Documents: Al-Qaida sought U.S.-Iran war

AP on Yahoo ^ | 6/15/06 | Sameer N. Yacoub - ap

[NormsRevenge]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A blueprint for trying to start a war between the United States and Iran was among a "huge treasure" of documents found in the hideout of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Iraqi officials said Thursday.

The document, purporting to reflect al-Qaida policy and its cooperation with groups loyal to ousted President Saddam Hussein, also appear to show that the insurgency in Iraq was weakening.

The al-Qaida in Iraq document was translated and released by Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie. There was no way to independently confirm the authenticity of the information attributed to al-Qaida.

Although the office of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said the document was found in al-Zarqawi's hideout following a June 7 airstrike that killed him, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said the document had in fact been found in a previous raid as part of an ongoing three-week operation to track al-Zarqawi.

"We can verify that this information did come off some kind of computer asset that was at a safe location," he said. "This was prior to the al-Zarqawi safe house."

The document also said al-Zarqawi planned to try to destroy the relationship between the United States and its Shiite allies in Iraq.

While the coalition was continuing to suffer human losses, "time is now beginning to be of service to the American forces and harmful to the resistance," the document said.

The document said the insurgency was being hurt by, among other things, the U.S. military's program to train Iraqi security forces, by massive arrests and seizures of weapons, by tightening the militants' financial outlets, and by creating divisions within its ranks.

"Generally speaking and despite the gloomy present situation, we find that the best solution in order to get out of this crisis is to involve the U.S. forces in waging a war against another country or any hostile groups," the document said, as quoted by al-Maliki's office.

According to the summary, insurgents were being weakened by operations against them and by their failure to attract recruits. To give new impetus to the insurgency, they would have to change tactics, it added.

"We mean specifically attempting to escalate the tension between America and Iran, and American and the Shiite in Iraq," it quoted the documents as saying, especially among moderate followers of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the most influential Shiite cleric in Iraq.

"Creating disputes between America and them could hinder the U.S. cooperation with them, and subsequently weaken this kind of alliance between Shiites and the Americans," it said, adding that "the best solution is to get America involved in a war against another country and this would bring benefits."

They included "opening a new front" for the U.S. military and releasing some of the "pressure exerted on the resistance."

It pointed to clashes in 2004 between U.S. forces and followers of radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi army militia as evidence of the benefits of such a strategy. Al-Sadr and his growing followers are among the fiercest advocates of a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.

It said the "results obtained during the struggle between U.S. army and al-Mahdi army is an example of the benefits to be gained by such struggle."

Al-Maliki's office said the document provides "the broad guidelines of the program of the Saddamists and the takfiris inside al-Zarqawi's group."

"Takfiri" is a reference to an extremist ideology that urges Muslims to kill anyone they consider an infidel, even fellow Muslims. It is the ideology that many Iraqis, especially in the Shiite community, use to describe al-Zarqawi and his followers.

The language contained in the document was different from the vocabulary used by al-Qaida statements posted on the Web. For example, it does not refer to the Americans as "Crusaders" nor use the term "rejectionists" to allude to Shiites.

Much of what is in the statement from al-Rubaie echoes results that the U.S. military and the Iraqi government say they are seeking. It also appears to reinforce American and Iraqi arguments that al-Qaida in Iraq and its operatives are a group of imported extremists bent on killing innocent civilians.

Al-Qaida in Iraq has been blamed for thousands of deaths, hundreds of bombings, kidnappings and assassinations in the past three years. Al-Qaida in Iraq's own hatred of the Shiites is well-documented and al-Zarqawi has repeatedly called on Sunnis to rise up and kill them.

[NormsRevenge]

Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie holds up a copy of a document purported to have come from a computer found at the scene after the U.S. airstrike on Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, at a press conference in the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq Thursday, June 15, 2006. Documents and computer records seized after the raid on Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's hideout have given the Iraqi government the upper hand in its fight against al-Qaida in Iraq, the national security adviser claimed Thursday. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

[edpc]

In a story posted on Drudge, one of the documents ends with the following:

Let us hope for success and for God's help.

Looks like they got 'C' - None of the above.

[atomicpossum]

Documents: Al-Qaida sought SEEKS U.S.-Iran war

[jmc1969]

I really wish Rummy didn't have his moronic view that a small US Army using high tech is better then a big Army. The fact is Z-man knows we don't have the forces for three wars at the same time, but we could have if we increased the size of the Army after 2001.

Less is not more when it comes to US troops.

[edpc]

There is some advantage to having a lean force in certain instances. Naturally, an additional amount of forces would be needed for a conflict with another nation. In this case, I am assuming you are talking Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran when you speak of three wars. On the plus side, we're already at Iran's front and back door. That makes things a little easier from a logistics standpoint.

[in hoc signo vinces]

The text of that document pretty much validates Bush's continued point that the enemy is persistant (determined) and fairly bright (at least AQ's leadership).

