Overlooked and new testimony supports idea of al Qaeda presence in Saddam Hussein's Iraq

Regime of Terror ^ | 5-25-09 | Mark Eichenlaub

[ikez78]

Over the past many months a number of interviews, documents, admissions and other revelations have come to light that continue to undermine the notion that al Qaeda and al Qaeda linked groups were not able to operate inside Iraq during the rule of Saddam Hussein. These findings match up with some of the older and overlooked reports on the hotly contested that may now deserve re-examination.

A study by The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point of al Qaeda documents deemed the "Sinjar Records" indicates that al Qaeda was, in fact, able to operate inside the country during the rule of the former regime. The center also has previously posted internal al Qaeda documents in which al Qaeda members revealed to one another that "some of them went to Saddam" likely in referrence to al Qaeda members fleeing Afghanistan to Iraq.

[ikez78]

I am an English teacher and, quite frankly, I have no business posting something with all those errors. Thanks for reminding me. It should be fixed now.

[Wuli]

"Saudi Arabia was by far the most common nationality of the fighters’ in this sample; 41% (244) of the 595 records that included the fighter’s nationality indicated they were of Saudi Arabian origin.7" That is a direct testament to two things: (1)How the Wahabi form of Islam supports the radicalization of Muslims and (2)How much greater is the financial support that can accompany radicals coming from Saudi Arabia than other places. Only Libya stands as near equal to Saudi Arabia, as a source of foreign Jihadis into Iraq, not due to total numbers (Libya is much smaller than Saudi Arabia, by population), but on a per-capita basis: (>15, <20 fighters per million residents, for Libya, vs <10 fighters per million residents for Saudi Arabia. The high degree of influence of Islamic educators (like with the Wahabis) in generating Jihadis is most likely also reflected in the data that shows 55% were between the ages of 21-25 and almost 43% gave their occupation as "student". The fanaticism from that education is reflected in the data showing the work the fighters wanted to pursue, in their Jihad in Iraq, with 56% listing "Suicide Bomber" as their terrorist occupation of choice. The report notes (page 28) "Universities have become a critical recruiting field for al‐Qa’ida". One of the interesting pieces of data that additional analysis on could prove useful is the data on page 22 of the report. It reflects the monthly arrivals of the foreign fighters into Iraq. This data should be given some comparative analysis with U.S. combat data, "IED" data, and "suicide bomber" data, for the same time periods; particularly if that data is capable of identifying who the "suspected" insurgents were believed to be, or later proven to be, in each event. One of the interesting and totally resonant conclusions in the report is that Al Queda and it's affiliates have been a failure in Iraq. What this demonstrates is that contrary to being a "distraction" for the U.S., or a "quagmire" for the U.S., it, Iraq, has been both a distraction and a quagmire for Al Queda. Al Queda's myths about itself, about it's abilities, about it's popular support have proven to be just that in Iraq - myths, and the Iraqi people have witnessed the unmasking of those myths.

[saganite]

ping if you weren’t included in some of the ping lists below. You had it nailed 3 years ago.

[claymax]

And just like the documents that were released that proved that Sen Joe McCarthy was indeed correct, we will never hear about them in the MSM. This is getting really pathetic!

[potlatch]

[devolve]

.

Another oldie potlatch!

[potlatch]

Sure is, huh!

[devolve]

These were originally <table bg graphics I posted on FR

980x760 :

[potlatch]

[These were originally <table bg graphics I posted on FR ]

Not really, all the ones I found - and I have been through all of them - were regular size. You started making them a larger size later on.

[Steve Van Doorn]

There is an important factor that is over looked considering Libya. Saddam sent 20,000 Iraqi’s to Libya before the war in order to build WMD’s which after the war we dismantled. If we looked into those figures more I would bet many of those from Libya were part of those workers.

[Grimmy]

The proof is in the pudding in regards to AQ having direct links and being a welcomed element in Iraq during the Saddam regime.

The AQ element of the Iraqi “insurrection” made itself known way too early in the program to have been a recent arrival.

Such organizations can not, do not and will not just suddenly appear, armed, organized and fighting. The leadership of that organization must have access to safe houses, safe travel routs, arms caches, contacts and a pool of known facilitators before the organization can begin to mount offensive ops.

A note on perspective in this Long War. Focusing on AQ makes as much sense as focusing only on the Japanese Naval units that participated in the attack on Pearl Harbour. Enemy is enemy and ALL enemy must be engaged and eliminated, including all their allies, friends, supporters, associates and any other like minded persons.

Ansar al Islam was reason enough to validate the need to go into Iraq and break the program there.

[Dinah Lord]

mark for later.

[devolve]

.

Large is good

[PhilDragoo]

Saudi Arabia was by far the most common nationality of the fighters in this sample; 41% (244) of the 595 records that included the fighter’s nationality indicated they were of Saudi Arabian origin. That is a direct testament to two things: (1)How the Wahabi form of Islam supports the radicalization of Muslims and (2)How much greater is the financial support that can accompany radicals coming from Saudi Arabia than other places.

[potlatch]

I was surprised how few graphics of Iraq I made.

[potlatch]

Good post Phil

[PhilDragoo]

It's been suggested the Saudi Prince al-Taleel (through al-Mansour) paid for Hussein's 75K Harvard tuition.

And of course Bill Ayers, the "guy who lives in my neighborhood", just happened to be revolutionary comrades with Klonsky the Beijing-sojourner.

Uncle Frank in the cell with Grampa Stanley.

All de Mombasa clan be Muslim, while all de Dunhams be Reds.

Oh my.

[april15Bendovr]

Good Work Mark

Part 1 Joseph Shahda Iraqi documents

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBQ7zRby2SU&feature=channel_page

Part 2 Joseph Shahada Iraqi Documents... Read More

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9itSoqnf1V4&feature=channel_page

[potlatch]

[It’s been suggested the Saudi Prince al-Taleel (through al-Mansour) paid for Hussein’s 75K Harvard tuition.]

We know ‘someone like that’ did. Wish it could be proven, it would be a bombshell!

[jveritas]

Thank you both for the ping. One day the truth will fully come out about Saddam regime relation to islamic terrorism and the WMD programs that they did not stop working on until the fall of the regime and the liberation of Iraq in 2003.

Excellent article Mark.