Rob,
Saddam's government was a secularist regime. Its laws were not derived from Islamic belief. Unlike other aAab governments, Saddam's Iraq allowed the consumption of alcohol and women to wear western style clothes and secure an education. All of this was an anethema to Islamic fundamentalists. Osama bin Laden was not at ally of Saddam, but an outspoken enemy, particularly after Saddam's repression of the Shiites.
Now after the war, Iraqi insurgents and Al Qaeda operatives have found enough in common to build alliances - hatred for America and a will to drive the so-called "crusaders" from "their" lands.
Facat is, there is no real evidence that ties Saddam's regime to Al Qaeda. Now that Saddam's regime is gone, its not surprising that Al Qaeda has gained a foothold that eluded them before.
Don
Current Events » in reply to Your "Key Quote" was by the Reuters reporter, not the general.
Rob
The whole thread (32 posts)
- Kay repeats his conclusions on NPR
- How about Kay's other quote?
- Meanwhile: U.S. General Says Qaeda, Iraq Links May Be Growing