Posted on 09/16/2001 1:33:46 AM PDT by Uncle Bill
Saddam's Fingerprints on N.Y. Bombings
The Wall Street Journal
By Laurie Mylroie
June 28, 1993
Military retaliation from Baghdad was the main administration concern following Saturday's strike on Iraq. Yet U.S. officials should start thinking seriously about the question of retaliation through terror. It is quite possible, for example, that there was a connection between Saddam and recent attempts to blow up Manhattan. It is quite possible that New York's terror is Saddam's revenge.
Speculation about the responsibility for last week's bombing plot and the earlier World Trade Center bombing has focused on Iran, Sudan, and the fundamentalist Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman. Much energy has been spent linking the terror to Islamic fundamentalism. Yet Saddam, a secular tyrant, is also suspect.
Information already in the public domain allows us to make this case. Start with the fact that the most important person in the Trade Center bombing is an Iraqi, Ramzi Ahmad Yusuf. Known in New York as Rashid, Mr. Yusuf has 11 aliases. The U.S. press has reported that he left Iraq in early 1992, transiting Jordan to Pakistan. He entered New York in early September on Pakistan Airways. Mr. Yusuf, traveling on his Iraqi passport, passed through immigration by requesting asylum. The FBI claims the plot began in August, while Mr. Yusuf was abroad.
Ordering Chemicals
Mr. Yusuf soon became the roomate of Mohammed Salameh, the naive Palestinian who repeatedly returned to the van rental agency for his deposit. Passionate, but not bright, Mr. Salameh would appear a ready dupe to an intelligence operative. In trial documents, an Iraqi-American, Musaab Yassin, has stated that he had known Mr. Salameh two years. Mr. Yassin moved into Mr. Salameh's apartment in September 1992, and Mr. Salameh moved out. Mr. Yassin's younger brother, Abboud, lived with him. An Arab who knows Musaab Yassin, like Mr. Yusuf, came to the U.S. in the fall of 1992, seeking medical treatment.
In late November, Mr. Yusuf allegedly ordered chemicals for the bomb and Mr. Salameh rented a locker to store them. The plot was underway. In early February, Mr. Salameh notified his landlord that he and Mr. Yusuf would leave at month's end. On Feb. 26 the World Trade Center was bombed. Messrs. Salameh and Yusuf vacated their apartment two days later.
Mr. Salameh was arrested March 4. Musaab Yassin returned home that day to find the FBI searching his apartment, while Abboud had been taken for questioning. Abboud Yassin told the FBI that he taught Mr. Salameh to drive the van that carried the bomb, that he accompanied Mr. Salameh to an apartment later identified as the bomb's testing ground; and Abboud Yassin's information helped lead the FBI to the locker where the chemicals had been stored. The U.S. press reports that Abboud Yassin then returned to Iraq, as did Mr. Yusuf. The New York Times reported that Arabs who knew Mr. Salameh and the second Palestinian arrested, Nidal Ayyad, said that the two had "close ties with two Iraqis, one of whom they say was named Rashid, but both of whom have since disappeared."
This information, although sketchy, indicates Iraqi activity. If Mr. Yusuf, the key figure, had worked for Iran, Tehran would not have let him return to Iraq. Given the totalitarian nature of the Iraqi regime, even Abboud Yassin's return to Iraq is significant. An innocent man would, arguably, have chosen to stay in the U.S.- he would have a better chance of a fair hearing in a U.S. court than before an Iraqi intelligence officer. If Abboud Yassin was involved in the bombing- but was not acting under Baghdad's instruction- then it was even more imprudent for him to return to Iraq. Mr. Yusuf and Abboud Yassin could have gone to Afghanistan, where they would not have exposed themselves to the potentially fatal suspicions of Baghdad's intelligence agencies.
That two men involved came from Iraq and returned there is reason enough to consider an Iraqi role in the World Trade Center bombing. What other possible evidence is there? It has been reported that the bombing suspects received money from abroad: up to $100,000 from Germany, Iran, and "another Middle Eastern Country." That country is probably Jordan, shielded by U.S. authorities who continue protecting Amman for the sake of the "peace process." Without knowing how much money came from each country, though, it is hard to exclude Iraq. Last but not least, it is worth noting that the February bombing occurred on the second anniversary of Kuwait's liberation.
