Posts tagged Al qaeda

Overlooked and new testimony supports idea of Al Qaeda presence in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq

May25
2009 Leave a Comment Written by MacRanger

Via Regime of Terror:

“Over the past many months a number of interviews, documents,
admissions and other revelations have come to light that continue to
undermine the notion that al Qaeda and al Qaeda linked groups were not
able to operate inside Iraq during the rule of Saddam Hussein. These
findings match up with older reports on the hotly contested that may
now deserve re-examination.

A study by The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point of al Qaeda documents deemed the “Sinjar Records”
indicates that al Qaeda was, in fact, able to operate inside the
country during the rule of the former regime. The center also has
previously posted internal al Qaeda documents in which al Qaeda members
revealed to one another that “some of them went to Saddam” likely in referrence to al Qaeda members fleeing Afghanistan to Iraq.

These documents match the testimony of what a former overseer of
Iraqi prisons, Dan Bordenkircher, claims he was told by numerous
prisoners. In an interview with Ryan Mauro,
Bordenkircher says that he was told that al Qaeda was not limited to
areas beyond Saddam Hussein’s control but was present in Mosul and
Kirkuk and received assistance from one of Saddam Hussein’s sons.

In an interview with FrontPage magazine, Osama al Magid, a former police officer in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq from 1992-2003, said that al Qaeda was present and protected in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

FP: How about Al Qaeda in Iraq?
Al-Magid: Al Qaeda and other people who believed the same as Al Qaeda
had been in Iraq for many years. When I say “believed” I mean people
who hated America and wanted to destroy the U.S.

Saddam had this in common with Al Qaeda and this is why he provided them protection.

In an interview last year conducted by Michael Totten a Sunni Iraqi stated that al Qaeda wasn’t out in the open in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq but was there in some capacity.

“We can’t compare that to the situation we have now with
all these different types of organizations running around all over the
country. Before there was nothing like an Al Qaeda
organization here. I mean, they were here, but they were secretive,
they were not in the field, they were not recognized yet. But now we feel that they are serious, that something big is going on.”

Also on this topic Thomas Joscelyn points out that a fairly recent Senate Intelligence Committe report
on prewar Bush adminstration statements on the topic backed up
allegations that al Qaeda was in Saddam’s Iraq and not limited to
Kurdistan. Joscelyn found that the report included the following
statements:

Statements that Iraq provided safe haven for Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi and other al Qaeda-related terrorist members were
substantiated by the intelligence assessments.
Intelligence assessments noted Zarqawi’s presence in Iraq and his
ability to travel and operate within the country. The intelligence
community generally believed that Iraqi intelligence must have known
about, and therefore at least tolerated, Zarqawi’s presence in the
country.

Joseph Shahda translated and explained a
2008 al Qaeda document, reportedly written by Saif al Adel, who denied
links between the group and Saddam Hussein’s regime but said the group
did have a presence in the Sunni areas of Iraq building cells prior to invasion.

Jeff Stein’s interview with former CIA operative Charles Faddis
revealed that al Qaeda did have a presence in Iraq prior to invasion
though Faddis argues that there was no link to Saddam Hussein’s
government (more on Farris’s thoughts on the topic will be shared in a
yet to be published interview with this website).

A story posted on al Sumaria‘s website
(link is now down) stated that followers of Saddam Hussein welcomed al
Qaeda into Iraq during the invasion and worked together to cause chaos
in the country.

It is to be noted that in the wake of the US invasion to
Iraq, Sunni Arabs, followers of former President Saddam Hussein
welcomed Al Qaeda and allowed for the flow of foreign fighters across
the borders to fuel insurgency in Anbar province and establish quasi
military structures in Falluja mainly. Al Qaeda and Saddam supporters
have imposed their power in these regions and went through fierce
battles with the Marines. However, as Al Qaeda’s arbitrary violence has
mounted against civilians, Arab tribes formed awakening councils funded
by the US aimed against Al Qaeda.

