From: Barry Stoller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [R-G] WWIII update - groundwork getting laid for Iraq AP; Reuters. 22 October 2001. Ex - CIA Chief Suggests Iraq Involved; U.N.: Iraqis Face Persecution, Torture; Iraq Denies Link to Deadly U.S. Anthrax Cases. WASHINGTON, UNITED NATIONS and BAGHDAD -- Former CIA Director James Woosley says Iraq likely was involved in the attacks of Sept. 11 and that the United States will probably confront President Saddam Hussein as part of its ongoing campaign against terrorism. "There are too many things, too many examples of stolen identities, of cleverly-crafted documentation, of coordination across continents and between states ... to stray very far from the conclusion that a state, and a very well-run intelligence service is involved here," he told the national convention of the American Jewish Congress on Monday. He also pointed to the perceived long-term planning and subsequent use of "refined" anthrax as evidence of state support in the attacks, noting to reporters later that the Iraqi intelligence service has been meeting with Islamic extremist terrorists, including some in al-Qaida, and that Saddam has spent years trying to cultivate these ties. While saying there is not yet enough evidence to convict Saddam for the attacks, he said there are "enough indications that we should be highly suspicious, be very alert and should look under that rock as hard as we possibly can." An exiled Iraqi opposition group that wants to increase its intelligence activities inside Iraq said Monday that it had held meetings with the ex-CIA chief and State Department officials. Iraqi National Congress officials met with Woolsey in London several weeks ago, group spokesman Sharif Ali Bin Al Hussein said in Washington. Al Hussein, who sits on the INC leadership council, said he was not at the meeting and did not know what had been discussed. The Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported Saturday that the two sides talked about alleged links between the Iraqi government and the attacks. U.S. officials have blamed the attacks the World Trade Center and Pentagon on Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida, saying they have no hard evidence of an Iraqi role. Woolsey said he visited the British capital and met with the U.S. ambassador shortly after the attacks. He denied meeting with the INC in London, but said he has met with them on numerous occasions and that his law firm represents them. While declining to comment on reports that he has been asked by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz to look into whether Iraq played a role in the attacks, Woolsey acknowledged that he is currently serving on two government panels, one for the Navy and one for the CIA. "They all have asked me for provide advice from time to time. I go looking for it if I don't have it," he said. Wolfowitz has called for fighting a "broad, sustained" campaign that includes strikes on Iraq. Meanwhile, Iraq's citizens face arbitrary execution, religious persecution, torture and forced relocation, a U.N. human rights investigator said Monday. Andreas Mavrommatis of Cyprus said in a report that he has also "received information suggesting that persons who had allegedly insulted the president of Iraq have had their tongues amputated without trial." The 15-page report to the General Assembly noted that the Iraqi government dismissed most previous allegations of human rights violations, claiming they were based on information provided by hostile sources. In addition, Iraqi newspapers and officials denied on Tuesday any link to the release of killer anthrax bacteria in the United States but said U.N. inspectors would not be allowed back to investigate Baghdad's weapons programs. They accused Washington of fabricating the anthrax attacks as a pretext to broaden its anti-terrorism campaign to include more countries. "The aim is to create suspicion around countries listed by the United States (as sponsors of terrorism) in order to commit aggression against them," al-Thawra, newspaper of the ruling Baath party, said. "Such plots and games by successive American administrations are not new to us as they have planned several scenarios in order to achieve their dream of controlling the whole world," it added. Foreign Minister Naji Sabri last week denied any link to the U.S. anthrax cases, telling reporters: "It's bullshit." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews with continuing coverage of WWIII _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
