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| Iraq |
| Shiite leader claims Baath/Al-Qaeda link |
| 2003-10-30 |
| From The Daily Star - Lebanon. EFL: Much of the violence in Iraq over the past six months has been caused by Al-Qaeda operatives cooperating with loyalists of the deposed Iraqi regime, according to a senior Iraqi Islamist. Hamid al-Bayati, the European representative of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), also said in an interview with The Daily Star that this cooperation has a long history which pre-dates the US-led invasion, and that the Iraqi government played a part in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. But, but, but, thatâs not possible...... Speaking at SCIRIâs West Kensington office, Bayati elaborated on the origins and structure of SCIRI and its relations with other Iraqi groups and foreign governments. The first topic that came up for discussion was the assassination of Baqr al-Hakim, SCIRIâs leader, on Aug. 29. Bayati is adamant that it was a joint Baathist/Al-Qaeda plot: âWe have information that it was the work of elements in the regime and Al-Qaeda people who have been in Iraq for a long time.â He dismissed suggestions that a Baathist/Al-Qaeda nexus is improbable given the antithetical ideologies. In politics, ideology is not always the over-riding factor, he said. âWe work with the Americans, do you think we share the same ideology?â The man has a clue. Bayati maintained that many of the attacks being carried out in Iraq today bear the hallmarks of Al-Qaeda: âCar bombs and suicide bombers are more akin to their style.â He also holds that the terror organization are not newcomers to Iraq. âThese operations could only be carried out by people who have been in Iraq for some time.â Bayati said that Saddam Hussein had a role in the Sept. 11 attacks. He referred to Ramzi Yousef, an Al-Qaeda operative who he said was an âIraqi agent.â All Iâve heard was that he had met with Iraqis, interesting. He also said that in July 2001, an Iraqi newspaper had carried a story claiming that Osama Bin Ladenâs organization planned to attack the White House and the Pentagon. âNow, how on earth could they have known about that,â Bayati quipped, confident that the prediction could not have been just a lucky conjecture. Hummmm Bayati lamented the fact that the alleged Baathist/Al-Qaeda nexus has not been fully explored: âThree months after the Sept. 11 attacks I wrote a book, dedicating a whole chapter to Saddam Husseinâs relations with Al-Qaeda.â Bayati stressed that Bayati is certain that Saddam Hussein is alive and well. âSaddam is good at hiding. A lot of people have an interest in keeping him alive,â he said. When asked whether the US preferred to kill Saddam Hussein rather than arrest him, Bayati was diplomatic, saying: âeither arrest him or kill him.â "Or arrest him, then kill him" On SCIRIâs relations with America, Bayati maintained he knew nothing of secret contacts beginning in 1989. âAs far as I know it was only after the invasion of Kuwait that the US began courting Iraqi opposition groups, including the SCIRIâ he said. Bayati said that US-SCIRI relations have been satisfactory since the occupation. But he conceded that there were resentments over the disarmament of the Badr Brigades in June. Bayati confirmed that part of the problem was that there were still armed groups in Iraq, in particular SCIRIâs bete-noire, the Mujahideen-e-Khalq. In any case, Bayati said: âWe do not want to antagonize America and that is why we decided to disarm.â "What do you think we are, stupid?" |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 In any case, Bayati said: âWe do not want to antagonize America and that is why we decided to disarm.â Watching the U.S. arsenal at work might tend to cause people to do this sort of thing.... |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-10-30 1:07:51 PM |
| #2 "A lot of people have an interest in keeping saddam alive". Like who and why? |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-10-30 12:50:26 PM |
| #1 "either arrest him or kill him.".... "Or arrest him, then kill him" I'd prefer kill him, then arrest him. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2003-10-30 10:29:37 AM |