Several U.S. intelligence officials have said the CIA has no evidence linking Iraq to anti-U.S. terrorist organizations, according to today’s New York Times.  There is also no evidence that Iraq has provided weapons of mass destruction to terrorists, although concerns remain about Iraq’s programs to develop chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, the Times reported.

The Times article came after U.S. President George W. Bush’s State of the Union speech last week (see GSN, Jan. 30) in which he claimed that Iraq poses a threat to U.S. security due to its support for terrorism and attempts to develop weapons of mass destruction (James Risen, New York Times, Feb. 6).

“Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America and to support terror.  The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax, and nerve gas and nuclear weapons for over a decade,” Bush said (White House transcript, Jan. 29).

U.S. intelligence officials said, however, that the United States does not have enough information to prove Iraq has supported anti-U.S. terrorism (see GSN, Jan. 24).  The last known Iraqi attempt at terrorism was a failed operation to assassinate former U.S. President George Bush in 1993.

Some recent reports indicated that Iraq could have ties to terrorists, but intelligence officials said the information provided no substantial evidence.  U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Mohamed Atta, a leader of the terrorists who hijacked the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, met with Ahmed Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani, a mid-level Iraqi intelligence officer, in Prague, but the meeting does not necessarily tie Iraq to the Sept. 11 attacks.  Iraqi President Saddam Hussein probably would not have trusted such important information to a mid-level officer, U.S. intelligence officials said.

Abu Nidal, a Palestinian terrorist who was active in the 1970s and early 1980s, moved to Iraq, intelligence agencies learned in 1998, but there is no evidence that Abu Nidal has participated in anti-U.S. activities since moving to Iraq, officials said (see GSN, Nov. 26, 2001).

Intelligence officials’ primary concern is Iraq’s attempt to develop weapons of mass destruction.  The country has worked to develop chemical and biological weapons since U.N. weapons inspectors left in 1998 (see related GSN story, today), and a CIA report released last week said Iraq is probably also pursuing nuclear weapons research (Risen, New York Times, Feb. 6).

International Reaction to Bush’s Statement and Potential U.S. Action

Much of the world has reacted with concern to speculation that the United States might increase pressure against Iraq and to Bush’s statement that Iraq, Iran, North Korea and terrorist groups form an “axis of evil” (see GSN, Jan. 31).

“The EU presidency, the EU commissioner for foreign affairs and the higher representative for the European foreign policy did not use the words stated by the U.S. and will not agree to this policy, rather refuse it, especially those [policies] pertaining to Iraq, Iran and [North] Korea,” said a spokesman for the European commissioner for foreign affairs.

“We, the Europeans, warn against threatening Iraq.  There is no evidence on that this country is involved in terrorism, but it seems that the U.S. wants to make Iraq pay bills,” said the German minister of state at the Foreign Ministry (ArabicNews.com, Feb. 5).

Saudi Prince Supports Assistance to Iraqi Opposition Groups

Meanwhile, Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal said the United States should support Iraqi opposition groups’ attempts to overthrow Saddam Hussein during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press.

“I think that any change in Iraq, with the Iraqi regime and toppling of Saddam Hussein, must come from inside Iraq.  And there are people inside Iraq who want to do that,” al-Faisal said.

“If you send invasion forces from outside, you will only rally people to Saddam Hussein, particularly in Iraq … We believe the way to go is from inside Iraq, and the U.S. can help in that, and we will work closely with you on that,” he said (Meet the Press transcript, Feb. 3).

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