In another Senate report looking into the reported mistreatment of detainees Senior
Guantanamo Bay interrogator David Becker told the committee
interviewing him that “only ‘a couple of nebulous links”’ were
uncovered between al Qaida and Iraq (An interview with someone in charge of interviewing detainees in Iraq by this website is also in the works.)

In a post on his Global Terror Alert website in January 2006 Evan Kohlman
analzyed al Qaeda in Iraq’s “Distinguished Martyrs” series which
included a document discussing Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and other al Qaeda
members and saying that they did not fight alongside members of Saddam
Hussein’s regime at the start of the Iraq war though the document does
not give the reasons for this decision.

Abu Umar al-Masri - A 37-year old senior Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ)
leader trained in Yemen and Afghanistan who later joined a group of
other elite EIJ operatives
in Albania preparing for jihad in nearby Kosovo. When other members of
the infamous “Albanian Returnees” group were seized in a joint mission
by Albanian security services and the CIA for targeting the U.S. embassy
in Tirana, Abu Umar fled Albania for Italy, where he was imprisoned for
several years as a suspected terrorist. After a harrowing trip through
Germany, Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria, Abu Umar eventually ended up in
Iraq just prior to the fall of Saddam Hussein and joined Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi.

Evan Kohlman also posted another document which old CT Blog post cited Abu Ismail al-Muhajir saying:

“As I have explained before, the brothers in Iraq decided to stay out of the war and not to fight alongside Saddam until the war was over and Saddam’s regime was eliminated. They had many reasons for making this decision… Nonetheless, the situation took a turn for the worse after the regime’s collapse... we decided to stay and hide [in Iraq].

The Institute for Defense Analysis investigation of Saddam Hussein era documents showed regime support for EIJ and EIJ has been documented as having had a presence in Saddam’s Baghdad.

Nikolas K. Gvosdev , a professor at the Naval War College and editor at The National Interest, relayed a guest post from Alexis Debat in a June 2006 at The Washington Realist stating that :

According to Jordanian intelligence sources, these
individuals were highly instrumental in setting up Zarqawi’s network in
Iraq in 2002. Abu Ayyub al Masri, for example, was reported by the US
military to have set up Zarqawi’s first cell in Baghdad in mid-2002.
This Egyptian group, led by al Masri, is reported to have played a
critical role in Al Qaeda in Iraq, which cell structure and modus
operandi are almost identical to those of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad in
the 1980s.

Abu al Masri was also said to have close ties to Ayman al Zawahiri, who reportedly had links to Iraq going back many years.

In 2004 TIME magazine reported on al Qaeda documents showing Zarqawi and some of his associates were in Baghdad during Saddam’s rule:

He spent the months leading up to the war moving through
Iran and northern Iraq, where he attached himself to the Kurdish
Islamist group Ansar al-Islam. A confidential al-Tawhid document
obtained by TIME describes a fighter killed
in Fallujah last April as having joined al-Zarqawi in Baghdad “just
before the fall of the previous regime”—a claim that backs up the Bush
Administration’s disputed assertions that al-Zarqawi passed through the
Iraqi capital while Saddam Hussein was in power.
Al-Zarqawi has built his network in Iraq by exploiting the furies
unleashed by the fall of Saddam.

The notion that an Iraq-al Qaeda link was based solely, or even primarily, on one or a few mistreated al Qaeda detainees
is not a very serious one when al Qaeda documents, Baath documents,
detainee admissions and other revelations, both old and new, show that
al Qaeda was in areas of Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s control and the
full extent or reason for this presence has yet to be thoroughly
explained to the general public.”

Crossposted at Regime of Terror.

