Operative Sought al-Qaida's Help in Iraq

Netscape News ^ | 02/09/04 | ROBERT H. REID AP

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - An anti-American operative in Iraq appealed for help from al-Qaida leaders to help spark a sectarian war between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in an effort to ``tear the country apart,'' U.S. officials said Monday.

The officials confirmed a report Monday in The New York Times about the alleged plan, which was outlined in a 17-page letter that U.S. forces confiscated from an al-Qaida suspect in Iraq.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

This was previously reported by NY Times with this headline:

U.S. Says Files Seek Qaeda Aid in Iraq Conflict

and posted here by saquin.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The word is getting around;

From the link at post #1:

_____________________________________________________________

The Americans declined to identify the suspect. But the discovery of the disc coincides with the arrest of Hassan Ghul, a Pakistani described by American officials at the time as a courier for the Qaeda network. Mr. Ghul is believed to be the first significant member of that network to have been captured inside Iraq.

We are cleaning them out!

Another accomplishment detailed here:

How US Put Rogue Atom Scientist Out Of Business

The Americans declined to identify the suspect. But the discovery of the disc coincides with the arrest of Hassan Ghul, a Pakistani described by American officials at the time as a courier for the Qaeda network. Mr. Ghul is believed to be the first significant member of that network to have been captured inside Iraq.

[RandallFlagg]

Someone I'm arguing with just threw this in my face saying, "If there wasn't a war in Iraq then we'd be fighting al-Qaida where they already were, not where they flocked to."

These people are just too funny, huh?

[FairOpinion]

Another related article:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1074523/posts

Letter Shows Terrorists' 'Desperation' In Iraq, General Says

Terrorists realize "that failure to defeat us in Iraq will be a major setback for their overall terror war," Senor pointed out, noting, "The buildup of Iraqi security forces is putting increasing pressure on the terrorists."

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I really like this headline . Even though this is "Old news" thought I would see if they would let it be in Breaking news!

Some serious reading:

PRESIDENT CLINTON VIDEO, December 16, 1998 Sadaam has nuclear arms, poison gas/bio weapons.

Statement of Senator John D. Rockefeller IV - On the Iraq Resolution - October 10, 2002

Remarks of Senator John Kerry on Iraq | October 09, 2002 |

Larry Elder: Were we misled? (about Iraq's WMD)

I need to add the Master list on Kerry:

John Kerry- some selected, informative links... compiled by Backhoe

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

So true. He is just calling for reinforcements!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Ping a rooski!!!!!!!!!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

And this:

CNN spins Zarqawi memo

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the letter was on a computer disk found on Hassan Ghul, a senior al-Qaida courier arrested last month by Kurdish forces as he tried to enter the country from Iran.

Had we see this statement before???

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[mystery-ak]

What does this tell us...they are desperate and losing.

[Dog]

Agreed.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Right and the major news media are reworking the headlines to try and keep that news away from the US people!

Got a link from a blog that does a nice job of laying it out:

Link to Q & O blog item:

February 09, 2004
We're winning, Pt 178

Link to Q & O blog item:

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the blog link above , which is well worth reading and see the comments also:

__________________________________________________________________________

There's the campaign commercial for Bush:
Picture of Zarqawi - text: "By God, this is suffocation!"
Announcer: "The War on Terror...it's working".

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See post #9.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Question to the Coalition Commanders from the press today on this captured document:

Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing from Iraq

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See this from todays Coalition briefing of the reporters ( link above ):

Yes? In the back.

Q: Do you believe the foreign fighters came into Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime or before that?

Kimmitt: All we know is that we have foreign fighters in this country right now. The coalition is determined to develop intelligence to find them and bring them to justice.

Senor: I would just add that there is obviously -- the State Department has designated the Iraqi regime as a state sponsor of terrorism going back some couple decades, and there have been charges of visibility in this country of foreign fighters before our arrival. But, to General Kimmitt's point, the focus is on the here and now, and certainly the memo that was discovered is quite enlightening in that regard.

We have time for one more question. Yes, sir?

Q: Gregor Mayer from German Press Agency. Not having seen this report in The New York Times, can you disclose under what circumstances this memo came into the public -- in the public space?

Kimmitt: Sure. We picked this memo up from the courier as part of ongoing military and security operations inside this country.

Senor: All right. Thanks, everybody.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the LA Times, a human interest time:

Coalition Gains Insight Into Iraq's Foreign Insurgents

[Cap Huff]

Thanks for ping!

OK. I see that we have at least three stories about the source of this letter on a disk (CD?):

1.Still, a senior United States intelligence official in Washington said, "I know of no reason to believe the letter is bogus in any way." He said the letter was seized in a raid on a known Qaeda safe house in Baghdad, and did not pass through Iraqi groups that American intelligence officials have said in the past may have provided unreliable information.
2.The Times report quoted unidentified U.S. officials as saying that American forces arrested a man who had the document on a computer disc and was taking it to Afghanistan to get it to al-Qaida's senior leaders.
3.A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the letter was on a computer disk found on Hassan Ghul, a senior al-Qaida courier arrested last month by Kurdish forces as he tried to enter the country from Iran.

I can easily enough harmonize 1 and 2 – The guy who was about to go to Afghanistan was taken in the safe house in Baghdad maybe. But I can’t easily harmonize 3 with either of the first two.

Anybody, any ideas?