T
Tom Keunich
Guest
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/16/911.commission/
9/11 staff: No al Qaeda cooperation with Iraq Wednesday,
June 16, 2004 Posted: 9:49 AM EDT (1349 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The panel investigating the September
11, 2001, terrorist attacks found that there was "no
credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda cooperated on
attacks against the United States," according to a staff
report issued on Wednesday.
The report says Osama bin Laden "explored possible
cooperation with Iraq during his time in Sudan, despite his
opposition to (Saddam) Hussein's secular regime. Bin Laden
had in fact at one time sponsored anti-Saddam Islamists in
Iraqi Kurdistan.
"The Sudanese, to protect their own ties with Iraq,
reportedly persuaded bin Laden to cease this support and
arranged for contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda."
A senior Iraqi intelligence officer reportedly made three
visits to Sudan, finally meeting bin Laden in 1994.
Bin Laden is said to have requested space to establish
training camps, as well as assistance in procuring weapons,
but Iraq apparently never responded.
"There have been reports that contacts between Iraq and al
Qaeda also occurred after bin Laden had returned to
Afghanistan, but they do not appear to have resulted in a
collaborative relationship," the report said.
9/11 staff: No al Qaeda cooperation with Iraq Wednesday,
June 16, 2004 Posted: 9:49 AM EDT (1349 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The panel investigating the September
11, 2001, terrorist attacks found that there was "no
credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda cooperated on
attacks against the United States," according to a staff
report issued on Wednesday.
The report says Osama bin Laden "explored possible
cooperation with Iraq during his time in Sudan, despite his
opposition to (Saddam) Hussein's secular regime. Bin Laden
had in fact at one time sponsored anti-Saddam Islamists in
Iraqi Kurdistan.
"The Sudanese, to protect their own ties with Iraq,
reportedly persuaded bin Laden to cease this support and
arranged for contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda."
A senior Iraqi intelligence officer reportedly made three
visits to Sudan, finally meeting bin Laden in 1994.
Bin Laden is said to have requested space to establish
training camps, as well as assistance in procuring weapons,
but Iraq apparently never responded.
"There have been reports that contacts between Iraq and al
Qaeda also occurred after bin Laden had returned to
Afghanistan, but they do not appear to have resulted in a
collaborative relationship," the report said.