What about last week's arrests? The FBI arrested five Sudanese and three others as it broke up a second bombing plot. The conspirators' first target was the United Nations' headquarters. Other targets were added, including FBI headquarters in New York. Additionally, four assassinations were planned, including that of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and U.N. secretary general Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
Like the Trade Center bombing, much of this operation was amateurish. The conspiracy instigator, Siddiq Ibrahim Ali, had a plan to get a car into the FBI building, but it was amateurish (he proposed shooting the guards). Professional terrorists divide their organizations into small cells, each devoted to specific tasks. These planners used a large group in which every participant was known to the others, so that the entire plot could quickly unravel once one member was caught. Yet, like the World Trade Center bombing, this was audacious. Had it suceeded, thousands could have died.
It's important to note that both the Trade Center bombing and the later plot represent something new- at least in the West. Saddam however commits that kind of carnage on a daily basis.
Two of the nations thought to be behind the second plot are not ideal suspects. Khartoum is suspected, because Sudanese played a big role in the plot. With Iran, Sudanese has been involved in a violent campaign to overthrow secular governments in North Africa, including Mr. Boutros-Ghali's own government in Cairo. But Khartoum has not sponsored terrorism against U.S. targets. That it should suddenly support potentially the most devastating anti-American attack ever makes little sense. A separate question though is whether Sudanese diplomats could be bought. This is possible, since Khartoum is broke, and months behind in paying its diplomats.
Iranian sponsorship of the plot is also unlikely. Iran has no big quarrel with the U.N.- it benefits from the U.N.'s disarmament of Iraq. The U.N. is not the obvious target for Muslim extremists. Their quarrel is with the U.S. They could have easily chosen an American target. Explaining why fundamentalists would bomb the U.N. is possible, but the explanation is strained- that they see the U.N. as a U.S. surrogate; that their violence is caused by anger at many issues involving the U.N., including Bosnia, Somalia and the Palestinians. The Trade Center suspects issued a set of demands that the U.S. stop aiding Israel and stop interfering in the internal affairs of Middle Eastern countries.
Saddam by contrast has every reason to attack the U.N. Saddam also hates Egypt's Mubarak and wants him dead, no less than he wanted George Bush dead. Baghdad Radio threatened Mr. Bush personally during the Gulf War and Mubarak as well, "Does he (Mubarak) think that the crime he committed against the people of Iraq will go unpunished?...Prepare yourself for it and shiver at the thought."
More To Come
Attention has focused on the Iranian-Sudanese relationship. But Baghdad could as easily recruit Sudanese as Tehran.
For Saddam, Iraqi sponsorship would be vengeance with a twist. Baghdad wants Washington to blame Iran for the terror striking America's shores. If it doesn't and fundamentalists are caught, that too is fine, because it promotes a hysteria about Islamic fundamentalism and Iran which, Saddam calculates, would eventually benefit Iraq. If Saddam is behind the attacks, more will surely follow.
The focus of the New York investigations should shift to the question of state sponsorship. If considerable evidence points to Saddam, then President Clinton must fulfill his Saturday pledge: "We will combat terrorism. We will deter aggression. We will protect our people."
[End of Transcript]
NOTE: The FBI and the Mad Bombers
Saddam Hussein's Iraq & Osama Bin Laden linked to USS Cole bomb attack
London Report: Bin Laden May Hit NYSE - OCTOBER 5, 1999
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CHINA REALLY?
.
.
Taliban-China deal puzzles diplomatsChina aligns with Taleban! immediately after BOMBING!
In China, Anti-U.S. Sentiment Unfettered
China's Ties with 'Rogue States' Under Spotlight
Sympathy expressed, but Bush chided over Middle East (China)
Mainland to feel the heat over 'rogue' arms deals (China)
China Steps Up Security at US Embassy; Ordinary Citizens Say We Brought Attack On Ourselves
Oh No! Barbara Boxer heads terrorism subcommittee!
Bill Clinton To Visit Taiwan This Week -- Will Meet President Chen, Attend Globalization Conference
China Strengthens Ties With Taleban by Signing Economic Deal - September 13, 2001
"In a sign of Beijing's increasingly close ties with the Taleban regime in Afghanistan, China has signed a memorandum of understanding for economic and technical cooperation with Kabul, press reports from Afghanistan and Pakistan said.
