The Guardian
February 6, 1999
Saddam link to Bin Laden
By Julian Borger
Saddam Hussein's regime has opened talks with Osama bin Laden, bringing closer the threat of a terrorist attack using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, according to US intelligence sources and Iraqi opposition officials.
The key meeting took place in the Afghan mountains near Kandahar in late December. The Iraqi delegation was led by Farouk Hijazi, Baghdad's ambassador in Turkey and one of Saddam's most powerful secret policemen, who is thought to have offered Bin Laden asylum in Iraq.
News of the negotiations emerged in a week when the US attorney general, Janet Reno, warned the Senate that a terrorist attack involving weapons of mass destruction was a growing concern. "There's a threat, and it's real," Ms Reno said, adding that such weapons "are being considered for use."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/internatio...314700,00.html
Associated Press
February 13, 1999
Bin Laden reportedly leaves Afghanistan, whereabouts unknown
Osama bin Laden, the Saudi millionaire accused by the United States of plotting bomb attacks on two U.S. embassies in Africa, has left Afghanistan, Afghan sources said Saturday.
Taliban authorities in the militia's southern stronghold of Kandahar refused to either confirm or deny reports that bin Laden had left the country.
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has offered asylum to bin Laden, who openly supports Iraq against the Western powers.
Despite repeated demands from Washington, the Taliban refused to hand over bin Laden after the August 7 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, demanding proof of his involvement in terrorist activities.
The Taliban did promise that bin Laden would not use Afghanistan as a staging arena for terrorist activities.
http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9...ghan.binladen/
Lets not forget, democrats felt the same way. To blame Bush for everything is truely ignorant.
“WE HAVE KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN IS SEEKING AND DEVELOPING WMD’S”. - SEN. TED KENNEDY (D, MA) 9/27/2002
“I WILL BE VOTING TO GIVE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES THE AUTHORITY TO USE FORCE - IF NECESSARY - TO DISARM SADDAM HUSSEIN BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT A DEADLY ARSENAL OF WMD’S IN HIS HANDS IS A REAL AND GRAVE THREAT TO OUR SECURITY.” - SEN. JOHN F. KERRY (D, MA), 10/9/2002
“WE BEGIN WITH THE COMMON BELIEF THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN IS A TYRANT AND A THREAT TO THE PEACE AND STABILITY OF THE REGION. HE HAS IGNORED THE MANDATE OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND IS BUILDING WMD’S AND THE MEANS OF DELIVERING THEM.” - Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI) 9/19/2002
“WE KNOW THAT HE HAS STORED SECRET SUPPLIES OF BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS THROUGHOUT HIS COUNTRY.”- AL GORE, 9/23/2002
“IRAQ’S SEARCH FOR WMD’S HAS PROVEN IMPOSSIBLE TO DETER AND WE SHOULD ASSUME THAT IT WILL CONTINUE FOR AS LONG AS SADDAM IS IN POWER.” - AL GORE, 9/23/2002
“THE LAST UN WEAPONS INSPECTORS LEFT IRAQ IN OCTOBER OF 1998. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT SADDAM HUSSAIN RETAINS SOME STOCKPILES OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS, AND THAT HE HAS SINCE EMBARKED ON A CRASH COURSE TO BUILD UP HIS CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WARFARE CAPABILITIES. INTELLIGENCE REPORTS INDICATE THAT HE IS SEEKING NUCLEAR WEAPONS…” - SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D, WV), 10/3/2002
“THERE IS UNMISTAKABLE EVIDENCE THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN IS WORKING AGGRESSIVELY TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND WILL LIKELY HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS… WE ALSO SHOULD REMEMBER WE HAVE ALWAYS UNDERESTIMATED THE PROGRESS SADDAM HAS MADE IN DEVELOPMENT OF WMD’S.”
- SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D, WV), 10/10/2002
“HE HAS SYSTEMATICALLY VIOLATED, OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST 11 YEARS, EVERY SIGNIFICANT UN RESOLUTION THAT HAS DEMANDED THAT HE DISARM AND DESTROY HIS CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS, AND ANY NUCLEAR CAPACITY. THIS HE HAS REFUSED TO DO.”
