al-Qaeda may turn to Iraq

mercury ^ | 10/18/02

[knak]

HATRED for the United States and Saudi Arabia might drive al-Qaeda and Iraq to overcome their mutual antipathy and work together, CIA Director George Tenet hassaid.

Tenet acknowledged his view is not universally held. Some analysts believe al-Qaeda's fundamentalist bent is incompatible with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's drive for secular power.

Bush administration officials, seeking to vilify Iraq, have made a great deal about reported contacts between al-Qaeda operatives and Iraqi officials. One senior al-Qaeda operative, Abu Musab Zarqawi, sought medical treatment in Baghdad after September 11. He has since left Iraq.

At a congressional hearing into the September 11 terrorist attacks, Tenet said "I don't personally buy into" the argument that Saddam and al-Qaeda philosophies are incompatible. "I actually think we should think about al-Qaeda as a front company that will take capability, wherever it can get it, to further its own operational goals."

"When you peel this story back, I don't know where it's going to take you," he said.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham said in an interview that a US war with Iraq may serve to drive Saddam to the terrorists.

"I'm very concerned that we could be at war with Iraq in the next 100 days and Saddam Hussein, according to our intelligence analysis, is probably - 75 per cent (chance) or more - going to initiate terrorist attacks if he feels his regime is going to be toppled," Graham said. "I'm concerned we're not prepared for that."

Some US officials acknowledge al-Qaeda contacts with Iraq are real. But they say the presence of operatives of Osama bin Laden in Iraq is minimal. Bush administration officials have also alleged that al-Qaeda operatives have sought assistance with chemical and biological weapons from Iraq.

Tenet suggested the possibility of greater contacts is there.

"I actually think these distinctions between Sunnis and Shias and secularists and fundamentalists in the current environment we find ourselves in are bad distinctions to make in terms of looking at behaviour for the future," he said.

al-Qaeda is run by extremists who are Sunni Muslims. Hizbollah, the Iranian-backed terrorist organisation, is Shia Muslim. Nevertheless, counter-terrorism officials say there have been low-level contacts between the groups.

Meanwhile, FBI Director Robert S Mueller told lawmakers that the FBI was directing its efforts at the possibility of domestic terrorism springing from an Iraq war.

The FBI is "looking at every lead, we are looking at every possibility that comes to our attention, (but) .... I have a hard time telling the country that you should be comfortable that we've covered all the bases in the wake of what we saw they were able to accomplish on September 11," Mueller said.

[oyez]

Great! That will consolidate the enemy for quicker distruction.

[The Great Satan]

LOL! It's CYA time for the American most responsible for 9-11, after clown-prince billyjeff himself.

[truth_seeker]

I watched a speech given by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, on CSpan. He gave an excellent, reasoned, step by step analysis of WHY we should pressure Iraq.

He said over and over, that the decision for military action rests with Iraq, to disarm, or else. He said the risk of NOT pressuring Iraq to change, was greater than the risk TO pressure them.

He said that the threat or military action is necessary; including the will to use it. That is the BEST strategy for getting the desired change, WITHOUT using it.