A memo found on Hussein at the time of his capture was said by many to disprove the idea that Saddam could have worked with al Qaeda. The memo told leaders of the resistance to avoid working with foreign fighters and Islamic extremists (apparently they didn’t get the memo). But why would such a memo be necessary if Saddam Hussein’s regime had already been averse to working with Islamic extremists? According to the conventional wisdom of many, Saddam Hussein’s regime had always been hostile to Islamic extremists.

But, was Saddam Hussein’s regime “always”, or even generally, hostile to Islamic extremists (Wahhabis)? According to many people, close to and inside the former regime, Islamic extremists had been increasingly welcome in Iraq during the thirteen years leading up to the 2003 invasion.

At the end of the Iran-Iraq war, Saddam began presenting himself as “the Slave of God”, in a bid to counter Iranian claims of lack of religion. Saddam also made it apparent to everyone that he was praying 5 times a day Jerrold M. Post and Amatzia Baram, "Saddam is Iraq: Iraq is Saddam", Ch.7, p.43-45

During the early 90’s Saddam directed government resources to constructing and funding numerous mosques Erin Driscoll, Washington Post, 4-21-03

In 1991, Saddam Hussein added “Allah Akbar”, which means “God is Great”, to the Iraqi flag Nir Rosen, Asia Times, 3-26-04

In 1992 and 1993, Iraq’s annual state-sponsored “Islamic Popular Conference” included leaders of jihadist groups from all over the Middle East, Asia and Africa Christopher Dickey, NEWSWEEK, 7-13-04

Thom Shanker, of the New York Times, reported on a document which indicated that efforts to reach out to Islamic extremists during the mid-1990’s (1995) included efforts to work with Osama bin Laden, even if only in a limited capacity.

In 1993, Baath party members reported 8-hour prayer quotas being mandated each week, in addition government imposed Koran studies and government meetings always included prayers Nir Rosen, Asia Times, 3-26-04

In 1994, Saddam’s nephew Hussein Kamil, told officials that Saddam’s regime was imposing Quranic law directly into the country’s legal system Jerrold M. Post and Amatzia Baram, "Saddam is Iraq: Iraq is Saddam", Ch.7, p.43-45 Nir Rosen, Asia Times, 3-26-04

1994, also was the year in which Wahhabi clerics were added to the Iraqi government payroll Nir Rosen, Asia Times, 3-26-04

By the late 1990’s, religious Islamic studies were being taught at all levels of Iraq’s education system and Saddam Hussein was donating his blood to write portions of a Quran in one of Iraq’s most expensive mosques Jerrold M. Post and Amatzia Baram, "Saddam is Iraq: Iraq is Saddam", Ch.7, p.43-45

In 1999, it was common knowledge that Saddam Hussein had a standing offer of safe haven in Iraq open to Wahhabist Osama bin Laden. CNN, 2-13-99

CNN’s Mike Boettcher said that Saddam Hussein’s regime had been bringing Wahhabi fighters into Iraq from Saudi Arabia and elsewhere since 2000, CNN, 12-14-03 although
former CIA director James Woolsey said it began much earlier than that. David Neiwert, Salon, 9-21-01

Saad Fagih, a Saudi-dissident, echoed the comments of U.S. officials who told the AP that Saddam Hussein began inviting Saudi extremists into Iraq years before the 2003 invasion. Sscherezade Faramarzi, Associated Press, 6-1-05

In an interview with Mahan Abedin of the Jamestown Foundation, Iraq’s Ambassador the United Nations, Hamid al-Bayati, said “the Baathists invited foreign fighters into Iraq. This is an old and deep-rooted alliance”, when asked about how and when foreign fighters began entering the country. Mahan Abedin, Jamestown Foundation, 6-21-04

Dr. Mohammed al-Masri, a known al Qaeda spokesman, told the Sunday Times that Saddam Hussein contacted the “Arab Afghans” (al Qaeda) in 2001. al-Masri also said that Saddam even went so far as to fund the movement of some al Qaeda members into Iraq and then later supplied them with arms caches and money, later to be used in insurgent attacks. Abdel Bari Atwan, Sunday Times, 2-26-06 via Thomas Joscelyn, "Saddam, the Insurgency, and the Terrorists, 3-28-06

All of these accounts seem pretty similar to what Hudayfa Azzam, the son of bin Laden’s former mentor, told reporters in 2004. “Saddam Hussein's regime welcomed them with open arms and young al Qaeda members entered Iraq in large numbers, setting up an organization to confront the occupation.” AFP, 8-30-04 Thomas Joscelyn, "What Else Did Hudayfa Azzam Have To Say About Al Qaeda In Iraq?” 4-3-06 Stephen Hayes, Weekly Standard, 9-29-04

Because Saddam Hussein’s payments to Hamas suicide bombers are fairly well known, and recovered documents suggest his regime also sent out feelers to Saudi Hezbollah, should any of the regime’s moves to contact and work with Islamic extremists really be considered a surprise?
Al Qaeda’s perceptions of Saddam Hussein are an entirely different issue, albeit not the issue raised by these particular critics, but the argument that Saddam Hussein’s regime would not work with Islamic extremists is easily refuted by information available to anyone open to and willing to find it.