The agreement was reported Tuesday, the same day terrorists hijacked four planes in the United States and drove them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A Chinese delegation signed the deal in Kabul with the Taleban's minister of mining, Mullah Mohammed Ishaq, the news reports said.
China's agreement with the Taleban is the most substantial part of a series of contacts that Beijing has had with Afghanistan over the last two years. Of all non-Muslim countries, Beijing now has the best relationship with the isolated regime in Kabul in the world, a senior Western diplomat said."
.
.
China and Russia reacted angrily to the U.S.-British attack on Iraq
Exactly who does Bill Clinton Work for?
U.S. Tried to Halt Several Searches
"The Clinton administration has intervened repeatedly since last fall to delay or prevent intrusive weapons inspections in Iraq by United Nations teams, according to American and diplomatic accounts.
The interventions included at least six occasions, beginning in November 1997, in which Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright or other top administration officials sought -- with success in each case but one -- to persuade chief U.N. inspector Richard Butler to rescind orders for surprise searches for weapons of mass destruction or to remove a controversial inspector from Iraq. In March, according to sources, the United States and the United Kingdom put an end to the U.N. Special Commission's most successful new inspection technique by withdrawing one critical form of intelligence support -- including information, equipment and personnel -- they had provided to the U.N. inspectors until then."
Saddam's Best Friend - How the C.I.A. made it a lot easier for the Iraqi leader to rearm
Whatever Happened to Iraqgate? Was it swept under the rug because of the CIA - - or Hillary?
From the American Spectator James Ring Adams 10/92 "Mike McAlary, the New York Post's specialist on organized crime, scored a genuine scoop last February: "Clinton and BCCI candidate's money man linked to scandal bank," the headline ran. It involved large-scale Arab influence on American politicians of both parties."
Gore and Clinton and Some of Their Associates Linked to Terrorist Groups?
Hillary Clinton has a long record of association with Islamic militants
Report: Anti-Israel group gives Hillary Clinton campaign $50,000
Clinton campaign returns donation to defender of Hamas
Chinese trade coup staggers US spy chiefs
Chinese Warlord Visits Washington, D.C.
'Chinese Agent' Funneled Buddhist Temple Money to Gore Since 1993
Dynamite Affidavit Exposes Vast Clinton Administration Cover-Up
Clinton asked about ties to Riady, can't recall $1 million offer
RIADY INVITES CLINTON TO JOIN LIPPO BOARD
Clinton Considering $2 Million Offer From Chinese Firm
Why Clinton Came - On May 7, 1998, President William Jefferson Clinton addressed the Arab American Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. It was the first time an U.S. President had addressed an Arab American conference
"the Clinton White House has been extremely supportive of Arab American involvement. While Arab American involvement at the 1993 White House signing ceremony and Vice President Gore's Builders for Peace are well known as are the frequent Arab American White House and State Department meetings.
..In 1996, Arab American involvement in the national electoral arena took a step forward when the Clinton-Gore Presidential Campaign formally launched, at a Washington press conference, the Arab Americans for Clinton-Gore committee. In 1997 this committee was transformed into the Arab American Democratic Leadership Council (AADLC), a recognized part of the Democratic Party.
..I recall an event in the middle of Israel's 1996 bombing campaign in Lebanon that made it clear to me how far we had developed. As always happens in the middle of a crisis situation the White House Office of Public Liaison called my office to see how the community was reacting to the bombing and what could be done to assist us. The National Security Council also called and organized a few meetings for our leadership with the White House and State Department officials."
In Gamble, Clinton Supports Russian Germ Warfare Scientists May 26, 2000
Fund-Raising Event at Masri Mansion Closed to Press
By ELI LAKE
FORWARD STAFF
WASHINGTON -- The Democratic Senate candidate from New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is raising tens of thousands of dollars at secret private fund-raisers from cronies of Yasser Arafat, even as she publicly courts Jewish voters.
Mrs. Clinton sat for an interview for this week's issue of the organ of the UJA-Federation of New York, and she's scheduled to march through the Big Apple in the Israel Day Parade on June 4. But the Forward has learned that on May 12, Mrs. Clinton attended a private fund-raising reception at the Washington mansion of Hani Masri, a close associate of Mr. Arafat. The event, which sources say raised more than $50,000, was closed to the press, which wouldn't have known about the event anyway, since it wasn't listed on Mrs. Clinton's public schedule.
