"Al-Shamari also told me that the links between Saddam's regime and the al Qaeda network went beyond Ansar al Islam. He explained in considerable detail that Saddam actually ordered Abu Wael to organize foreign fighters from outside Iraq to join Ansar. Al-Shamari estimated that some 150 foreign fighters were imported from al Qaeda clusters in Jordan, Turkey, Syria, Yemen, Egypt, and Lebanon to fight with Ansar al Islam's Kurdish fighters."

So, you could say that our support of the Kurds was fueling closer cooperation between Saddam and al Qaeda network. Without the US supporting the Kurds it's unlikely Saddam would have established much of a connection. This was a growing danger. Saddam was getting favors from these guys, so what would al Qaeda ask from Saddam for this assistance? Why would they assist Saddam? Maybe al Qaeda thought they would "get" Iraq- Saddam was acting a bit more religious towards the end. Maybe Saddam was transitioning towards a state with more al Qaeda influence. Maybe Saddam thought he could ride that bear- in long term, why would he stick to a secular Iraq? It made sense when there was strong connection with the Soviet Union. Current Russia is different- they aren't pushing a materialism ideology nor would even have as much national interest involving Iraq. So there wasn't much advantage to maintaining a secular Iraq

"Al-Shamari claimed to have had prior information about al Qaeda attacks in the past. "I knew about the attack on the American in Jordan," he said, referring to the November 2002 assassination of USAID official Lawrence Foley. "Zarqawi," he said, "ordered that man to be killed." "

Anyone know why Saddam would want to kill Foley?
According to DEBKAfile, "The Palestinian leader’s open jubilation over the assassination was the final giveaway."
http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=223