The Savage Republican

On January 14, 1999 Sheila MacVicar reported for ABC News that Mamhoud Mahmud Salim had been arrested. Salim was (at the time) close associate and confidate of one Osama bin Ladin. The US government alleged that Salim was under orders to procure enriched uranium for the purpose of developing nuclear weapons - a charge that Mr. bin Ladin never denied. During the course of the report. I am quoting the report now....."With an American price on his head, there weren't many places bin Laden could go, unless he teamed up with another international pariah, one also with an interest in weapons of mass destruction. Osama believes in the'enemy of my enemy is my friend, and someone I should cooperate with.' That is certainly the current case with Iraq. Saddam Hussein has a long historyof harboring terrorists: Carlos the Jackal, Abu Nidal, Abu Abbas. The most notorious terrorist of their era all found shelter and support at one timein Baghdad. Intelligence sources say bin Laden's long relationship with the Iraqis began as he helped Sudan's fundamentalist government in their efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Three weeks after the bombing, on August 31st,bin Laden reaches out to his friends in Iraq and Sudan. Iraq's vice president arrives in Khartoon to show his support for the Sudanese after theUS attack. ABC News has learned that during these meetings, senior Sudanese officials, acting on behalf of bin Laden, asked if Saddam Hussein would grant him asylum. Iraq was indeed interested. ABC News has learned that in December, an Iraqi intelligence chief, named Farouk Hijazi, now Iraq's ambassador to Turkey,made a secret trip to Afghanistan to meet with bin Laden. Three intelligence agencies tell ABC News they cannot be certain what was discussed, but almost certainly, they say, bin Laden has been told he would be welcome in Baghdad.''

Did you get that dear readers? ABC News reported back in 1999 that Osama bin Ladin was in discussion with Saddam Hussein for assylum in Baghdad! Now fast forward to the days leading up to the Iraqi war....the same so-called independent media is now reporting that Saddam had "no ties" to Osama and al Qaeda. Which leads to one question....which report is correct?

Audio transcript of the whole report can be found at:

http://www.radioamerica.org/audio/MR_ABC-Osama-Hussein-connections.mp3