Iraq becoming al-Qaeda breeding ground

28 January 2004

BERLIN – Iraq threatens to become a breeding ground for al- Qaeda terrorists, Germany’s spy chief has warned.

Al-Qaeda is taking advantage of anti-American sentiment in Iraq, said August Hanning, head of Germany’s BND intelligence service in a speech at a security conference in Berlin this week.

Hannig said al-Qaeda had been weakened but that its back had not been broken and the organisation had no problem attracting new recruits.

Germany strongly opposed the Iraq war and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder remains by his strict refusal to send any troops to the country.