Iraq Foils Plot to Put {421 al-Qaida} Terrorists at Posts {around Green Zone}

Yahoo/AP ^ | 03/14/06 | BASSEM MROUE

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Iraqi interior minister said Tuesday that authorities had foiled an al-Qaida plot that would have put hundreds of its men at critical guard posts around Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, home to the U.S. and other foreign embassies as well as the Iraqi government.

A senior Defense Ministry official said the 421 al-Qaida fighters were actually recruited to storm the U.S. and British embassies and take hostages. Several ranking Defense Ministry officials have been jailed in the plot, the official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.

Interior Minister Bayan Jabr, in an interview with The Associated Press, said the 421 al-Qaida recruits were one bureaucrat's signature away from acceptance into an Iraqi army battalion whose job is to control the gates and main squares in the Green Zone. The plot was discovered three weeks ago.

"You can imagine what could happen to a minister or an ambassador while passing through these gates when those terrorists are there," Jabr said in the interview conducted at his office inside the Green Zone — a 2-square-mile hunk of prime real estate on the west bank of the Tigris River. The area is a maze of concrete blast walls, concertina wire and checkpoints.

The Defense Ministry official said the plot was uncovered by the military intelligence and the General Intelligence department that works under the government.

The Green Zone has been attacked in the past with mortar rounds and rockets. A number of car bombs driven by suicide attackers have been detonated in the past two years at the entrances, killing scores of people.

On Oct. 14, 2004, two al-Qaida members carried out a suicide attack inside the zone, hitting a market and a cafe. Six people were killed, including four Americans, and 20 people were

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

FR sleuths at work....

[blam]

“They were going to carry out operations. Most of them are wanted terrorists” using false identification."

[nuconvert]

Think this related to increased chatter?

[nuconvert]

pong

[Dog]

I don't know.

[reformedliberal]

Yeppers.

There have been scores of *interviews* over the years by the MSM of various infamous terrorists. They have the sources of all sources, IMO. Since the story broke on AP, and since it will be all over the political forums and blogs, they are going to have to write about it. I am sure the newsrooms are full of scribblers intent on spinning each and every nuance just exactly right, as we post.

[SueRae]

Wow, I sure hope your version is correct. That would be great news. The media is just foaming at the mouth for a civil war or any semblance of additional causalties to lay on the administration. In fact, this is the first account of this stroy that I've seen that supposes that maybe, just maybe, some of the bad guys bought the farm today. Most of the reporting is just about the body count.

Btw, I enjoyed reading your site.

[Marine_Uncle]

"And I'm sure the Russian contractors provided only the best in power generating hardware for their old buddy Saddam."
heheh. They sure milked em dry.

[SueRae]

Rofl...now THAT brought tears to my eyes. :-)
Thanks for some brevity while sifting through this unfolding story.

[Marine_Uncle]

Interesting correlation. One thing for sure, it appears at least on the surface, that the military ministry and army are about the only ones that can be trusted. The rest are a pack of thieves at best.

[Marine_Uncle]

"FR sleuths at work...."
We do have some fine people here. But I cannot be included in the brain department.

[Dog]

I'm not the sharpest knife in the FR drawer...but all it took was paying attention to details.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Not sure I would agree with that....by the way just watching Foxnews, the US Military there is asking for a brigate of 700 men to move back from Kuwait for a month to beef up US Forces before before some special event!

[Dog]

What special event??

[buck61]

Several democrats in American security need arrested for plotting against the United States.
Glad Iraq is able to it in their country.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

 

I've been thinking the very same thing. You know, they're going after this President just like they went after Nixon - the M.O. is practically identical, and they're wanting a "Tet", or some sort of incident to scream "Watergate" about - either or both would suit them just fine to be able to finally "Nixonize" this President. George W. isn't about to finish his term in peace, no way, no how.

 

 

 

[Marine_Uncle]

Sharp knives, bright bulbs. ha ha.. hang in there.

[Marine_Uncle]

"FR sleuths at work...."
Shame we can't earn a salary doing this stuff. I would settle for say $250,000 per year. ha ha.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

A Muslim holiday of some kind....

[Dog]

See posts 114 and 115.