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged

Revisiting the Clinton/Al Qaeda link

Aug18
2007 Leave a Comment Written by MacRanger

According to US Diplomat Raffi Gregorian, Al Qaeda ‘helpers’ are present in Bosnia. Speaking to a Sarajevo daily newspaper, Gregorian said, “Certain intelligence agencies consider Bosnia-Hercegovina as one of the Al-Qaeda’s transit points. Additionally, There are sympathizers in the country who are ready to help Al-Qaeda with hiding agents, providing financial support or providing false documents”

As you might know Bosinia is considered to be the birth place of Al Qaeda, and has a distinct connection to 9/11. In fact it is widely accepted in IC circles that Bin Laden frequently tripped through the Bosinian countryside in the mid-nineties during the Clinton Administration. As a matter of fact as the left likes to blame Bush for Al Qaeda in Iraq, a better and more substantiated argument could be made that Clinton by way of NATO helped “the cause” of birthing Al Qaeda in Bosina and subsequently to the world by support of Muslim Serbs who Bin Laden was allied with.

This of course is old news as the Republican Party Committee (RPC) in 1997 published a report that said:

“Perhaps most threatening to the SFOR mission - and more importantly, to the safety of the American personnel serving in Bosnia - is the unwillingness of the Clinton Administration to come clean with the Congress and with the American people about its complicity in the delivery of weapons from Iran to the Muslim government in Sarajevo. That policy, personally approved by Bill Clinton in April 1994 at the urging of CIA Director-designate (and then-NSC chief) Anthony Lake and the U.S. ambassador to Croatia Peter Galbraith, has, according to the Los Angeles Times (citing classified intelligence community sources), “played a central role in the dramatic increase in Iranian influence in Bosnia….

Along with the weapons, Iranian Revolutionary Guards and VEVAK intelligence operatives entered Bosnia in large numbers, along with thousands of mujahedin (“holy warriors”) from across the Muslim world. Also engaged in the effort were several other Muslim countries (including Brunei, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Turkey) and a number of radical Muslim organizations. For example, the role of one Sudan-based “humanitarian organization,” called the Third World Relief Agency, has been well documented. The Clinton Administration’s “hands-on” involvement with the Islamic network’s arms pipeline included inspections of missiles from Iran by U.S. government officials… the Third World Relief Agency (TWRA), a Sudan-based, phoney humanitarian organization … has been a major link in the arms pipeline to Bosnia. … TWRA is believed to be connected with such fixtures of the Islamic terror network as Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman (the convicted mastermind behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing) and Osama Bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi ?©migr?© believed to bankroll numerous militant groups. [Washington Post, 9/22/96]“

Dead history? Blame gaming? Not at all. With Mrs Clinton running for President of the United States - which would make th former President the “First husband”, this is definitely a story that needs to be resurrected and discussed openly again.

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged

Abu Shahid - Top Al Qaeda Leader - Captured in Iraq

Jul18
2007 1 Comment Written by MacRanger

While Harry hold’s the “No Snooze until we Loose” Party, the successes on the ground in Iraq continue:

“BAGHDAD (AP) - The U.S. command said Wednesday the highest-ranking Iraqi in the leadership of al-Qaida in Iraq has been arrested, adding that information from him indicates the group’s foreign-based leadership wields considerable influence over the Iraqi chapter.

Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, also known as Abu Shahid, was captured in Mosul on July 4, said Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a military spokesman.

“Al-Mashhadani is believed to be the most senior Iraqi in the al-Qaida in Iraq network,” Bergner said. He said al-Mashhadani was a close associate of Abu Ayub al-Masri, the Egyptian-born head of al-Qaida in Iraq.

Bergner said al-Mashhadani served as an intermediary between al-Masri and Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri.

“In fact, communication between the senior al-Qaida leadership and al- Masri frequently went through al-Mashhadani,” Bergner said.

“Along with al-Masri, al-Mashhadani co-founded a virtual organization in cyberspace called the Islamic State of Iraq in 2006,” Bergner said. “The Islamic State of Iraq is the latest efforts by al-Qaida to market itself and its goal of imposing a Taliban-like state on the Iraqi people.”

In Web postings, the Islamic State of Iraq has identified its leader as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, with al-Masri as minister of war. There are no known photos of al-Baghdadi.

Bergner said al-Mashhadani had told interrogators that al-Baghdadi is a “fictional role” created by al-Masri and that an actor is used for audio recordings of speeches posted on the Web.

