Saddam's Agents, Militants Plan 'Vicious' Poll Attacks
Jan 16, 12:30 PM (ET)
By Michael Georgy
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein's former agents are funding a sophisticated
alliance with foreign Muslim militants to carry out vicious attacks on polling
stations during Iraq's elections, the deputy prime minister said on Sunday.
Barham Salih said intelligence gathered from dozens of Saddam's former
intelligence and army officers and foreign fighters arrested in the past week
points to a major offensive during the polls.
Members of Saddam's toppled Baath Party and foreign militants inspired by al
Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his key ally in Iraq, Jordanian militant Abu
Musab al-Zarqawi, may have suffered setbacks but have plenty of cash.
"We do have, I think, some good ideas about what they are planning to do as a
way of attacking polling stations and creating an insecure environment to
prevent the population from going to the polling stations," he told Reuters in
an interview.
"They have vicious plans to derail the process. Bin Laden recently came out
with a very clear statement that he does not want elections to be held in
Iraq."
Iraq's U.S.-backed government is pinning its hopes on the Jan. 30 elections to
usher in a new era of democracy after decades of Saddam's iron-fisted rule.
But security fears have overshadowed the political process.
"We are dealing with a tough, mindless, determined, resourceful enemy that
wants to deny us that basic right of going to the polling station to decide the
future of this country," said Salih, a former Kurdish exile in Washington and
London.
Iraqi security forces will limit the movement of cars in cities and between
provinces and possibly impose curfews in trouble spots.
"Iraqi forces will assume the lead responsibility in terms of protection for
the polling stations. The multinational forces will be elsewhere but they could
be called upon should help be needed," he said.
PLENTY OF CASH
A U.S. offensive on the western city of Falluja captured the main rebel
stronghold but insurgents have pressed on with suicide bombings and
assassinations in the run-up to the elections to choose a 275-member national
assembly that will draft a constitution.
Salih said Saddam loyalists escaped a U.S.-led invasion in 2003 with large
amounts of cash now being used to fund a close alliance with foreign militants
that is focusing on the northern city of Mosul and Baghdad after the Falluja
battle.
He repeated the Iraqi government accusation that some rebel leaders are
operating out of neighboring countries such as Syria. Damascus has said it is
doing its best to prevent guerrillas crossing the border to Iraq.
"In Iraq we have a lethal alliance between former Saddamists and these global
Jihadists. Saddam Hussein's people have taken a lot of money from the Iraqi
treasury. We know of the existence of many of these leaders from the former
regime in countries like Syria," he said.
"The former regime elements and these global Jihadists are working together,
coordinating attacks and helping each other to instigate terrorist activities
across the country."
Zarqawi, the man blamed for many of the worst bombings, is still on the run.
Salih said Zarqawi was working with Saddam's former henchmen in a highly
structured organization that includes former Iraqi special forces.
"We do see a high level of coordination between the former regime loyalists and
Zarqawi and the surrogate organizations as part of a coordinated campaign of
cooperation, intelligence, providing logistics back and forth," he said.
"The picture that is emerging is that there is a high command for these
terrorist activities. The bulk of the terrorist operations that we have to deal
with come from the former regime loyalists."
Despite setbacks, insurgents have regrouped ahead of the elections. But Salih,
a candidate on a Kurdish list in the polls, said Iraqis had no choice but to
vote.
"We will build a vibrant, democratic system of government that will transform
Iraq from the land of mass graves and tyranny into the land of peace and rule
of law," said Salih.
"My personal ambition at the moment is to make sure elections will happen and
will be free and fair and to disprove the contention that the Middle East
cannot be ruled but by tyranny."
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| Title: Re: Saddam's Agents, Militants Plan 'Vicious' Poll Attacks |
17 Jan 2005 08:59:17 PM |
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Oui, exactement !!!!
C'est le commencemt de la fin
La fin du Moyen Age
C'est un fait accompli
Mars 2005
Au revoir mon ami !!!!!
La bouche de la v=E9rit=E9 - D=E9j=E0 Vu Le Proph=E9te
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
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