U.S. now sees Al Qaida as leader of war effort in Iraq

World Tribune ^ | 8/19/03

[veronica]

The United States has concluded that Al Qaida and its allies are taking over the Sunni insurgency war in Iraq.

U.S. officials said Central Command officers in Iraq have seen increasing evidence of Al Qaida and Islamic volunteer forces participating and even leading the insurgency war in the Sunni Triangle. They said Al Qaida has succeeded in presenting Iraq as the next arena for what the movement terms the Islamic holy war against the United States.

"Foreign terrorists are attracted to areas where the coalition is on the offense in the global war on terror, and in Iraq we are on the offense in the global war on terror," Defense Department acting spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said. "There's clearly an indication that foreign terrorists are involved in the kind of violence that we see here."

[On Monday, an Al Qaida spokesman said in a tape broadcast on the Dubai-based Al Arabiya television that Osama Bin Laden and Taliban chief Mullah Omar were alive, Middle East Newsline reported. The spokesman, identified as Abdul Rahman Al Najdi, reiterated a call to Muslims to fight U.S. troops in Iraq.]

Officials said the methods of Al Qaida differ from those of loyalists to deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. They said the Al Qaida insurgents favor truck and roadside bombs rather than engaging U.S. troops with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades or small arms fire.

"I think we clearly are adapting as, as you understand, that what began as attacks that were primarily small-arms based evolved into mortars and then rocket-propelled grenades, and now increasingly is through the use of improvised explosive devices," Lt. Gen. Norton Schwartz, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said. "We will adapt to that reality and appropriately provide for force protection for our forces while we engage the perpetrators, both during an event but, more importantly, to engage them prior to an act of violence against our forces."

Officials and analysts have asserted that Al Qaida and aligned groups will increase their involvement in Iraq. They cite the re-entry of Al Qaida-sponsored groups such as Ansar Islam and Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, both of whom were active in Iraq before the U.S.-led war in March.

"They're [U.S. military] going after these foreign terrorists and finding them," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said on Monday. "And they will continue to do that and defeat them wherever they may be."

Kurdish sources in northern Iraq said Ansar Islam has infiltrated the cities of Kirkuk and Suleimaniya. They said the Ansar operatives have been inciting residents of those cities to attack U.S. troops.

"What I think they're [Al Qaida] attempting to do is to make Iraq into the 21st century version of what Afghanistan was," Bruce Hoffman, vice president for external affairs at the Washington-based Rand Corp. and a consultant on terrorism, said. "In other words, a rallying cry, a place where foreign fighters are supposed to come to defend Islam, that now is not the time to operate."

[dirtboy]

Nice of Al Qaeda to take the fight where we have our greatest concentration of trained soldiers.

[misterrob]

Amen to that. I think what we might see is an opportunity for us to reall kick the sh*t our of these bastards once and for all. Oh, and for any country in the M.E. who is found to be assisting them, you can pretty much expect to have rockets rain down on you.

Could this be the start of the big campaign to blast the evil part of the Muslim world to dust?

[NavyCaptain]

Maybe we need to change the operation's title from "Operation Iraqi Freedom" to "Operation Al Quida Death?"

[Coop]

They cite the re-entry of Al Qaida-sponsored groups such as Ansar Islam and Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, both of whom were active in Iraq before the U.S.-led war in March.

I'd take this article with a grain of salt. Not that I'm doubting there are terrorists (including evil AQ cowards) in Iraq. But Zarqawi is not an Al Qaeda group, but an AQ terrorist. I'm not so sure how thoroughly this author and editor(s) reviewed this article.

[veronica]

Come on. The attack today has all the earmarks of an Al Qaida hit.

[Cobra64]

Amen to that. I think what we might see is an opportunity for us to reall kick the sh*t our of these bastards once and for all.

The ones we don't kill in battle, I'd try 'em and give them the "Heussein treatment." Take 'em out behind the proverbial woodshed and fire up the shredder.

[Coop]

all the earmarks

All the earmarks? Please. It was a truck bomb. On a soft target. Whoopee. So I guess AQ did Beirut, too? Or OKC?

An earmark for AQ is long-term planning for coordinated attacks. This could have been just as easily have been a PO'd Special RG commander with access to C4.

Having said that, I think AQ terrorists/trainees were involved here and in various attacks throughout Iraq. You completely missed the point of my post.

[sam_paine]

"I think we clearly are adapting......" Lt. Gen. Norton Schwartz,

I just thought:

If this guy gets a cold,

he'll have a "General Norton Schwartz Cough."

I'm sorry. But I couldn't help it.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

I believe Victor Davis Hanson (it could be someone else, though) made this very point.
Go for what's easy. Better they're aiming at a well-armed soldier than aiming at civilians. Bush has, effectively, taken the fight to them.
Bring 'em on.

[veronica]

All the earmarks? Please. It was a truck bomb. On a soft target...

Like in Bali, Kenya, and other hits on US targets pre-9-11.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

Or, if he had an Iraqi policeman assigned to him, would that Iraqi be...
(drum roll please)


Norton Schwartz Cop?

I know, not nearly as funny as yours.

[Shermy]

AQ is a shadow army of Saudi and Iran. The jihadis believe in the cause, the financiers direct their attacks to support their piratical oil war. Suppressing competitive oil production in Iraq increases OPEC profits for a minimal expense. Currently it's working better than the Iraqi sanctions regime of oil restrictions. And a whole lot better than telling Arafat to increase a bombing campaign in Israel which has profitable, but very short term effects in scaring up world oil prices.

The attack on the UN may be a miscalculation, or the impertinence of the true-believeing jihadis. Also, being a car bombing, I think it must be considered in light of the bombing of the Jordanian embassy a week or two ago.

[appalachian_dweller]

>> the Al Qaida insurgents favor truck and roadside bombs rather than engaging U.S. troops <<

Cowards.

[Coop]

Like in Bali, Kenya, and other hits on US targets pre-9-11.

I have no idea what your point is here. Bali was two separate explosions, designed for maximum casualties. Kenya involved a car bomb at a hotel combined with SAM shots at an airliner. And the Nairobi and other (sorry, can't remember) embassies were obviously simultaneous attacks. Coordinated, fairly complex attacks. Earmark of Al Qaeda. Thanks for making my point for me.

[jonalvy44]

I thought Al Quada wasn't in Iraq? LOL. They are all in bed together and thus, will die together.

Bring it on!

[iopscusa]

Smart to take the war where the enemy cannot resist the temptation to fight....now just do it till it is finished....God Bless our Troops!

[FairOpinion]

How can this be?

Didn't the Democrats tell us that there is absolutely no connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda and that going into Iraq detracts from our War on Terror?

Could the Democrats possibly have been wrong or even lying?

[dirtboy]

Didn't the Democrats tell us that there is absolutely no connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda and that going into Iraq detracts from our War on Terror?

The Dems, without skipping a beat, will now claim that the War on Iraq led to increased al Qaeda activity.

[Angelus Errare]

One quibble - al-Qaeda has used single truck bombs in the past, notably in Tunisia and in Chechnya, where second suicide bomber is unavailable or when the operational leadership feels that the operation may be compromised by waiting too long to carrying out the attack.