A week later, on May 19 -- the same day that Mayor Giuliani dramatically announced his withdrawal from the Senate race -- Mrs. Clinton quietly slipped into Virginia to attend another fund-raising event. This time, sources say, she brought in more than $70,000 at the home of Rafat "Ray" Mahmood, a Pakistani-American real-estate developer who was in Islamabad during President Clinton's visit to Pakistan earlier this year. Again, the fund-raiser was closed to the press and not listed on Mrs. Clinton's public schedule.
The news of the events is raising concerns among some Middle East analysts, Jewish leaders and advocates of campaign-finance reform. No one is denying the right of Arab Americans or Muslim Americans to become involved in reform. No one is denying the right of Arab Americans or Muslim Americans to become involved in the American political process, and no one is alleging any impropriety. Questions are being raised, however, about what the events say about Mrs. Clinton's political judgment and about the stance she would take on Middle East issues if elected to the Senate. Other candidates supported by Mr. Mahmood or Mr. Masri, either directly or through political action committees, include some of Israel's most vocal critics in Congress, those such as Rep. Jim Moran, Rep. David Bonior and Rep. Tom Campbell.
"This is part of the problem with Hillary Clinton. She just doesn't get it. She doesn't understand why many of us have this major problem with her positions. What can I tell you? These are exactly the kinds of things she needs to explain, and they are almost unexplainable," said Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat from Brooklyn. Mrs. Clinton, under the guidance of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, has been wooing Mr. Hikind in recent weeks, even paying a shiva call in Brooklyn after the death of Mr. Hikind's father. Mr. Hikind said he would raise the issue of the secret fund-raisers with Mrs. Clinton the next time they spoke.
The president of the Middle East Media Research Institute, Yigal Carmon, said of Mr. Masri, "I am not sure this is the best ally a candidate for the U.S. Senate should choose," especially for someone running in New York, with its substantial number of Jewish voters. Memri has done extensive research on the Masri family's control of the Palestinian Development Investment Co. and its ties to Mr. Arafat. Padico owns a majority stake in the stock market in the Palestinian Authority and in the poultry, mortgage, real-estate and plastic-bottle industries there.
The fact that Mr. Masri's company, Capital Investment Management Corp., is awaiting the delivery of a $60 million loan backed by American taxpayers through the Overseas Private Investment Corp. also has some government watchdog groups concerned about appearances. The loan, for investments in the West Bank, Gaza and Jordan, was approved in 1997 in a process that involved no public advertisement or request for proposals. "Unfortunately, this is par for the course," said the spokesman for Common Cause, a campaign-finance watchdog group, Jeffrey Cronin. "The problem with our current campaign-finance system is that this creates the appearance that you have to donate or raise large sums of money to get access and influence with elected officials."
Mr. Mahmood said he supports Democrats and has no views on foreign policy other than that he supports peace. He said he had been in Pakistan on a family vacation that coincided with Mr. Clinton's visit.
Mr. Masri told the Forward that "both Bill and Hillary have done a great job. The president has done a great job in his foreign efforts." He added that the president and Mrs. Clinton's leadership give Israelis and Palestinian Arabs "hope to come to a peaceful settlement."
"For that reason, I'm supporting the first lady," Mr. Masri said.
Mr. Masri said he was asked by Mrs. Clinton's campaign to host the fund-raiser and that he complied. The event drew a few more than 60 persons, said Mr. Masri's wife, Cheryl. Among them was the legendary fund-raiser for Mr. Clinton, Terry McAuliffe, a source said.
Mr. Masri said he wished he never signed for the OPIC loan, calling it a hassle. "OPIC looks at every little detail in terms of how much they are going to make....It's tough to raise money in the Palestinian territory," he said. He said there is no connection between his fund-raising activities and the OPIC loan.
Not all Jewish observers saw a problem with Mrs. Clinton's fund-raiser at the Masri home. "Enough with Hillary-Israel bashing and Arab-American bashing, Hillary Clinton is great on Israel," said a Democratic operative and public-affairs strategist, Steven Rabinowitz.
