Iraq: Former PM Reveals Secret Service Data on Birth of Al-Qaeda in Iraq (Great News)

AKI ^

[jmc1969]

Baghdad, 23 May - The number two of the al-Qaeda network, Ayman al-Zawahiri, visited Iraq under a false name in September 1999 to take part in the ninth Popular Islamic Congress, former Iraqi premier Iyad Allawi has revealed to pan-Arab daily al-Hayat. In an interview, Allawi made public information discovered by the Iraqi secret service in the archives of the Saddam Hussein regime, which sheds light on the relationship between Saddam Hussein and the Islamic terrorist network. He also said that both al-Zawahiri and Jordanian militant al-Zarqawi probably entered Iraq in the same period.

"Al-Zawahiri was summoned by Izza Ibrahim Al-Douri – then deputy head of the council of the leadership of the revolution - to take part in the congress, along with some 150 other Islamic figures from 50 Muslim countries," Allawi said.

According to Allawi, important information has been gathered regarding the presence of another key terrorist figure operating in Iraq - the Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Allawi's remarks come after statements to al-Hayat by King Abdallah II of Jordan over Saddam's refusal to hand over al-Zarqawi to the authorities in Amman.

On this question Allawi said: ''The words of the Jordanian King are correct and important. We have proof of al-Zawahiri's visit to Iraq, but we do not have the precise date or information on al-Zarqawi's entry

In Allawi's view, Saddam's government "sponsored" the birth of al-Qaeda in Iraq, coordinating with other terrorist groups, both Arab and Muslim. "The Iraqi secret services had links to these groups through a person called Faruq Hajizi, later named Iraq's ambassador to Turkey and arrested after the fall of Saddam's regime as he tried to re-enter Iraq. Iraqi secret agents helped terrorists enter the country and directed them to the Ansar al-Islam camps in the Halbija area," he said.

[jmc1969]

This is huge.

[OXENinFLA]

You're silly................Al-Qaeda was never and is not currently in Iraq.

Don't you get the democratic talking points?

[pissant]

This will be in the Washington Post and NY Times tomorrow, right?

[kcvl]

You're silly................Al-Qaeda was never and is not currently in Iraq.

Just ask Chris Matthews. /sarcasm

[eno_]

The Iraqi secret services had links to these groups through a person called Faruq Hajizi, later named Iraq's ambassador to Turkey and arrested after the fall of Saddam's regime as he tried to re-enter Iraq.

The anthrax for the postal attacks in the U.S. probably came from Iraq. It was probably passed (in a fairly small quantity) from Iraqi intelligence to AQ.

[gandalftb]

Bingo, it all fits, good post.

[MizSterious]

Great find.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Bombs bursting!

[TexKat]

Saw this earlier. I am waiting for a more reparable source if there is such a thing.

[kellynla]

Excellent find.

Ya just have to connect the dots, folks.

The only thing I regret is that we didn't go all the way to Baghdad in 1991 and "take out the trash" sooner.

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[Peach]

In Allawi's view, Saddam's government "sponsored" the birth of al-Qaeda in Iraq, coordinating with other terrorist groups, both Arab and Muslim.

I've been beating that drum for 3 years.

[God luvs America]

seriously...let's see how the media handles this....

[TexasGreg]

But ... but ... but ... we've been assured by the Democrats and the UN that Al-Qaeda had no connection to Iraq!

[GarySpFc]

This is the smoking gun, with fingerprints on it.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

They'll say it was then Governor Bush's fault.

[TADSLOS]

Must have been the 9-11 Concept Brief to Saddam.

[SierraWasp]

What is that sorce link of www.adnki.com???

[JaguarXKE]

Move along...nothing to see here.

[Gucho]

Bump - Thank you.

[tobyhill]

Great news but convince the msm of it. Effective right now the msm needs 3 identified sources before they print the story.

[jmc1969]

It was translated from al-Hayat an Arab newspaper.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It may be an Italian news source.....kind of guessing.....looking at the Home Page!

[Enchante]

So where is this scumbag Faruq Hajizi now??? If he was arrested trying to re-enter Iraq, is he imprisoned in country or somewhere else?? Gee, I really hope he never had to wear panties on his head.... our hands are tied dealing with this kind of guy, but the amount of terrorist info in his brain must be huge. He must know about a large number of the worst Islamo-fascists in the world.... and plenty who are now in hell!

[God luvs America]

yeh- and George Galloway will denied it ever happened.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

But your source , your link, is Italian?

[God luvs America]

so should we all bombard the news agencies with e-mails containing links to this story and call relentlessly tomorrow asking why they are not covering this story??

[jmc1969]

Yes, it is Italian, but they have been good in the past at being the first with these kind of stories.

