Can he tell us a little bit about what his job was, what he actually did at
Salman Pak. What was his day like?
I was the security officer in charge of the unit. And through my
responsibility for the security of the units and the camp itself I've noticed
that the Arab units remained there for a period of approximately five months
before they left.
And I saw a similar unit engaged in similar training during 2000.
How large were these units?
I don't recall the exact number in 1995, but during 2000 there were definitely
under 40.
And they mixed the nationalities together?
This basically was surprising because the fact that they are of different
nationalities but they were mixed in the training. And the fact that this unit
was under the direct supervision and control of the Iraqi Intelligence Service
which is highly unusual and very surprising for the kind of rules of
engagements that you have in the secret service in Iraq.
Why is it highly unusual?
It is the mixing of nationalities as one thing and ...the other point is the
fact that we don't have Ba'ath Party members in some of the countries that we
have individuals being trained like Saudi Arabi or Afganistan. So I found that
very peculiar. And the fact that the training was concentrated on a plane made
it even stranger as far as I was concerned.
What did they do over the five months besides practice on the
plane?
The only time I saw them was when they were near the plane. I can't see them
when they are somewhere else.
Was he allowed to speak with them?
I was allowed but I've never spoken to them.
Who was in charge of your training?
A guy called Jasem.
What does he know about Jasem?
His full name is Jasem Rashid Zoubaa al-Dolomi. He was the special trainer for
the Arabs, as they call them, because they were totally isolated and
specialized.
Does he believe that the people being trained at Salman Pak were Islamic
militants or were they just secular Arabs?
For sure they were Islamic militants because they were all very strict in their
daily prayers.
And what did they look like?
They looked quite scruffy. They were certainly not of a military caliber.
They looked quite different.
Did you ever hear that any of these people had been sent by Osama Bin
Laden or had any connection with Osama Bin Laden?
I have no information of that kind.
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