ASIAN MONEY BOUGHT CLINTON FAVORS
Red Chinese agents penetrated Clinton’s White House
Reno calls Taiwan an intelligence threat
FBI agents claim DOJ fixed probe: Reno, aides worked 'hand and glove' with WH to protect Clinton
FBI COVER-UP OF CHINESE INFILTRATION OF WHITE HOUSE
INSIGHT ALERT! What Congress Knew and Didn’t Pursue
You mean that little podunk island we couldn't touch even as we sent thousands upon thousands to their deaths in Viet Nam?
Mr. bin Laden's group hasn't entirely skirted conventional channels. He or his close associates have had accounts in London, Vienna, Dubai, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and several other locations, according to a former financial aide. Nor does the basic infrastructure of his organization -- training camps stocked with weapons -- come cheap.
Before moving in 1996 to Afghanistan, where he is believed to be now, Mr. bin Laden ran his operation from Sudan and splashed out $430,000 to buy chunks of land, the first of many investments there, according to testimony in the African bombings trial in New York federal court. He sent the money to a bank in Khartoum. He spent a further $230,000 to buy a used American C-130 cargo carrier. (It later crashed into a sand dune.)"
CIA Now Focusing on Iraq Connection
Bomber met Iraqi chief of intelligence
U.S. intelligence investigating Iraqi connection
Focus on Bin Laden's Secret Swiss Accounts
U.S. investigators are working on getting access to secret Swiss bank accounts, as well as other shielded accounts, in their search for Osama bin Laden's terror money, sources said yesterday.
Investigators say the money search could be crucial to learning key details about bin Laden's terror network.
Investigators also are trying to determine if bin Laden made a fortune off last week's terror bombings by playing the market to profit from the selling of aircraft and insurance stocks.
Tracking the money from those transactions could help investigators identify bin Laden's accomplices, sources said.
Sources said investigators want to look at accounts held by banks in Gibraltar and the Isle of Man, along with accounts in other countries.
Experts say foreign governments will be under tremendous pressure from the United States to open up the books.
.
Investing Off-shore in the Isle Of Man
Gibraltar Banks
Abbey National Treasury International Limited
PO Box 824
237 Main Street
Gibraltar
ABN AMRO NV
2-8 Main Street
Gibraltar
Banco Atlantico (Gibraltar) Limited
Eurolife Building
1 Corral Road
PO Box 561, PMB 6314
Gibraltar
Banco Central Hispano Americano S.A.
Suite 14, Abco Arcade
30/38 Main Street
Gibraltar
Barclays Bank Offshore Financial Services (Gibraltar)
Limited
PO Box 187
Regal House
3 Queensway
Gibraltar
Barclays Bank PLC
Regal House
3 Queensway
Gibraltar
BBV Privanza International (Gibraltar) Limited
260/262 Main Street
Gibraltar
Credit Agricole Indosuez
206/210 Main Street
Gibraltar
Credit Suisse (Gibraltar) Limited
PO Box 556
First Floor
Neptune House
Marina Bay
Gibraltar
Hispano Commerzbank (Gibraltar) Limited
Suite 14
Don House
30/38 Main Street
Gibraltar
Jyske Bank (Gibraltar) Limited
76 Main Street
PO Box 143
Gibraltar
Lloyds TSB Bank PLC
323 Main Street
Gibraltar
NatWest Offshore Limited
NatWest House
57 Line Wall Road
P O Box 707
Gibraltar
Newcastle Bank (Gibraltar) Limited
Hadfield House
Library Street
Gibraltar
Newcastle Building Society
Regal House
Queensway
Gibraltar
Norwich & Peterbourgh Building Society
198/200 Main Street
Gibraltar
SG Hambros Bank & Trust (Gibraltar) Limited
PO Box 375
Hambro House
32 Line Wall Road
Gibraltar
SG Hambros Bank & Trust Limited
Hambro House
Line Wall Road
PO Box 400
Gibraltar
The Gibraltar Private Bank Limited
Suite 921 Europort
P.O. Box 407
Gibraltar
The Royal Bank of Scotland (Gibraltar) Limited
1 Corral Road
Gibraltar
Turicum Private Bank Limited
Turicum House
PO Box 619
315 Main Street
Gibraltar
Investing Off-shore in Gibraltar
"Non-residents are taxable on their income received in Gibraltar, but not if it is channelled through a trust or an exempt or a qualifying company. Also bank interest is exempt from tax."
