PrintMore evidence of links between Saddam and al Qaeda
Despite all the yammering that there was no evidence of any links between Al Qaeda and Saddam , evidence of these links keeps popping up. Here are some more:
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.
We now have the King of Jordan and the former Premier of Iraq saying what the left said was "impossible" was fact—— there were links between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein.
Clarice Feldman 5 24 05
