"Paul J. Adam" wrote in message ...

Okay, what did he do that was unusual for the region?

U.S. Department of State every year is required by law to publish a
report on the "Patterns of Global Terrorism".

The Iraq section of the latest report
(http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/pgtrpt...html/19988.htm)

quote

Iraq planned and sponsored international terrorism in 2002. Throughout
the year, the Iraqi Intelligence Services (IIS) laid the groundwork
for possible attacks against civilian and military targets in the
United States and other Western countries. The IIS reportedly
instructed its agents in early 2001 that their main mission was to
obtain information about US and Israeli targets. The IIS also
threatened dissidents in the Near East and Europe and stole records
and computer files detailing antiregime activity. In December 2002,
the press claimed Iraqi intelligence killed Walid al-Mayahi, a Shi'a
Iraqi refugee in Lebanon and member of the Iraqi National Congress.

Iraq was a safehaven, transit point, and operational base for groups
and individuals who direct violenceSuspected leader of Iraqi Kurdish
Islamic extremist group during a press conference (AFP copyrighted
photo) against the United States, Israel, and other countries. Baghdad
overtly assisted two categories of Iraqi-based terrorist
organizations—Iranian dissidents devoted to toppling the Iranian
Government and a variety of Palestinian groups opposed to peace with
Israel. The groups include the Iranian Mujahedin-e Khalq, the Abu
Nidal organization (although Iraq reportedly killed its leader), the
Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), and the Arab Liberation Front (ALF).
In the past year, the PLF increased its operational activity against
Israel and sent its members to Iraq for training for future terrorist
attacks.

Baghdad provided material assistance to other Palestinian terrorist
groups that are in the forefront of the intifadah. The Popular Front
for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, HAMAS, and the
Palestine Islamic Jihad are the three most important groups to whom
Baghdad has extended outreach and support efforts.

Saddam paid the families of Palestinian suicide bombers to encourage
Palestinian terrorism, channeling $25,000 since March through the ALF
alone to families of suicide bombers in Gaza and the West Bank. Public
testimonials by Palestinian civilians and officials and cancelled
checks captured by Israel in the West Bank verify the transfer of a
considerable amount of Iraqi money.

The presence of several hundred al-Qaida operatives fighting with the
small Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam in the northeastern corner
of Iraqi Kurdistan—where the IIS operates—is well documented. Iraq has
an agent in the most senior levels of Ansar al-Islam as well. In
addition, small numbers of highly placed al-Qaida militants were
present in Baghdad and areas of Iraq that Saddam controls. It is
inconceivable these groups were in Iraq without the knowledge and
acquiescence of Saddam's regime. In the past year, al-Qaida operatives
in northern Iraq concocted suspect chemicals under the direction of
senior al-Qaida associate Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi and tried to smuggle
them into Russia, Western Europe, and the United States for terrorist
operations.

Iraq is a party to five of the 12 international conventions and
protocols relating to terrorism.

/quote

Appendix G of that document
(http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/pgtrpt...html/19996.htm) is excerpts
from the speech that Colin Powell delievered to the UN Security
Council on Feb 5, 2003.

No one has seemed to doubt the Zarwaqi evidence, though it wasn't
really connected to September 11 (that seems to have been different
camps, in Afghanistan, rather then the one in Iraq), and they seem to
have bugged out before the hammer came down on Iraq.

Chris Manteuffel