Phil Gingrey: “Well, Iraq continued to plan and sponsor international terrorism in 1999. Although Baghdad focused primarily on the…”

“Well, Iraq continued to plan and sponsor international terrorism in 1999. Although Baghdad focused primarily on the anti-regime opposition, both at home and abroad, it continued to provide safe haven and to support various terrorist groups. Many press reports stated that according to a defecting Iraqi intelligence agent, the Iraqi Intelligence Service had planned to bomb the offices of Radio Free Europe in Prague. Radio Free Europe offices include Radio Liberty, which began broadcasting news and information to Iraq in October of 1998. The plot was foiled when it became public in early 1999. The Iraq opposition publicly stated its fears that the Baghdad regime was planning to assassinate those opposed to Saddam Hussein. A spokesman for the Iraqi National Accord in November said that the movement security organs had obtained information about a plan to assassinate its secretary general, Dr. Allawi, and a member of the movement's political bureau, as well as other Iraqi leaders. Iraq continued to provide safe haven to a variety of Palestinian rejectionist groups, including the Abu Nidal Organization; the Arab Liberation Front, ALF; and the former head of the now defunct 15 May Organization, Abu Ibrahim, who masterminded several bombings of United States aircraft. Iraq provided bases, weapons and protection to the MEK, an Iranian terrorist group that opposes the current Iranian regime.”