In his speech to the UN Security Council on February 5, 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell “said that in May 2002, after the coalition forces overthrew the Taliban emirate in Afghanistan, [Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-] Zarqawi fled through Iran to Iraq in order to get medical attention in Baghdad. There he was allegedly hosted by Saddam Hussein’s government, which allowed some two dozen of his followers to come to Baghdad as well to ‘coordinate the movement of people, money and supplies into and throughout Iraq for his network.’ This was said to have gone on for eight months.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Bruce Riedel, The Search for Al Qaeda, Page 97