Financial Action Task Force on Money-Laundering - (Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Jersey)
"Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Jersey have in place a system for reporting suspicious transactions. Where the underlying criminal conduct is drug trafficking or terrorism, the obligation to report is a direct one."
Soros, Rothschild, and Evil Incarnate (Marc Rich's connections)
A STORY ABOUT THE WAR IN CROATIA (Marc Rich /Eagleburger/Kissinger/Snowcroft)
"Marc Rich is wanted in the U.S. to serve decades behind the bars on indictments for tax evasion, fraud, racketeering and trading with the enemy. Marc Rich traded with Iran during the hostage crisis, and with Iraq during the Desert Storm operation. Marc Rich, also, traded with South Africa, despite of U.N. embargo. His case is one of the largest tax-evasion cases in U.S. history."
Saudis see their kingdom as scapegoat in terror attacks investigations
GOLD AT THE END OF A TRAIL OF BLOOD
Bin Laden's Network in Philippines Still Intact: Police
The secret FBI files on the suicide bomber who changed his mind
IRAQ TEMPTS BIN LADEN TO ATTACK WEST
Contradicting Some U.S. Officials, 3 Scientists Call Anthrax Powder High-Grade
"The experts noted that turning anthrax into a weapon of mass destruction still required added steps, like making the powder in quantity and learning how to disseminate it effectively. One expert said that only the United States, the Soviet Union and Iraq were known to have developed the necessary technique. But the experts said some officials were playing down the powder's potency out of ignorance or an impulse to reassure a frightened public."
McVeigh's Ghost - Top Pentagon Officials Say Iraq Involved in OKC Bombing
Was Tim McVeigh an agent of Iraq?
Ex-CIA Microbiologist Reveals Iraqi Plot to Attack US With Biowarfare by 2002
Saddam's Bombmaker on Anthrax Attacks: 'This Is Iraq!'
Iraq's Plans to Target Media with Anthrax described in 1999 article "The poor man's atomic bomb"
Hijacker met with Iraqi official
Pentagon recommends nuclear retaliation
How Clinton Shielded Afghanistan
Clinton's Sympathy For Marxist Terrorists
Clinton's Clemency for Terrorists Is Unpardonable
FBI FOREKNOWLEDGE: Laden Suspect (Moussauoi) in OKC Bombings and WTC Attacks Identified &Jailed
CIA Reportedly Warned FBI About One Suspect (6 Stories of Prior Knowledge By FBI & Government)
What about a connection between Osama bin Laden and Iraq's Saddam Hussein? Because the Scowcroft set at the National Security Council is still in denial about its blunder a decade ago that permitted Saddam to stay in power, the C.I.A. professes to see no collaboration in Baghdad."
Whatever Happened to Iraqgate? Was it swept under the rug because of the CIA - - or Hillary?
The Family That Preys Together
What is your assessment as intelligence chairman of the potential role of Iraq in any of this?
GRAHAM: First, I'd like to say something about my friend and colleague, Bill Frist. As the only medical doctor in the Senate, he has played a very significant role in helping to explain, to educate and to keep down the level of anxiety of both on Capitol Hill and, through his web site, to the whole nation. And I think he deserves a great commendation for his personal service during this time.
As it relates to Iraq, yes, there's been a great deal of speculation about what has Iraq's role been both in the attacks of September 11 and subsequent events. While we are putting a great deal of intelligence effort on trying to make a determination, not only for this immediate instance but because this is not just a war against bin Laden, this is a war against global terrorism, and we know that Iraq has played a role in the past in supporting other groups of global terrorists, Iraq will continue to be in our crosshairs. But at this point we don't have the basis upon which to pull the trigger.
SNOW: You say in the crosshairs and that you don't think we have the basis to pull the trigger. You mean over anthrax or period?
GRAHAM: Period. That we — there is not yet a...
SNOW: We don't think Iraq is involved in the international terror network?
GRAHAM: Oh, yes, we think Iraq is involved in the international terror network. Whether they were involved in the acts of terrorism from September 11 forward, we don't have the kind of compelling evidence that we've had against bin Laden and the Taliban.
SNOW: A lot of people argue that in a time of war you don't need precise legal standards. If somebody's hostile to you, that ought to be enough.
