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| Iraq |
| IRAQ: Allawi Reveals Secret Service data on birth of Al-Qaeda in Iraq |
| 2006-05-20 |
| Baghdad, 23 May (AKI) - 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. "The Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi entered Iraq secretly in the same period," Allawi affirmed, "and began to form a terrorist cell, even though the Iraqi services do not have precise information on his entry into the country," he said. 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, though it is likely that he arrived around the same time." more intel to come spread the woid! |
| Posted by:Ebboter Thrulet4419 |
| #3 I thought the bad Doctor's presence had already been documented in some Iraqi Intelligence Service papers found in April '03? I recall the specific references to picking up hotel tabs, etc. (and seem to recall he stayed at the Mansour Melia, current home to a few western media agencies and - bizarrely - location of a decent Chinese restaurant back in the late 80s). In addition to the documentation of the details of the Iraq-AQ relationship in something that even the NYT - inexplicably - reported extensively last year, or was it in '04? Anyway, I guess I should get around to reading "The Connection" by the young Weekly Standard author, plus his updates. He's gone to the trouble to assemble and analyze the many many pieces of the puzzle that are public. |
| Posted by: Verlaine in Iraq 2006-05-20 13:34 |
| #2 Of course, the MSM is so busy getting after Bush, the poor little folks don't have time to chase down trivia. /sarcasm off |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-05-20 12:06 |
| #1 This can't be true. The MSM would have told us if it was true. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-05-20 11:53 |