Alleged Bin Laden Contact in Iraq Gov't

[tocqueville]

By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer
12 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - An American accused in court papers of having ties to Osama bin Laden is now working for the Iraqi government's Foreign Ministry, U.S. officials and a former CIA counterterrorism chief say.

Iraqi-born Tarik A. Hamdi was the "American contact" for one of bin Laden's front organizations and gave a satellite telephone battery to a bin Laden aide in Afghanistan for a phone used by the terrorist leader, according to an affidavit from Customs Agent David Kane.

The affidavit was unsealed this week in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., along with a federal indictment charging Hamdi with lying on immigration and mortgage loan applications.

Hamdi, formerly of Herndon, Va., is now working at Iraqi diplomatic offices in Turkey, said Vince Cannistraro, a former CIA official who has known Hamdi for years and remains in contact with him through e-mail.

Two U.S. law enforcement officials said they also have been told Hamdi is working for the Iraqi Foreign Ministry in Turkey. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the charges pending against Hamdi.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050811/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/american_bin_laden

[peacebird]

1. no, no, no - didn't you get the memo? It's the IraN govt, not IraQ

We've already been there, done that. Time to spread FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY to eye-raQ

:puke:

[xchrom]

2. isn't that rich?

i just love the irony of that.

[htuttle]

3. I think the Bush administration fought the war backwards

They started with a secular Iraqi government that would have captured and executed bin Laden if it had the chance and plenty of oil production, and now are heading toward an Iraqi theocracy with ties to Osama bin Laden. And little or no oil production.

Seems like they would have wanted to do it in the other direction.

:shrug:

[VegasWolf]

6. Put an illiterate in charge of the government and see what you get. nt

[Igel]

4. Hamdi bad guy.

http://www.danielpipes.org/article/383
Dated June 2001. If you want some trial transcripts quotes from 2001 concerning dear ol' Tarik.

So apparently Hamdi's role was reasonably well established in the first half of 2001, while working on the prosecution of others. Then they started working on getting him in 2001-02, including the mortgage scams.

The reporter wrote, "Cannistraro said he is troubled that prosecutors made public the allegations in the affidavit when they lacked the evidence to charge Hamdi with any terror-related crimes." Isn't that rather a red herring? They got Capone on tax evasion. I don't care why they get him, as long as they get him.

And for the last 3-4 years Cannistraro's remained in contact with him? Boy, I'm glad I don't believe in guilt by association.

I wonder what Hamdi's doing for the Iraqi embassy, if he's really there.

[Hissyspit]

5. kick

[sintax]

7. kick- I thought Sibel referred to Hamdi

any connections with Hamdi and PTech?