Giuliani: Saddam Part of Network Behind 9/11 Attacks

Contradicting repeated claims by the establishment press that Iraq played no role in the 9/11 attacks, the man who led New York City residents through America's darkest day said last week that he believes Baghdad aided and abetted the 9/11 hijackers as a "big player" in a loosely connected network of terrorist groups that "find ways of cooperating with each other."

"Saddam Hussein was part of that," former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Thursday.

In an interview with radio host Don Imus, Giuliani explained, "When they say, 'Was Saddam Hussein involved in Sept. 11? Was Saddam Hussein involved directly with al-Qaeda in that?' The real issue is, Saddam Hussein was involved in this loosely put together terrorist movement and he was a big player in it. And [he] would help them with regard to raising funds and would help them with regard to training assistance."

Dubbed "America's Mayor" for his leadership in the midst of the Twin Towers disaster, Giuliani said there's no "central command somewhere called 'jihad command' and they're running every little piece of this the way Gen. Franks was running the war in Afghanistan or the war in Iraq.

"It's a much more loosely connect group who have a common ideology," the New York Republican contended. "Or maybe you could call it a common hatred of America, the modern world and countries that represent that. And then they find ways of cooperating with each other."

Three days before Giuliani offered his insights about Saddam's ties to 9/11, NBC "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert insisted on the same program, "No one will say there was a direct involvement of Saddam Hussein in Sept. 11. ... There's no direct link that can be substantiated."

Further contradicting Russert's claims, Manhattan U.S. District Court Judge Harold Baer ruled in May that "Iraq collaborated in or supported bin Laden/al Qaeda's terrorist acts of September 11."

Baer's finding was issued in response to a civil lawsuit brought against Iraq by two families of 9/11 victims.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Al-Qaeda
Media Bias
Saddam Hussein/Iraq

Editor's note:
Gerald Posner reveals how Bill Clinton could have prevented 9/11 - Click here for details!