“In his words, the Islamic State of Iraq is a front organization that masks the foreign influence and leadership within al-Qaida in Iraq in an attempt to put an Iraqi face on the leadership of al-Qaida in Iraq,” Bergner said.

He said al-Mashhadani was a leader of the militant Ansar al-Sunnah group before joining al-Qaida in Iraq 2 1/2 years ago. Al-Mashhadani served as the al-Qaida media chief for Baghdad and then was appointed the media chief for the whole country.

Al-Qaida in Iraq was proclaimed in 2004 by Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who led a group called Tawhid and Jihad, responsible for the beheading of several foreign hostages, whose final moments were captured on videotapes provided to Arab television stations.

Al-Zarqawi posted Web statements declaring his allegiance to bin Laden and began using the name of al-Qaida in Iraq. Al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Diyala province in June 2006 and was replaced by al-Masri.”

This is a hugh grab and showing just how successful the Surge has been as no doubt Abu Shahid was given up by others who have been captured and detained.

While Harry and other anti-national security types are quick to quirp the “Al Qaeda wasn’t in Iraq” crap, the fact is that is that’s where the majority of them are now and where many have been either killed or captured.

This is what Demcorats are pulling on the Senate floor all that much more traitorous and dangerous to our safety.

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged , ,

Iraq Benchmark Assessment 50/50

Jul12
2007 Leave a Comment Written by MacRanger

The Iraq benchmark assessment required by congress is out today and gives 8 sats and 8 unsats, with a 50/50 on the other two.
The key verses:

“Security: The security situation in Iraq remains complex and extremely challenging. Iraqi and Coalition Forces continue to emphasize population security operations in Baghdad, its environs, and Anbar province to combat extremist networks, and create the space for political reconciliation and economic growth. As a result of increased offensive operations, Coalition and Iraqi Forces have sustained increased attacks in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad, Diyala, and Salah ad Din. Tough fighting should be expected through the summer as Coalition and Iraqi Forces seek to seize the initiative from early gains and shape conditions for longer-term stabilization. These combined operations ‚Äë‚Äë named Operation Phantom Thunder ‚Äë‚Äë were launched on June 15, 2007, after the total complement of surge forces arrived in Iraq. The full surge in this respect has only just begun.

These new operations are targeting primarily al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) havens in Baghdad, Babil, Diyala, and Anbar provinces. While AQI may not account for most of the violence in Iraq, it is the organization responsible for the highest profile attacks, which serve as a primary accelerant to the underlying sectarian conflict. We presently assess that degrading AQI networks in these critical areas ‑‑ together with efforts to degrade Iranian-backed Shi’a extremist networks ‑‑ is a core U.S. national security interest and essential for Iraq’s longer-term stability. Since January of this year, AQI has proven its resiliency and ability to conduct high-profile, mass-casualty attacks, mostly targeting Shi’a population centers through suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (SVBIEDs) attacks. The number of suicide and SVBIED attacks in March and April approached all-time highs, further exacerbating sectarian tension and making political deals more difficult to close. These incidents have shown a decrease in May and June, which may be the result of aggressive Coalition and Iraqi operations into former AQI havens. The surge of additional U.S. forces into these areas allows us to better combat AQI and other terrorists. We should expect, however, that AQI will attempt to increase its tempo of attacks as September approaches ‑‑ in an effort to influence U.S. domestic opinion about sustained U.S. engagement in Iraq.

In Baghdad, an overall decrease in sectarian violence is due in part to intensified Iraqi and Coalition operations focused on population security. An apparent decision earlier this year by the Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) militia to largely stand down its operations appeared to have a temporary effect, but a breakdown in Muqtada al Sadr’s ability to control JAM ‑‑ or elements thereof ‑‑ coinciding with the return of JAM fighters from Iran after receiving training in combat and explosives has spawned a recent increase in attacks on Coalition and Iraqi forces. Iran continues to train, fund, and equip extremist groups, both Shi’a and Sunni, that attack Iraqi and Coalition forces in and around Baghdad and the provinces in southern Iraq. JAM “secret cells” are a major recipient of that assistance ‑‑ and are responsible for some of the most sophisticated attacks on Iraqi and Coalition Forces. As stated in the President’s January 10, 2007, speech announcing the New Way Forward: “We will interrupt the flow of support from Iran. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq.” Operations against these networks are ongoing and will continue.

