effective means is there to punish a country's leader for misdeeds, other than removing that leader from power? Things like sanctions may limit a leader's ability to threaten others by crippling the country over which he has power, but if the leader doesn't care about the welfare of his people such actions are apt to do little to hurt the leader personally.

[piasa]

Ragtime Cowgirl posted this item from CENTCOM on another thread:

Task Force “All-American” Captures Key Resistance Leader In Al Fallujah - Update

RAMADI, Iraq— On 11 Jan, 2004, elements of the 82d Airborne Division combined with Special Operations Forces conducted a coordinated mission in Fallujah. The purpose of this particular mission was to capture black list #54, Khamis Sirhan Bashir Al-Muhammed. The mission was a success, Khamis Sirhan was captured and there were no friendly casualties.

The 82d Airborne Division has been tracking Khamis Sirhan and he has been the Division’s number 1 target for a number of months. Kahmis Sirhan was the key regional former regime element leader in Al Anbar province, to include Fallujah, Khalidiyah and Ramadi. He was responsible for coordinating, facilitating, and financing numerous anti-coalition attacks. He is also suspected of involvement in acts of sabotage against the power, oil, fuel and rail infrastructure since the fall of the former dictator’s regime.

Khamis Sirhan was meticulously tracked down over the last several months. Sirhan had been on the run, moving frequently as coalition forces pursued him. Through precise raids, the capture of Sirhan’s associates, the intelligence gained from them, and the aggressive publication of the enhanced rewards program, Task Force All American was able to eliminate Sirhan’s avenues of escape and places of sanctuary. These efforts included eight previous raids on known and suspected safe houses, culminating in the final successful mission in the hours of darkness of January 11, 2004.

Sirhan has been extremely cooperative since his capture and continues to provide valuable information. From interrogation, it was confirmed that Sirhan was a prominent founding member of the Ba’ath Party and the regional commander of the Al-Anbar FRE and radical Islamist resistance. He has provided names and places of key individuals associated with the Foreign Regime Element (FRE) cells and Foreign Fighter (FF) cells. Since his capture, Task Force All American has captured two former Iraqi General Officers involved in anti-coalition activities and a total of 41 other security internees.

Release #040115a
 Task Force “All-American” Captures Key Resistance Leader In Al Fallujah - Update ~ CJTF7 | 1/15/04

I noticed an excerpt from her posted article which is relevent here:

Sirhan has been extremely cooperative since his capture and continues to provide valuable information. From interrogation, it was confirmed that Sirhan was a prominent founding member of the Ba’ath Party and the regional commander of the Al-Anbar FRE and radical Islamist resistance. He has provided names and places of key individuals associated with the Foreign Regime Element (FRE) cells and Foreign Fighter (FF) cells.

But I thought the antiwar groups have been insisting all along that since Baathists are secular that Baathists and Islamists don't get along and couldn't possibly cooperate? 28 posted on 01/23/2004 5:43:18 PM PST by piasa

[VOA]

bump