US in massive security boost at Iraq borders

Gulf News ^ | 4 March 2004 | Unknown

[Cap Huff]

Iraqi overseer Paul Bremer announced yesterday a massive increase in border security following the deadly attacks in the Shiite holy city of Karbala and in Baghdad.

Bremer said $60 million had been earmarked to tighten controls on Iraq's borders and that hundreds more vehicles and security personnel would be deployed to beef up security.

"There are 8,000 border police on duty today and more are on the way," Bremer said. "We are adding hundreds of vehicles and doubling border police staffing in selected areas."

Bremer blamed Jordanian Abu Mussab Al Zarqawi, suspected of links to Al Qaida, and said his aim was to provoke strife.

Bremer's comments came as five large explosions rumbled through the centre of Baghdad late yesterday, and sirens sounded from the zone where the headquarters of US-led occupation authority is located. The blasts happened in quick succession just after 8pm.

Meanwhile, the top US commander in Iraq said yesterday the US had intelligence warnings of Tuesday's attacks and probably prevented even greater carnage with special raids the night before on operatives of Al Zarqawi.

Gen John Abizaid said US and Iraqi forces foiled a third planned attack in Basra and thwarted plans to attack prominent Shiites. The attacks bore the hallmarks of Al Zarqawi, he said.

But a letter purported to come from Al Qaida denied responsibility for the bombings. "The American troops have carried out a massacre to kill innocent Shiites in Karbala ... and in Baghdad," it said, received yesterday by the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper.

Confusion reigned over the exact toll of the attacks even as Iraqi Shiite leaders called for calm yesterday.

"The number of martyrs from the two cities is 271," Governing Council president Mohammed Bahr Al Uloum said. But health minister Khudier Abbass said the confirmed toll was 98 in Karbala and 71 in Baghdad.

[Cap Huff]

FYI

[Dog]

Meanwhile, the top US commander in Iraq said yesterday the US had intelligence warnings of Tuesday's attacks and probably prevented even greater carnage with special raids the night before on operatives of Al Zarqawi.

Gen John Abizaid said US and Iraqi forces foiled a third planned attack in Basra and thwarted plans to attack prominent Shiites. The attacks bore the hallmarks of Al Zarqawi, he said.

Hmmmm...... have we penetrated Zarqawi's group?

[Cap Huff]

I would not go so far as to speculate that we've penetrated his outfit, but obviously there is some good intel on them --- too bad not perfect intel.

Yesterday I briefly saw a headline where some M.E. source was saying that the U.S. had intel warning about the attack. I didn't even bother to read it because I figured it must be propaganda to further blame the U.S. "They knew and didn't warn us" idea. Then today I read this and I realized immediately that Abizaid was not shy about saying that we did have some warning, and we did what we could.

[Coop]

Last night I heard Bret Baier say that our forces had raided a Zarqawi safe house the night prior to the cowardly slaughters. He also mentioned, which I haven't yet seen (though admittedly I'm still wading through my queue) that there were apparently some ties between Zarqawi and Iraqi intelligence operatives. I look forward to hearing more about this!

[Dog]

Thanks for the info..