- REP. HENRY WAXMAN (D, CA), 10/10/2002
“IN THE FOUR YEARS SINCE THE INSPECTORS LEFT, INTELLIGENCE REPORTS SHOW THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS WORKED TO REBUILD HIS CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS STOCK, HIS MISSILE DELIVERY CAPABILITY, AND HIS NUCLEAR PROGRAM. HE HAS ALSO GIVEN AID, COMFORT, AND SANCTUARY TO TERRORISTS, INCLUDING AL QAEDA MEMBERS… IT IS CLEAR, HOWEVER, THAT IF LEFT UNCHECKED, SADDAM HUSSEIN WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE HIS CAPACITY TO WAGE BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WARFARE, AND WILL KEEP TRYING TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS.”
- SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D, NY), 10/10/2002
“WE ARE IN POSSESSION OF WHAT I THINK TO BE COMPELLING EVIDENCE THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS, AND HAS HAD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, A DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR THE PRODUCTION AND STORAGE OF WMD’S.”
- SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D, FL), 12/8/2002
“WITHOUT QUESTION, WE NEED TO DISARM SADDAM HUSSEIN. HE IS A BRUTAL, MURDEROUS DICTATOR, LEADING AN OPPRESSIVE REGIME… HE PRESENTS A PARTICULARLY GRIEVOUS THREAT BECAUSE HE IS SO CONSISTENTLY PRONE TO MISCALCULATION … AND NOW HE IS MISCALCULATING AMERICA’S RESPONSE TO HIS CONTINUED DECEIT AND HIS CONSISTENT GRASP FOR WMD’S … SO THE THREAT OF SADDAM HUSSEIN WITH WMD’S IS REAL”.
- SEN. JOHN. F. KERRY (D, MA), 1/23/2003
“ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, WE ARE DETERMINED TO DENY IRAQ THE CAPACITY TO DEVELOP WMD’S AND THE MISSILES TO DELIVER THEM. THAT IS OUR BOTTOM LINE”
- PRESIDENT CLINTON, FEB 4, 1998
“IF SADDAM REJECTS PEACE AND WE HAVE TO USE FORCE, OUR PURPOSE IS CLEAR. WE WANT TO SERIOUSLY DIMINISH THE THREAT POSED BY IRAQ’S WMD PROGRAM.”
- PRESIDENT CLINTON, FEB. 17, 1998
“IRAQ IS A LONG WAY FROM (HERE), BUT WHAT HAPPENS THERE MATTERS A GREAT DEAL HERE. FOR THE RISKS THAT THE LEADERS OF A ROGUE STATE WILL USE NUCLEAR, CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS AGAINST US OR OUR ALLIES IS THE GREATEST SECURITY THREAT WE FACE.”
- MADELINE ALBRIGHT, FEB 18, 1998
“HE WILL USE THOSE WMD’S AGAIN, AS HE HAS TEN TIMES SINCE 1983.”
-SANDY BERGER, CLINTON NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, 2/18/98
“(WE) URGE YOU, AFTER CONSULTING WITH CONGRESS, AND CONSISTENT WITH THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND LAWS, TO TAKE NECESSARY ACTIONS (INCLUDING, IF APPROPRIATE, AIR AND MISSILE STRIKES ON SUSPECT IRAQI SITES) TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO THE THREAT POSED BY IRAQ’S REFUSAL TO END ITS WMD’S PROGRAM.”
-LETTER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON, SIGNED BY SENATORS CARL LEVIN, TOM DASCHLE, JOHN KERRY, AND OTHER DEMOCRATS OCT. 9, 1998
“SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF WMD TECHNOLOGY WHICH IS A THREAT TO COUNTRIES IN THE REGION AND HE HAS MADE A MOCKERY OF THE WEAPONS INSPECTION PROCESS.”
- REP. NANCY PELOSI (D, CA) DEC 16, 1998
“HUSSEIN HAS ….CHOSEN TO SPEND HIS MONEY ON BUILDING WMD’S AND PALACES FOR HIS CRONIES.”
- MADELINE ALBRIGHT, CLINTON SECRETARY OF STATE, 11/10/99
“THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT….SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS INVIGORATED HIS WEAPONS PROGRAMS. REPORTS INDICATE THAT BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL AND NUCLEAR PROGRAMS CONTINUE APACE AND MAY BE BACK TO PRE-GULF WAR STATUS. IN ADDITION, SADDAM CONTINUES TO REDEFINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND IS DOUBTLESS USING THE COVER OF ILLICIT MISSILE PROGRAMS TO DEVELOP LONGER-RANGE MISSILES THAT WILL THREATEN THE U.S. AND OUR ALLIES.”
- LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH, SIGNED BY SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D, FL) AND OTHERS, 12/5/2001