Could This Be A Saddam/Taliban Connection?
I know that a lot of people disavow the connection that Saddam had to al-Qaeda. That flies int he face of the evidence compiled regarding meetings held in Iraq, and actual al-Qaeda/Iraq communications through the muhkbarat throughout the world. But Captain Ed Morrissey dug this little nugget up:
An Arab regime, possibly Iraq, supplied how-to manuals for Arab operatives working throughout Afghanistan before 9/11, and provided military assistance to the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
That's the most likely conclusion drawn from an apparent training manual unearthed in captured Iraqi government computer files translated and analyzed exclusively for Fox News, and made public for the first time.
The document, apparently written before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, could bolster the Bush administration's contention that Saddam Hussein was providing support for Islamic extremists who were plotting against America.
The training manual warns, in stark how-to terms, of the dangers of "information leaks," and instructs Arab operatives inside Afghanistan to dress like Afghan tribesmen, to avoid being followed ("Routine is the enemy of security"), to always be armed, and "to behave as if enemies would strike at any moment."
The manual also cautions Arabs to "beware of rapid and spontaneous friendships with Afghans who speak Arabic," and "always make sure about the identity of your neighbors and classify them as regular people, opponents or allies."
The report goes on to state that nothing ties Iraq to this manual. It is purely speculation that Iraq might be the point-of-origin. The reporter, Ray Robison, is out on a limb. (Hence the reason I formed the title of this piece as a question, and on the revelation of this manual, it is a legitimate one.) There is nothing that says this did not come from Saudi Arabia, Syria, or any other Arabic country. However, Iraq does seriously qualify as an Arab nation, and speculation is fueled in the fact that a great deal of information has come out after Saddam was deposed.
The files comprised and released here is a virtual treasure trove of information about life in Saddam's Iraq, but also the general feeling of those within the government. Many of these reports come from the muhkbarat, and therefore cannot be dismissed out of hand.
And Captain Ed also points out the New Yorker piece from 2003 that alludes to the secret Iraqi unit known as 999, and that they had been dispatched to Afganistan after an agreement was forged in 1993.
This is not compelling, on its own, but it is enough to give our detractors a point of pause. We could be right, and the ties between Saddam/al-Qaeda/The Taliban might have been a bit tighter than speculated, or has been proven thus far.
Marcie
I know that a lot of people disavow the connection that Saddam had to al-Qaeda. That flies int he face of the evidence compiled regarding meetings held in Iraq, and actual al-Qaeda/Iraq communications through the muhkbarat throughout the world. But Captain Ed Morrissey dug this little nugget up:
An Arab regime, possibly Iraq, supplied how-to manuals for Arab operatives working throughout Afghanistan before 9/11, and provided military assistance to the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
That's the most likely conclusion drawn from an apparent training manual unearthed in captured Iraqi government computer files translated and analyzed exclusively for Fox News, and made public for the first time.
The document, apparently written before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, could bolster the Bush administration's contention that Saddam Hussein was providing support for Islamic extremists who were plotting against America.
The training manual warns, in stark how-to terms, of the dangers of "information leaks," and instructs Arab operatives inside Afghanistan to dress like Afghan tribesmen, to avoid being followed ("Routine is the enemy of security"), to always be armed, and "to behave as if enemies would strike at any moment."
The manual also cautions Arabs to "beware of rapid and spontaneous friendships with Afghans who speak Arabic," and "always make sure about the identity of your neighbors and classify them as regular people, opponents or allies."
The report goes on to state that nothing ties Iraq to this manual. It is purely speculation that Iraq might be the point-of-origin. The reporter, Ray Robison, is out on a limb. (Hence the reason I formed the title of this piece as a question, and on the revelation of this manual, it is a legitimate one.) There is nothing that says this did not come from Saudi Arabia, Syria, or any other Arabic country. However, Iraq does seriously qualify as an Arab nation, and speculation is fueled in the fact that a great deal of information has come out after Saddam was deposed.
The files comprised and released here is a virtual treasure trove of information about life in Saddam's Iraq, but also the general feeling of those within the government. Many of these reports come from the muhkbarat, and therefore cannot be dismissed out of hand.
And Captain Ed also points out the New Yorker piece from 2003 that alludes to the secret Iraqi unit known as 999, and that they had been dispatched to Afganistan after an agreement was forged in 1993.
This is not compelling, on its own, but it is enough to give our detractors a point of pause. We could be right, and the ties between Saddam/al-Qaeda/The Taliban might have been a bit tighter than speculated, or has been proven thus far.
Marcie
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 5:20 PM
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