[traderrob6]

Related....

http://exposingtheleft.blogspot.com/2006/06/mil-iraq-zarqawi-document.html

[Grampa Dave]

Oh, this could get very interesting for any Al Qaeda serial killers holing up in Iran.

How many of us remember all of the trolling moles on Free Republic before and after the ground war in Iraq broke out saying we should be going after Iran instead of Iraq/Saddam.

Makes one wonder how many of those trolls were being paid by al Qaeda to divert attention from Saddam/al Qaeda to Iran.

[Maringa]

The photo of the document looks like it's a copy of a handwritten letter....How could that be, if it was in a thumbdrive? Do those terrorists handwrite letters then scan them? Seems like a lot of stuff to haul around if you are going from safe house to safe house...And how inefficient....

[Grampa Dave]

MI followup re earlier post from ASA Vet.

[Dog]

Who said it was in a thumbdrive..

[patj]

This is what strikes me: There was no way to independently confirm the authenticity of the information attributed to al-Qaida.

Did the DBM "independently confirm" the Haditha story? Did it mention that they couldn't?

As to the substance; sounds like the Greatest Army in the World, is doing a fine job. Many thanks to all who serve.

[Dog]

"We can verify that this information did come off some kind of computer asset that was at a safe location," he said. "This was prior to the al-Zarqawi safe house."

See it now...sorry.

It sounds like the found it on a computer printer.

[dokmad]

"The text of that document pretty much validates Bush's continued point that the enemy is persistant (determined) and fairly bright (at least AQ's leadership)."

It is also a wonderful sample of the intelligence gathered from this major victory that took place when Zarkawi was taken out. That is most likely, just the tip of the iceberg. They gained much more intelligence than what we'll ever know about. I'm thinking that this is the beginning of the end for the resistance and it's supporters, including our lame left here in America. Viva BUSH! And conctatulations AMERICA. History will be kind to GWB. I never had any doubt.

[Grampa Dave]

Peach has started a campaign to discredit the leftwing lunatics who are trying to say that al Qaeda was not in Iraq before we invaded it.

This article is more proof that they are aiding serial killing al Qaeda thugs with this terrible lie.

Please go to Peach's thread and help if you can.

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1649228/posts

VANITY: Defeat the leftist lies that Al Qaeda wasn't in Iraq before the war
Various News and Govermental Sources ^ | June 14, 2006 | Peach


Posted on 06/14/2006 8:52:58 AM PDT by Peach


Two major issues were used by the President in the run up to war with Iraq. One was the WMD issue and the other was Iraq's support for Al Qaeda.

Since the war began in March 2003, the Democrats and media have repeatedly lied to the American public that Saddam didn't have a relationship with Al Qaeda or Osama bin Laden. They have been permitted to lie without challenge by Congressional Republicans or the President or his administration.

It is well past time that we educate Republican Congressmen and the conservative media, and try to encourage Tony Snow and Karl Rove on the importance of not letting this lie go unchallenged.

Since the 1990's, the media wrote dozens and dozens of articles about the world's alarm at the growing relationship Saddam and Iraqi military officers had with Al Qaeda and bin Laden. In the next post, I will detail some of those links.

Additionally, our very own freeper, translator and national treasure, jveritas, has translated documents which show that Saddam had direct ties to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

It is my firm belief that if more Americans knew about the relationships discussed above, support for the war and our beloved military would increase substantially. The media has gotten away with this lie for long enough.

I am looking for specific suggestions on how to get the word out to the administration with the suggestion they use this evidence of a relationship between Saddam and the jihadists more often, and how to directly write or call our Congressmen, the media, Ken Mehlman as Chair of the GOP, talk radio hosts, etc.

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1649228/posts

[Dog]

The media gets it wrong....this document isn't from the Zarqawi safehouse is from a computer found at another location PRIOR to the Zarqawi takedown..

"We can verify that this information did come off some kind of computer asset that was at a safe location," he said. "This was prior to the al-Zarqawi safe house."

[sam_paine]

I really wish Rummy didn't have his moronic view that a small US Army using high tech is better then a big Army.

You toss around "moronic" as if your way is obviously correct and nobody could possibly agree with Rummy's results.

Lessee....

'Moron' Rummy -

• Captured Saddam
• Killed Zarqawi
• Held 3 elections
• Pacified the country such that Congressmen, Secy State, and Big Blue Air Force One can fly into Baghdad as desired by political choosers
• Oh yeah, beating the crap out of the Taliban each time they poke their heads up

'One Way' jmc1969 -

• More targets for IED's
• Less incentive for Iraqi Nat Guard to take the lead
• Other accomplishments?

[Dr. Frank fan]

If you want the size of the Army to increase, lobby your Congressman.

[InterceptPoint]

According to the summary, insurgents were being weakened by operations against them and by their failure to attract recruits.

I can see the NYT headline now:

AL-QAEDA FALLING SHORT OF RECRUITING GOALS

Ok, just wishful thinking.