GRAHAM: Well, the standard that we're really using now is the standard of what it's going to take to hold this coalition together. It's very important that we keep all of the nations, particularly the Muslim nations that are now supporting us, engaged. And one of the keys to doing that is convincing evidence that we're going after a target that clearly is the culprit.
HUME: Well, Senator, doesn't that raise the prospect, or at least the concern, that the coalition becomes the objective, not the war on terrorism?
GRAHAM: They are very closely intertwined, because a successful pursuit of this peculiar type of war, which is not going to involve sending in 100,000 ground troops or thousands of tanks, but rather a very delicate combination of economic, political, diplomatic, covert action as well as military operations in order to achieve this goal, will require the sustained cooperation of a number of nations and particularly Muslim nations."
FRONTLINE: A Terrorist's Testimony - Ahmed Ressam
UNSEALED ALI MOHAMED CASE DOCUMENTS
McVeigh Cites Osama Bin Laden in Letter to Fox News
David Schippers tells Metcalf feds 'ignored' warnings of WTC attacks
Oklahoma City blast linked to bin Laden
McVeigh's Ghost - Top Pentagon Officials Say Iraq Involved in OKC Bombing
WND Poll:
October 21, 2001
Were Middle Eastern terrorists behind the Oklahoma City bombing?
IF SADDAM HUSSEIN IS BUILDING BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS, IS THE UNITED STATES THE LIKELY TARGET? - April 11, 1995
"(Washington, D.C.): A report released yesterday appears to confirm the worst: Saddam Hussein has secreted away at least 17 tons of material that can be used to breed bacteria which can, in turn, be used in biological weapons (BW). If the sheer volume of this concealed activity is any guide to the size of the Iraqi BW program, it suggests that Saddam is contemplating the murder of large numbers -- perhaps millions -- of people.
...An analysis of that bombing performed by Dr. Laurie Mylroie -- a renowned Middle East expert, best-selling author and distinguished member of the Center's Board of Advisors -- indicates that the attack on the World Trade Center may have been perpetrated by Saddam Hussein as an act of revenge for his defeat in the Gulf war. Highlights of Dr. Mylroie's findings include the following:
Sometime in June 1992, Iraqi intelligence learned of a bush-league campaign of twelve pipe-bombings being plotted by followers of the New Jersey-based Islamic radical, Sheik Omar. Saddam's operatives took over, targeting the very symbol of U.S. capitalism and urban civilization -- New York's twin-towered, skyscraping World Trade Center (WTC) -- for a far more devastating attack.
The act was planned, moreover, in such a way as to deceive the American people and their government into holding the original plotters -- and their presumed sponsors in Iran -- responsible for the bombing, not Iraq. In this way, Saddam could satisfy his culture's tradition of exacting revenge against an enemy. Better still, from his point of view, that enemy would be induced to retaliate against Iraq's most dangerous regional foe, Iran.
The bomb used in the World Trade Center was intended to employ metal additives dramatically to boost its explosive power. Had it been properly positioned and detonated according to plan, it could have toppled one of the World Trade Center's towers into the other, killing tens of thousands of people and causing incalculable damage in lower Manhattan.
The bomb also apparently was designed to vaporize cyanide gas -- which, if distributed through the tower's ventilation system, would have assured massive casualties throughout the bombed structure."
FRONTLINE - Testimony of a Terrorist - Ahmed Ressam
Q. Why don't you tell the jury about the experiments that
you conducted on dogs, you personally, and start with the experiment where you put the dogs in a box.
A. We were just present there; it was actually our chief that was there carrying out the experiment.
Q. You watched as your chief put a dog in a box, correct?
A. Yes. We were all present there.
Q. I am talking about you.
A. Yes.
Q. Your chief put cyanide in the box, is that correct?
A. Yes.
Q. He added sulphuric acid to the cyanide, correct?
A. Yes.
Q. And the dog shortly thereafter died from that experiment, correct?
A. Correct.
Q. How long in general would you say that you watched these dogs suffer?
A. Not very long.
Q. How long?
A. Not very long, I don't remember precisely, maybe four minutes, because the dog was very small.
Q. In the four minutes you watched the dog suffer before the dog died did you do anything to stop your leader from killing the dogs?
