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Saddam's personal hacker, 'Osama,' claimed he penetrated U.S. military satellite system Saddam Hussein directed a computer scientist and one of his relatives to become a secret, government-run computer hacker, according to a CIA report. The Addenda to the Comprehensive Report of the Special Adviser to the DCI on Iraq's WMD, made public last week, stated that the secret hacking program was begun in 2002 under the cover name of Osama, the computer hacker. Osama was a nephew of Saddam's second wife. He had a master's degree in computer science and, according to the report, was "an accomplished computer hacker." "While Saddam assigned Osama to MIC [Military Industrialization Commission], he instructed Osama to work alone and report directly to him," the report said. Osama targeted secure communications at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry and appeared to have been successful in deciphering coded ministry communications. Osama then was tasked to electronically penetrate the Iraqi Air Force's French-made F-1 aircraft simulator and he succeeded in penetrating the software firewall on the simulator. The breakthrough allowed the Iraqis to make repairs to the simulator. According to the report, Osama also claimed to have hacked into U.S. military satellites by attacking their computer systems with a virus. When the system responded to destroy the virus it transmitted a code that Osama captured and allowed him to gain access to the entire U.S. military satellite system, including overhead imagery. One Iraqi detainee claimed they saw satellite photos of U.S. military facilities in Turkey, Kuwait and Qatar that Osama had obtained. Osama also claimed to have intercepted U.S. military communications, including those between the Pentagon and forward-deployed forces. "Osama said his goal was twofold: (1) to jam signals from U.S. military satellites, and defeat U.S. and coalition guidance systems dependent on those signals; and (2) to use a virus to alter the computer memory of the U.S. Airborne Warning and Control System to disrupt command and control of coalition tactical aircraft," the report said. According to the report, before the start of Iraqi war, "Saddam ordered MIC to equip a top-secret facility according to Osama's specifications," including computers, digital receivers and satellite dish antennas. The hacker failed to provide warning of the U.S. and allied attack, and he disappeared after the war began. The report said Osama's claim to have obtained U.S. satellite imagery is "suspect." "Later analysis confirmed that Osama's secret facility, located on the Baghdad Aerospace Research Center compound (Al Battani State Company), was a logical place for satellite intercept activities because of its access to satellite-tracking data from the center," the report said. "Obtaining imagery from U.S. intelligence satellites would have required Osama to hack into secure U.S. networks without the intrusion being detected and then to decode the signals' sophisticated encryption. No such compromise has been verified." The report said it was more likely that Osama intercepted unencrypted satellite data from U.S. military unmanned aerial vehicles and possibly used the Internet to obtain commercial imagery. "Both are feasible explanations of how he might have obtained products to support his story and impress Saddam." ------------------------ Yahoo! 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