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| Iraq-Jordan |
| American accused of al-Qaeda ties in new Iraqi government |
| 2005-08-12 |
| An American accused in court papers of having ties to Osama bin Laden is now working for the Iraqi government's Foreign Ministry, US officials and a former CIA counterterror chief say. Iraqi-born Tarik A. Hamdi was the "American contact" for one of bin Laden's front organizations and gave a satellite telephone battery to an aide to the Saudi-born al-Qaida leader in Afghanistan for a phone used by bin Laden, according to an affidavit from Customs agent David Kane. The affidavit was unsealed this week in US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, near Washington, along with a federal indictment charging Hamdi with lying on immigration and mortgage loan applications. Hamdi, who formerly lived in another Washington suburb in Virginia, is now working at Iraqi diplomatic offices in Turkey, said Vince Cannistraro, a former CIA official who has known Hamdi for years and remains in contact with him through e-mail. Hamdi has been under federal investigation and surveillance for several years, stemming from his work at the International Institute of Islamic Thought in northern Virginia. The affidavit was filed in March 2002 to obtain a warrant to search Hamdi's home. Prosecutors have contended at least since 2002 that Hamdi had "established links" to bin Laden and other members of al-Qaida, according to a court filing in the case against Zacarias Moussaoui. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #13 I'm not Flagg so don't quote me but this has The Mossad written all over it. If you see The Mossad tell him Native Dancer in the 4th at Belmont. |
| Posted by: Col Flagg 2005-08-12 18:48 |
| #12 the real question: does Hamdi know Joe Wilson or Valerie Plame? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-08-12 17:55 |
| #11 lib: that's why I was sponging brains off the ceiling tile - because it's so bloody fraught that it could be any of a dozen things, none of them particularly happy-making. It could be: 1)Cannistraro outing a CIA asset (abhorrent, but possible) 2)Cannistraro outing himself as an al Queda symp (highly unlikely, but god only knows with Cannistraro) 3)Cannistraro pretending to be the friend of somebody he's trying to burn (nasty but the sort of thing I've gotten used to expecting from the VIPers) 4)Cannistraro inventing somebody out of whole cloth to kick some mud around (who knows?) 5)Everybody confusing one Hamdi with somebody else of the same name The only option that doesn't make Cannistraro a complete and total tool is the idea that he's defending some friend of his who's in a jam. I'm afraid my cynicism meter is too pegged to let him get away with that one without a good deal of backup. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2005-08-12 17:49 |
| #10 Plots! Sinister plots! Deep laid, sinister plots! Wheels within wheels! |
| Posted by: Steve White 2005-08-12 16:24 |
| #9 " Or maybe he's just a dope?" well that cant be excluded, no sir. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-08-12 15:55 |
| #8 Nothing's official until we hear from Col. Flagg... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-08-12 15:47 |
| #7 Or maybe he's just a dope? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2005-08-12 15:44 |
| #6 you wouldnt think so. So is it that theyre trying to make it LOOK like Hamdis CIA, for some nefarious reason? Or is it that Cannistraro was actually turned by AQ? (that would explain a few things) Or perhaps Cannistraro and Hamdi have been in touch, but simply never reached "a meeting of the minds". Or maybe its perfectly innocent, and Cannistraro, being a pundit and all, just likes to keep in touch with Islamists with AQ ties, to chat about the state of the world, and didnt realize how deep he was getting. Or maybe Cannistraro is playing some game of his own, that relates to internal CIA politics. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-08-12 15:41 |
| #5 And of COURSE they would publicize this relationship, right? Pfeh. |
| Posted by: got my own spoon 2005-08-12 15:34 |
| #4 there, put me in jail with Judith Miller. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-08-12 15:33 |
| #3 evidently some folks need it spoon fed. Cannistraro has known the guy for "years" Cannistraro is ex-CIA. How long has he been out of the CIA? Fewer years than hes know Hamdi I'll bet. Reminder, its the JOB of the CIA and its operatives to run agents inside hostile govts and organizations, and sometimes friendly govts as well. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-08-12 15:32 |
| #2 I don't know what the hell that means. Check back in an hour or two after I get my brains cleaned off of the ceiling. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2005-08-12 15:05 |
| #1 oh cmon. The guy has been pals with Cannistraro for years, and been in email contact with him. Is it routine for ex-CIA agents to maintain contact with AQ guys. And then the guy shows up in the Iraqi Foreign Ministry? You dont need to be Robert Novak or Judith Miller to put two and two together. Tariq Hamdi obviously has an employer whos NOT the Iraqi govt, OR AQ. But would love to have more info on either. Id have thought living in Northern Virginia is just too obvious, but I guess thats why we have Intelligence Professionals. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-08-12 14:14 |