December 14, 2003
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?
Terrorist behind September 11 strike was trained by Saddam (Con Coughlin, The Telegraph, 12/14/03)
Iraq's coalition government claims that it has uncovered documentary proof that Mohammed Atta, the al-Qaeda mastermind of the September 11 attacks against the US, was trained in Baghdad by Abu Nidal, the notorious Palestinian terrorist.The memo also contained information leading to Saddam's capture, and had a detailed recount of the Florida vote confirming George Bush's decisive victory despite an Iraqi operation to throw the vote to Al Gore. Posted by David Cohen at December 14, 2003 08:23 AMDetails of Atta's visit to the Iraqi capital in the summer of 2001, just weeks before he launched the most devastating terrorist attack in US history, are contained in a top secret memo written to Saddam Hussein, the then Iraqi president, by Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti, the former head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service. . . .
The second part of the memo, which is headed "Niger Shipment", contains a report about an unspecified shipment - believed to be uranium - that it says has been transported to Iraq via Libya and Syria.
I don't believe this "revelation" will convince any of those members of the intelligentsia (or otherwise) not already convinced that Saddam was in it up to his murderous eyeballs.
Nor should it be expected to.
Nor should it have any bearing on the justness of America's Iraqi anti-terror campaign.
Posted by: Barry Meislin at December 14, 2003 08:32 AM"The memo also contained information leading to Saddam's capture."
Dude. You scooped everybody! Cool.
Posted by: Bill at December 14, 2003 08:40 AMWasn't that Saddam's uncle standing near the grassy knoll?
Posted by: ratbert at December 14, 2003 09:16 AMSounds too good to be true. We'll soon see. Hope it's validated. Niger? let Ms. Plame give us her analysis. Perhaps she could recommend an expert to the CIA.
Posted by: genecis at December 14, 2003 10:00 AMThe liberal reporters on TV this morning seemed convinced -- said they'd seen it, it was handwritten by Habbush, and there was little doubt to authenticity.