"Kurgan Gringioni" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> That is a pathetic rationalization. An expansionist nation does expand vs.
the same target over and over.
First, that's true only if successful on the first attempt. Second, Japan's attack on Pearl was a
departure from its previous expansionism. It shared characteristics with previous actions, but it
still was a departure. In my previous parlance, it was Y and prior actions were X.
> There is no evidence of Saddam engaging in any terrorist activity in the
30 years he's been in a position of power. Suddenly, after
> 9/11, he's a terrorist? Sorry, doesn't hold up.
Wow. That's just flat out false. Aside from the reports proffered by the IC of both England and the
US as to Saddam's ties with Al Qaeda, which I'm quite sure you'll dismiss as propaganda or otherwise
unreliable, even the open source material is replete with reports of Iraqi support for terrorism.
And I'm not referring to recent reports, which you'll find "too convenient," but reports that
stretch back to the 80's, through the 90's, and into this century. Check some old newspaper reports
or state department documents or reports from independent organizations. You can limit yourself to
those published before 9/11, which you'll find more reliable because that is before we "suddenly
labeled Saddam a terrorist." You'll find that Iraq provided safe-haven to MEK, Abu Ibrahim, the ALF,
the PLF, the PKK, the PFLP, and the ANO. I may be rusty on these. I can't remember if the PFLP was
based in part in Iraq or if there was just contact between high level PFLP and Iraqi officials.
Regardless, there was Iraqi support of all of these organizations. True, most of these organizations
do not/did not target western assets. There is, of course, the exception of Abu Ibrahim, who had
been the head of the 15 May Organization (a PFLP splinter group) and who had masterminded several
bombings and attempted bombings of US passenger aircraft. Note that the Abu Ibrahim I'm talking
about is not Richard Reid (Abu Ibrahim was a part of one of his aliases).
Oh, and there's the matter of Saddam making payments to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers.
Other than all that, Saddam doesn't support terrorism.