Saudis Claim Iraqi Involvement in 9/11
Vol: 1 Issue: 24 Wednesday, October 24, 2001
The Saudis have been stung by criticism that they are tacitly supporting Osama bin-Laden. bin-Laden is a member of a prominent and well-connected Saudi family, although the family claims he is a ‘black sheep’ with whom they have cut all ties. To blunt some of this global suspicion, the Saudis are suggesting — for the first time — that Saddam Hussein played a role in the 9/11 attacks. The officials have not named Iraq publicly but the clear implication points to Saddam. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz broke Riyad’s silence on the identities of the attackers and their sponsors. “Therefore, the big question arises: Who stands behind this terrorism and who carried out this complicated and carefully planned terrorist operation?” Prince Sultan told the Kuwaiti-based A-Siyassi daily. “Osama Bin Laden and those with him have said what indicates that they stand behind this carefully planned act. We, in turn, ask: Are Bin Laden and his supporters the only ones behind what happened or is there another power with advanced technical expertise that acted with them?” Saudi Arabia has pledged to support the U.S.-led war against terrorism. But Saudi leaders, particularly Abdullah, are said to have refused to share intelligence information on Bin Laden or to freeze his assets.
Does This Clear Riyad?
There is plenty of evidence already to at least link Iraq peripherally with the attacks on America. Mohammed Ata’s proximity to the first anthrax victim, Bob Stevens. Stevens lived only a mile from an airport Ata frequently visited. Ata met with Iraqi intelligence officials in Prague several months before the attack. Saddam has one of the world’s largest stockpiles of bioweaponry, including anthrax. But the Saudi attempt to link Iraq doesn’t do anything to reduce the suspicion of their own involvement. It merely adds one more name to the list of the usual suspects.
Saudis Protesting a Little Too Loudly
Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdal Aziz said at a news conference that Saudi Arabia had found no evidence that any of its citizens were connected to the 11 September terrorist attacks in the US. An interesting observation, given that at least nine of the 19 hijackers were Saudis, as is Osama bin-Laden himself. The minister also said that a number of people in the kingdom had been arrested for ‘acting suspiciously.’ He didn’t say who or for what, so those arrests could just as easily have been of the 15 Christians that were arrested, detained and tortured for the crime of worshipping Christ. Christians are forbidden to worship in Saudi Arabia, and Jews are forbidden to live in the Islamic kingdom. As for reports of calls for jihad, the minister said that such incidents had been very limited, and blown out of proportion by the Western media.
Add Croatia to the List Of Usual Suspects As Well
A Croatian political leader has linked the former head of the Croatian intelligence service to al-Qaeda and Osama bin-Laden. Dobroslav Paraga told reporters in Zagreb last week that the son of former Croatian president, Franco Tudjman, hosted Egyptian terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri, a senior deputy to al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Miroslav Tudjman Tudjman worked with al-Zawahiri s Transworld Relief Organization, a front group that was active in Croatia.
Communist Activity in Philippines
20 heavily-armed guerrillas believed to be the New People’s Army members attacked a municipal jail on Bohol island and set free eight captives. A manhunt is now underway for the fugitives who escaped from Ubay jail. The men jailed on charges of murder, homicide and illegal possession of firearms. The New People’s Army is the military wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, a Maoist group formed in December 1969.
Russia’s Chechen War Heats Up
Russian troops fighting in Chechnya have killed 18 guerillas and detained 39 in 21 operations during the previous 24 hours. This information comes from Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency. Two rebel strongholds and one camp in the Itum-Kalinskii district were also destroyed, and a large amount of explosives and ammunition seized. Russia’s battle with the primarily Muslim Chechens is at least partly responsible for Moscow’s cooperation with the US war in Afghanistan. Putin and Bush agreed in principle on October 8 that each would look the other way in the event a decision was made by either Washington or Moscow to deploy and use tactical nuclear weapons in their individual wars.
Zanzibar’s Muslims Joining the War
Authorities in Zanzibar have begun investigating allegations of people leaving to join the Taliban in Afghanistan to fight US forces there. Zanzibar’s assistant commissioner of police, Juma Mtumwa Abdallah, said that investigations were ongoing, “but we have not yet found any person.” Police were also seeking individuals urging Muslims to demonstrate against the US actions, a situation that Abdallah said would not be tolerated because it jeopardized public security.
Nation of Islam Leader Louis Farrakhan Accuses US of Lying About Osama
Another of the champions of the “Islam is a religion of peace” propaganda campaign has publicly accused the US of lying and demanded evidence that Osama bin-Laden was behind the 9/11 attacks. Nation of Islam Leader Louis Farrakhan, speaking of the US claim regarding bin-Laden demanded evidence to prove it, saying, “They have lied before and there’s no guarantee they are not lying now.”
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