Posted on 08/22/2007 1:59:21 PM PDT by WBL 1952
Earlier today, the Italian news service AKI reported that the presumed leader of the largest insurgency in Iraq will start cooperating with the Iraqi government. Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, one of the highest-ranking members of Saddam Hussein's government, reportedly pledged to work with Iraqi and American forces to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq:
The leader of Iraq's banned Baath party, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, has decided to join efforts by the Iraqi authorities to fight al-Qaeda, one of the party's former top officials, Abu Wisam al-Jashaami, told pan-Arab daily Al Hayat. "AlDouri has decided to sever ties with al-Qaeda and sign up to the programme of the national resistance, which includes routing Islamist terrorists and opening up dialogue with the Baghdad government and foreign forces," al-Jashaami said.
Al-Douri has decided to deal directly with US forces in Iraq, according to al-Jashaami. He figures in the 55-card deck of "most wanted" officials from the former Iraqi regime issued by the US government.
In return, for cooperating in the fight against al-Qaeda, al-Douri has asked for guarantees over his men's safety and for an end to Iraqi army attacks on his militias.
Recent weeks have seen a first step in this direction, when Baathist fighters cooperated with Iraqi government forces in hunting down al-Qaeda operatives in the volatile Diyala province and in several districts of the capital, Baghadad.
This could be game, set, and match for the Iraq War. Some smaller insurgent elements assisted in clearing Baqubah as a test to see whether an alliance with Americans would work. Apparently, the experiment worked. If al-Douri accepts the authority of the elected Iraqi government, then almost all of the resistance in western Iraq will disappear -- leaving AQI very exposed.
(Excerpt) Read more at captainsquartersblog.com ...
I wouldn't be surprised. This is Iraqi politics. Anything can happen.
not certain, but I THINK this is the aforementioned AKI news service:
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.1226660515#
Thanks, jaz! Wow, let’s pray!
They’re usually reliable
We can wait (quite a while if need be) for al-Douri to get his 9mm brain haemorrhage.
Plus, this joker must know that he'll be shot on the spot at the first sign of duplicity.
got it!
Iraq: Baathists ‘disown al-Qaeda’
Baghdad, 22 August (AKI) - The leader of Iraq’s banned Baath party, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, has decided to join efforts by the Iraqi authorities to fight al-Qaeda, one of the party’s former top officials, Abu Wisam al-Jashaami, told pan-Arab daily Al Hayat.
“AlDouri has decided to sever ties with al-Qaeda and sign up to the programme of the national resistance, which includes routing Islamist terrorists and opening up dialogue with the Baghdad government and foreign forces,” al-Jashaami said.
Al-Douri has decided to deal directly with US forces in Iraq, according to al-Jashaami. He figures in the 55-card deck of “most wanted” officials from the former Iraqi regime issued by the US government.
In return, for cooperating in the fight against al-Qaeda, al-Douri has asked for guarantees over his men’s safety and for an end to Iraqi army attacks on his militias.
Recent weeks have seen a first step in this direction, when Baathist fighters cooperated with Iraqi government forces in hunting down al-Qaeda operatives in the volatile Diyala province and in several districts of the capital, Baghadad.
Although the Baath party was officially banned after US-led forces in 2003 toppled the regime of Iraq’s late president Saddam Hussein, its members have fought in the insurgency.
Until just a few months ago, former Baath party members were helping Islamists carry out terrorist attacks against US forces in Iraq.
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.1225974555
one of the partys former top officials, Abu Wisam al-Jashaami, told pan-Arab daily Al Hayat.
In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way. FDR
Let them try, al Douri is a professional Military go for the throat kind of guy. Iraqi Forces combined with U.S. Military and this sudden shift of forces on the battlefield will be devastating.
ping
Al-Douri once called a Kuwaiti diplomat a “monkey”. That’s almost as bad as saying MACACA! Hang ‘im high!
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/03/06/news_pf/Worldandnation/Iraqi_calls_Kuwaiti__.shtml
very astute.....
I can’t find this story anywhere else. Can anybody corroborate it? Even the article in AKI had no attribution as to the reporter’s name. Very leary at the moment.
She must have heard the same news then..
I wonder if this is why the Dems have had a change of heart, especially those who recently visited Iraq. This news may have been out there weeks ago and just being made public now.
...Sheik Mohammed Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah, another minister in the Kuwaiti delegation, interrupted al-Douri with comments that were inaudible to viewers at home and to reporters watching via closed-circuit. Officials in the summit chamber later said he called the Iraqi’s remarks lies.
Al-Douri responded: “Shut up, you monkey. Curse be upon your mustache, you traitor.”
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