[RichardW]

This answers two questions I have had for years.

1) What was Abu Nidal's involvement and why was he murdered by Saddam?

2) Was there a connection with Saddam and Al Queda?

We can't be sure this is factual but it has the ring of truth. If this is true, then Bush had every legal and moral right to remove Saddam's rogue regime. This is not only a "smoking gun"; it is a raging forrest fire.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Great news but convince the msm of it. Effective right now the msm needs 3 identified sources before they print the story.

That is true for news helpful to the American War Effort, other news that hurts the efforts has a lesser standard,...per the Newsweek latest articles!!!

[jmc1969]

Yes, we should email news agencies with this and with what Jordan's king said about Zarqawi.

So far I have yet to see even Fox say anything about the three day old story that Saddam refused to turn over Zarqawi.

This could be big news if the media is made aware of it and if they think people care about it.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thank you!!!

[Deetes]

BINGO !!!!

[armymarinemom]

If this ever makes it to the MSM Howard Dean will be totally confused. He still gets Saddam and Osama confused.

[jmc1969]

YES... UPI now has it....

http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050523-095550-1714r

[nw_arizona_granny]

""Al-Zawahiri was summoned by Izza Ibrahim Al-Douri – then deputy
head of the council of the leadership of the revolution - to take part in
the congress, along with some 150 other Islamic figures from 50
Muslim countries," Allawi said. "

Ping!

Which 50 countries, that would be all of them, wouldn't it?

[beezdotcom]

If this ever makes it to the MSM Howard Dean will be totally confused. He still gets Saddam and Osama confused.

That's nothing...Kennedy can't tell the difference between Osama and another U.S. Senator

[jmc1969]

here is a clearer one

http://tinylink.com/?LY8olBHx1D

We got to make sure the media hears about this one tomorrow.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Even I knew Saddam was funding and sitting on a nest of terrorism for years. One only needs to look at where the money was headed, who in the U.N. was against the Iraq war, and what the primary use of Salman Pak was for.

[jmc1969]

hahahah it seems UPI screwed up the translation of Allawis article.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Good luck in trying to get the Liberal media to beat your drum for you tomorrow, without them trying to inject some bogus horsesh!t like "GI's flushing Korans down a turlet".

[jmc1969]

I don't expect it to be on the liberal media, but I expect the real media like Fox to at least pick it up.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The London-based al-Hayat quoted former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, a prominent member in the National Assembly, as saying that al-Qaida's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, visited Iraq under a fake identity in 1999 on the sidelines of the ninth Popular Islamic Conference held under the chairmanship of former Iraqi Vice President Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Allawi was quoted Monday by Saudi daily newspaper al-Hayat as saying that Zarqawi, a Jordanian whose real name is Ayman Zawahiri

Now I am confused.....

[Southack]

Boom!

[jmc1969]

UPI mistranslated the article in their second link, don't worry about it.

[nutmeg]

ping!

Interesting article, but I don't know how reputable this source is (adnki.com).

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[jmc1969]

The Washington Times now has an article on it.

---

The London-based al-Hayat quoted former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, a prominent member in the National Assembly, as saying that al-Qaida's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, visited Iraq under a fake identity in 1999 on the sidelines of the ninth Popular Islamic Conference held under the chairmanship of former Iraqi Vice President Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri.

Allawi told the Saudi-financed daily that Egyptian-born Zawahri and Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi entered the country around the same time and started work to establish terror cells. He added the Islamic conference was just a "cover for holding secret parallel meetings involving Islamists who have terrorist cells around the world," insisting that Zarqawi was tasked with establishing cells.

Allawi claimed the Iraqi intelligence services under the former regime of Saddam Hussein had links with these moves through a man named Farouk Hijazi, whom he said was later appointed ambassador in Turkey, but was arrested after the collapse of Saddam's regime "while he was trying sneak back into Iraq." The Iraqi legislator warned that Zarqawi's organization has "huge financial capabilities, which should not be ignored because this group is a threat to the entire region, not only in Iraq."

Allawi also said he had information verifying the Jordanian-born suspect, believed to be responsible for the kidnapping and execution of hostages, as well as suicide attacks, had terror cells in Syria, but without the knowledge of the authorities there.

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20050523-074126-3575r.htm

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

So this is what the original says?

Allawi told the Saudi-financed daily that Egyptian-born Zawahri and Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi entered the country around the same time and started work to establish terror cells.

[SuziQ]

This will be in the Washington Post and NY Times tomorrow, right?

Oh sure! Front page, above the fold, but ONLY if they can figure out a way to spin it as a negative for the President.

[xJones]

What is AKI? Yeah, I went though the link but it looks like an Arabic or Iranian website with English and Italian translations. Do we believe them?