A. No.
Q. You wore a mask over your face during these experiments, correct, so that you would not breathe in any of the poison?
A. Yes.
Q. You practiced these techniques on the dogs so that later on in one of your operations you would be able to perform such techniques on human beings, is that correct?
A. Yes. We wanted to know what is the effect of the gas, yes.
Q. Some of your potential targets while you were in the camp were American citizens, is that correct?
A. In regard to targets in general, yes. Yes, we were speaking about America as an enemy of Islam. ...
Q. The reason you were trained in the use of cyanide at the camps in Afghanistan was because you were going to use cyanide in your urban warfare, correct?
A. We don't know. Possibly if I needed it, I would use it. Yes, because it is very difficult to use gases in the field.
Q. You were trained to use cyanide by placing the cyanide near the air intake of a building, correct?
A. They gave us some examples, but we did not try them out actually.
Q. The reason one of the examples was to put the cyanide right near the air intake of a building such as a government building, correct?
A. Yes, that's right.
Q. And the reason that you would put the cyanide, you were trained, near the air intake would be to kill the most amount of people without endangering yourself and without being detected, correct?
A. Yes, that's how gas is used in killing. ...
Q. Other experiments that you conducted at the Deronta camp included experiments with other poisons, correct?
A. Yes.
Q. One of the things you learned at the Deronta camp was how to mix poisons with other substances, put them together and smear them on doorknobs; do you remember that?
A. Yes, I did say that.
Q. Any person who would touch that doorknob would soon have poison running through their bloodstream, correct?
A. Yes, that's true; the poison will infiltrate his body.
Q. And kill him or her, correct?
A. Yes.
[End of Partial Transcript]
Nuke em'
Building the case against Iraq
Czechs confirm Atta met with Prague-based Iraqi diplomat
Physics of anthrax is beyond al-Qaida, Sandia Labs expert says
Cooking the Books
"The CIA has become a government unto itself – and, as such, is a threat to our very system and to our liberties. I know this is not fashionable to say these days, but we have to face facts:
1) They did a horrible job of predicting/preventing Sept. 11.
2) They have lashed out at Congress – the members of which are elected directly by the people – and tried to limit what information is shared with the 'people's representatives.' True, some congressmen are jerks and reveal top secret information. But CIA then uses that breach to justify keeping everyone in the dark.
3) They were just given an extra $1 billion by the president for the hunt for Osama bin Laden. And yet now Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld tells USA Today that we "may never find Osama bin Laden." What, then, are we paying all that money to the CIA for?
4) Iraq: clearly the CIA – through leaks from "government intelligence sources" – is trying to ignore/dismiss Iraq's role in both Sept. 11 and the ongoing anthrax attacks. The CIA is deliberately trying to steer American public opinion away from Saddam. In other words, instead of a straight assessment of gathered facts, they are 'cooking the books' to result in a pre-ordained conclusion.
For example, the CIA very clearly leaked to Murray Weiss of the New York Post on Thursday's front page that "ultra right wing organizations have become the key focus of the massive federal investigation into the murderous anthrax attacks."
Furthermore, the CIA has carefully leaked that of the three nations that manufacture this particular form of anthrax – Russia, Iraq and the United States – the federal authorities have "ruled out Russia and Iraq as sources of this strain of anthrax."
Oh, really?
Why are they ignoring the fact that Israeli intelligence now knows that lead hijacker Mohamed Atta picked up Iraqi-produced anthrax spores in Prague when he met with Iraqi intelligence official Achmed Al'ami on June 2, 2000, in a Prague café?
And that Atta was frequently known to have tried to learn all about cropdusting planes in Florida?
And that Atta once went to a Florida pharmacy for treatment of 'damaged hands'? Perhaps a case of cutaneous anthrax from handling the master supply he brought over with him from the Iraqis?"
[End of Partial Transcript]
Czechs confirm Atta met with Prague-based Iraqi diplomat
Atta may have carried Iraq anthrax to U.S. -report
FBI moves in on Atta's Caribbean connection
Iraq may have produced up to 10 billion doses of anthrax, botulinum toxin and aflatoxin
U.S. gave antrhax to Iraq to use on Iran
Hijacker 'Given Anthrax Flask By Iraqi Agent'
Iraq 'behind US anthrax outbreaks'
Iraq builds chemical weapons system 'capable of hitting European cities'
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.