In Anbar province, the local population is turning against AQI and seeking support from the Coalition. At the same time, U.S. military operations and cooperation with local tribal leaders have created openings for local political compromise and more effective civilian assistance. To reinforce these early signs of success, the President ordered additional U.S. military and civilian resources to Anbar. The trends have remained positive. The provincial government ‚Äë‚Äë for the first time in a year ‚Äë‚Äë is now able to meet in the province and recently approved a comprehensive provincial budget that appropriates virtually all of its $107 million allocation for capital expenditures. Attack levels have reached a 2‚Äëyear low and some families that had fled Anbar are beginning to return. These developments have been noted in other primarily Sunni areas of Iraq, such as Salah ad-Din province, and areas around Baquba, in Diyala province, where efforts are underway to build on the Anbar experience.

The ISF continues to show slow progress. ISF capability is increasing, but further ISF proficiency, improved logistics, and expanded forces are needed in order to assume more responsibility from Coalition Forces. Comprehensive data and statistics on the ISF — including its projected growth — can be found in the report Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq, submitted quarterly to Congress by the Department of Defense, pursuant to Section 9010 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2007 (Public Law 109-289). It should be noted that Iraqi Security Forces bear the brunt of attacks from insurgents and terrorists. Despite casualty rates two to three times that of Coalition Forces, Iraqi Security Forces continue to fight bravely for their country.”

No doubt the ultimate key to success is security. Though training an effective force (military, police) takes time, the fact is that the onus is on them to respond to the training and on their leaders to reduce corruption which is still an issue, especially with police units.

Another key is to win the populace’s hearts and minds and turn them against Al Qaeda. While we can troop surge to the cows come home, the fact is that when the people of Iraq turn on Al Qaeda - such as in Anbar, we will see rapid success.

The long and the short is that this report DOES show progress. General Patraeus and the troops have only been on the ground a few months and from all accounts making significant progress.

All in all I give the report and the progress so far a C+.

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged , ,

Al Qaeda in US?

Jul11
2007 Leave a Comment Written by MacRanger

Well, we’ve known that for a while, but according to ABC’s Brian (got my ear on the wall) Ross, it’s gotten a bit more dire:

” Senior U.S. intelligence officials tell ABC News new intelligence suggests a small al Qaeda cell is on its way to the United States, or may already be here.

The White House has convened an urgent multi-agency meeting for Thursday afternoon to deal with the new threat.

Top intelligence and law enforcement officials have been told to assemble in the Situation Room to report on:

-what steps can be taken to minimize or counter the threat,

-and what steps are being taken to harden security for government buildings and personnel.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told the Chicago Tribune editorial board on Tuesday he had “a gut feeling” that an attack was coming.

“We do worry about whether they are rebuilding their capabilities,” Chertoff said. “We strike at them; we degrade them; but they rebuild.”

“It suggests they have information that the cell or cells coming this direction want to attack a government facility,” Brad Garrett, a former FBI agent and ABC News consultant, said.

Law enforcement officials say the recent failed attacks in London have provided important new clues about possible tactics.”

Nothing like good intel, although this is really sketchy, and it’s hard to pin down the exact stream of chatter. ¬† Chertoff brings up one important point and that is that we can never let up on hammering Al Qaeda around the world for just as any other enemy, if you do they can and most often do rebuild.

Of course this doesn’t faze “got me fingers in me ears” types like Larry Johnson, who after all told us in 2001 we had nothing to worry about Al Qaeda just months before 9/11.

Or this idiot who thinks the only enemy America has is homophobes.

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