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| Arabia |
| Qatari Royal Family Linked to Al-Qaeda |
| 2003-02-08 |
| American authorities say Khalid Shaikh Mohammed masterminded behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks for Osama bin Laden, and is now considered bin Laden's second in command. In 1996, the FBI tracked Mohammed, under indictment on charges of terrorism, to Qatar's capital city, Doha, and was within hours of capturing him. According to American intelligence officials, Abdallah bin Khalid al-Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family tipped off Mohammed. He is listed on government Web sites as the current minister of the Interior for Qatar and is known as a radical Islamic fundamentalist with ties to al Qaeda. Mohammed is believed to have fled Qatar with a passport provided by that country's government. He is also believed to have been given a home in Qatar as well as a job at the Department of Public Water Works. Officials also said bin Laden himself visited Abdallah bin Khalid al-Thani in Qatar between the years of 1996 and 2000. One former CIA official who preferred to remain anonymous said the connection went beyond al-Thani and there were others in the Qatari royal family who were sympathetic and provided safe havens for al Qaeda. "We had an opportunity to pick up a very, very bad man and a very dangerous man," said Cloonan. "He still to this day has an impact on U.S. national security." It's an extremely sensitive situation for the U.S. military, given the role Qatar would play in a war against Iraq. The government of Qatar or its interior minister didn't return repeated calls for comment. |
| Posted by:Paul |
| #8 Seems the whole region believes in playing every side of the fence. A rather fascinating Game of Houses. "I say we nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." |
| Posted by: Dishman 2003-02-08 14:00:19 |
| #7 The Qataris have been pretty good friends to us. Unlike the Soddies, I think these guys are just renegades - whether the impetus is Olde Tyme Religion or the desire to warm the Seat of All Power with their own bottoms. |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-02-08 11:40:14 |
| #6 Obviously Khalid isn't taking any drives into the desert. Or the Quatari ruling family hasn't learned from watching the Saudis. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-02-08 11:01:54 |
| #5 I edited it, and added in the reference. There was another report, day before yesterday, on the same person, without the Khalid reference. Golly. I wonder who would have become emir if the Soddies' coup had been successful back in October? |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-02-08 09:03:39 |
| #4 The 'Mohammad' in the above story refers to Khalid Sheikh Mohammad being protected by Sheikh Abdallah bin Khalid al-Thani, and according to a person here other Qatari royals sympathetic to al-Qaeda are: Abdul Karim al-Thani, member of the royal family and a fundamentalist who is one of the leading financiers of terrorists. A man who funded and protected Zarkawi (now infamous after Colin Powell's presentation) transitting between Afghanistan and Iraq. and Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Hamad al-Thani, former chief of police and the man who first revealed the degree of sympathy in sections of the Qatari establishment. He fled the country after failing to unseat his cousin in a Feb 1996 attempt on behalf of the emir's father, who was deposed in June of 1995. Now serving a life sentence in Qatar after being snatched from Beirut. |
| Posted by: Paul 2003-02-08 04:58:22 |
| #3 Most important, EMPTA is difficult to isolate in soil; in fact, the incriminating soil sample could have resulted from the breakdown of common pesticides. EMPTA's composition resembles that of several herbicides and pesticides, and could be confused with them in an imperfect test. Moreover, it turns out that there are legitimate, though limited, commercial uses of EMPTA Given that the owner of Al-Shifa had his assets unfrozen and nothing has really come of the story in the last 5 years, it seems that it was a non story |
| Posted by: Paul 2003-02-08 04:52:19 |
| #2 Sorry, bit off topic, but in regards to another Iraqi-Al-Queda link, can someone set me straight on the following? When Clinton bombed the al-Shifa pharmaceuticals plant in Sudan, it was because intelligence thought OBL was making VX there with the help of Iraqi scientists. I just saw a doco, which discredited this, and said it was just an intel error. However I am aware that a soil sample was taken and had high levels of EMPTA (VX precurser) so there WAS evidence but that the media ignored this in favour of the silly idea that Clinton just bombed the plant to divert attention from Monica Lewinsky. I think it WAS credible evidence, but am I right? Can you tell me? TY very much, no more off-topic posts I promise |
| Posted by: anon 2003-02-08 04:35:48 |
| #1 Sorry, bit off topic, but in regards to another Iraqi-Al-Queda link, can someone set me straight on the following? When Clinton bombed the al-Shifa pharmaceuticals plant in Sudan, it was because intelligence thought OBL was making VX there with the help of Iraqi scientists. I just saw a doco, which discredited this, and said it was just an intel error. However I am aware that a soil sample was taken and had high levels of EMPTA (VX precurser) so there WAS evidence but that the media ignored this in favour of the silly idea that Clinton just bombed the plant to divert attention from Monica Lewinsky. I think it WAS credible evidence, but am I right? Can you tell me? TY very much, no more off-topic posts I promise |
| Posted by: anon 2/8/2003 4:35:48 AM |