Putin Vindicated?

In 2004 the Russian president said that Saddam had planned terrorist attacks on America. New Iraqi documents suggest he may have been right.

by Dan Darling
04/07/2006 12:00:00 AM


IN JULY 2004, DURING THE COURSE of a little-publicized event while on a visit to Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin made some unusual remarks:


I can confirm that after the events of September 11, 2001, and up to the military operation in Iraq, Russian special services and Russian intelligence several times received . . . information that official organs of Saddam's regime were preparing terrorist acts on the territory of the United States and beyond its borders, at U.S. military and civilian locations.

Putin's remarks were little noticed by the American press, coming as they did so soon after the release of the 9/11 Commission's report. Moreover, despite his strong opposition to the war in Iraq, Putin was unabashedly in favor of Bush's reelection, having earlier criticized Senator Kerry for supporting unilateral action against Serbia while opposing it with regard to Iraq. Putin went so far as to claim in October 2004 that "The goal of international terrorism is to prevent the election of President Bush to a second term."

And one of the newly-released Iraqi documents, BIAP 2003-000654, indicates that Putin may have been on to something. On page 6 of the document it is revealed that:

The top secret letter 2205 of the Military Branch of Al Qadisya on 4/3/2001 announced by the top secret letter 246 from the Command of the military sector of Zi Kar on 8/3/2001 announced to us by the top secret letter 154 from the Command of Ali Military Division on 10/3/2001 we ask to provide that Division with the names of those who desire to volunteer for Suicide Mission to liberate Palestine and to strike American Interests and according what is shown below to please review and inform us.

Written by the commander of Iraq's Ali Bin Abi Taleb Air Base, this document, if authentic, indicates that Iraq was actively recruiting suicide bombers with the intention of targeting U.S. interests at least as far back as early 2001. Nor is this the only document released with the intention of making it clear that Saddam's intentions for carrying out terrorist attacks against other nations--the plans for Blessed July appear to lay out a similar agenda focusing on using the Saddam Fedayeen to carry out a bombing and assassination campaign in London, Iran, and the "self ruled" areas of Iraq, a likely reference to Iraqi Kurdistan. While these documents do not by themselves prove the veracity of Putin's remarks, if they are deemed to be authentic they would appear to indicate that his claims did not occur in a vacuum.

IF EITHER DOCUMENT can be verified as accurate, it would seem to refute a long-standing contention among members of the U.S. intelligence community that Iraq ceased its involvement in international terrorism after its failed 1993 plot to assassinate former President George H.W. Bush. Indeed, the following exchange is reported in former counterterrorism chief Dick Clarke's book Against All Enemies:

[Anti-terror czar Dick Clarke said], "I am unaware of any Iraqi-sponsored terrorism directed at the US since 1993, and I think FBI and CIA concur in that judgment?" CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin replied, "Yes, that is right. We have no evidence of any active Iraqi terrorist threat against the US."


It would be sad to learn that the Russian Federation's intelligence service was better informed as to Iraq's terrorist capabilities than were their American counterparts.

Dan Darling is a counterterrorism consultant.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Conten...2/071sfzkp.asp

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"This is a time for a national imperative not to fail in Iraq." Condoleeza Rice, January 11, 2007

Interesting..

Wasn't it the Russians who also helped moved Saddam's WMD to Syria? (According to the WASH TIMES)

So VLAD was playing both sides, huh?

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"Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet."

I don't think Putin had anything to do with wmd going to Syria.

But nevertheless.....it wouldn't be the first time a nation has tried playing "both" sides of an issue. Putin was doing business with Saddam. But that doesn't mean he was above telling AFTER Saddam was captured what Russian intelligence was showing in 2001.

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"This is a time for a national imperative not to fail in Iraq." Condoleeza Rice, January 11, 2007

..if the WMDs were moved to Syria, you don't think VLAD would know? " .

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"Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet."

I have no idea.

The guy who reported that Saddam moved wmd to Syria was this man.....and the two pilots that supposedly did it.

"The man who served as the no. 2 official in Saddam Hussein's air force says Iraq moved weapons of mass destruction into Syria before the war by loading the weapons into civilian aircraft in which the passenger seats were removed.

The Iraqi general, Georges Sada, makes the charges in a new book, "Saddam's Secrets," released this week. He detailed the transfers in an interview yesterday with The New York Sun.
"There are weapons of mass destruction gone out from Iraq to Syria, and they must be found and returned to safe hands," Mr. Sada said. "I am confident they were taken over."

http://www.nysun.com/article/26514

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"This is a time for a national imperative not to fail in Iraq." Condoleeza Rice, January 11, 2007

Munko: you've obviously confused and mixed-up two different issues. I just posted the article about WHO claimed the wmd was moved by Saddam to Syria. AND now....here's the details on WHO made the claims about Russia:

Ex-Official: Russia Moved Saddam's WMD
Kenneth R. Timmerman
Sunday, Feb. 19, 2006

A top Pentagon official who was responsible for tracking Saddam Hussein's weapons programs before and after the 2003 liberation of Iraq, has provided the first-ever account of how Saddam Hussein "cleaned up" his weapons of mass destruction stockpiles to prevent the United States from discovering them.

"The short answer to the question of where the WMD Saddam bought from the Russians went was that they went to Syria and Lebanon," former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense John A. Shaw told an audience Saturday at a privately sponsored "Intelligence Summit" in Alexandria, Va. (www.intelligencesummit.org).

"They were moved by Russian Spetsnaz (special forces) units out of uniform, that were specifically sent to Iraq to move the weaponry and eradicate any evidence of its existence," he said.

Shaw has dealt with weapons-related issues and export controls as a U.S. government official for 30 years, and was serving as deputy undersecretary of defense for international technology security when the events he described today occurred.

He called the evacuation of Saddam's WMD stockpiles "a well-orchestrated campaign using two neighboring client states with which the Russian leadership had a long time security relationship."
http://newsmax.com/archives/articles...8/233023.shtml

Now, maybe the events are connected. I don't know.

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"This is a time for a national imperative not to fail in Iraq." Condoleeza Rice, January 11, 2007

Here you go:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/natio...1915-1667r.htm

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles...e.asp?ID=10547

http://newsmax.com/archives/articles...8/233023.shtml

http://www.washingtontimes.com/natio...2637-6257r.htm


So you see....Vlad has some explaining to do. And frankly, shouldn't we be drawing up war plans to invade Syria?

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"Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet."

I am not confused, JP5...I understand your point clearly. I just added the whole Russia/Syria/WMD thing to show that if Vlad was so concerned and had proof that Iraq was planning a terrorist attack in the US, why then would he help Saddam move the WMDs? (a prime reason for our INVASION)...

unless.....HE is playing the MAN who looked into his soul for a fool...

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"Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet."

You TRULY cannot understand it?

Here's why: Putin would be ready, willing, and able to help Saddam get rid of the wmd that he (Putin) knew about and played a part in hiding). Putin would want them out of there.....and all records destroyed that pointed to Russia's involvement. It's also a part of the reason Russia was one in the UN Security council who fought against our going into Iraq in the first place.

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"This is a time for a national imperative not to fail in Iraq." Condoleeza Rice, January 11, 2007

More likely....he was scared to death of the MAN who looked into his soul....and in no way wanted him to discover Russia's invovment.

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"This is a time for a national imperative not to fail in Iraq." Condoleeza Rice, January 11, 2007