Los Angeles Times
Ex-Baathists Play Crucial Insurgent Role, U.S. Says
By John Hendren
Times Staff Writer
January 11, 2005
TIKRIT, Iraq - U.S. military commanders say a new assessment of the Iraqi
insurgency has led them to focus on 34 former Baath Party leaders who they
believe are financing and directing attacks against American troops and
their allies.
Army Gen. John P. Abizaid and other senior Defense officials interviewed in
Iraq said much of the insurgent violence was being carried out by a network
of regional cells that loosely coordinate their operations with former
officials of Saddam Hussein's ruling party.
Insurgent leaders often operate out of Syria and Hussein's hometown of
Tikrit, officials said.
"There is a level of tactical coordination and direction that still comes
from the remnants of the Baath Party, and I believe a certain amount of this
tactical coordination effort is orchestrated from Syria," said Abizaid, the
Central Command chief who is directing the war in Iraq.
Military officials have conceded that they have limited information on the
insurgency due to a lack of reliable intelligence reports. In some cases,
unconfirmed tips have come from questionable sources. In others, the
information is too dated to allow U.S. forces to track suspected insurgent
leaders, officials said.
But military leaders said they had been receiving more tips on the
insurgency and higher-quality reports in recent weeks.
"We have focused the intelligence system on these 34 guys in the belief that
if there is an emerging leadership structure for the former regime element
movement that these 34 guys will be holding the reins," said another senior
military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The new information has allowed military strategists to better discern the
face of the insurgency, officials said, and has painted a portrait of
guerrillas led by former regime officials who are predominantly Sunni
Muslim.
U.S. military officials say recent evidence suggested that former members of
Hussein's elite fighting units have been involved in attacks on U.S. troops.
"We see that a lot of the attacks that are going on right now show evidence
that they were planned and executed by those who had a military background,"
said Air Force Brig. Gen. Erv Lessel, a deputy to Gen. George W. Casey, the
top U.S. commander in Iraq. "There are some former Republican Guard and
Special Republican Guard that are involved in these attacks."
U.S. military officials say the insurgency appears to lack a central leader,
although they believe that former Gen. Izzat Ibrahim, one of Hussein's top
aides, has directed many attacks against the U.S.-led coalition in the
Tikrit area.
"There are former regime element organizational meetings. But there is no
sort of grand pooh-bah that sits atop of this thing. There's no Saddam-like
figure to whom they have allegiance and who is in overall charge of the
insurgency," a senior defense official said.
Citing intelligence reports, senior U.S. military officials said Ibrahim and
other former Baath Party members met near the Syrian border in November to
plan strategy.
Also present at that meeting, officials said, were Mahdi Nasr Ubeidi, who
supervises financial dealings; Mohammed Younis, who has acted as Ibrahim's
assistant from a base east of Baghdad; Ahmed Hassan Kaka, an insurgent
leader in the northern city of Kirkuk; Ramadan Zaidan Jaburi, Kaka's
assistant; Mohammed Rijab Haddushi Nasser, the leader of the group's
operations in Tikrit and nearby Baiji; and Yassir Sabawi Ibrihim Hassan, a
courier.
The Baathist leaders are believed to be financing the insurgency with
billions of dollars that Hussein officials allegedly grabbed from government
coffers in the final days before the government fell, officials said.
Abizaid and other military strategists believe that leaders of these groups
also determine tactics to be used against coalition and Iraqi forces.
U.S. efforts to find insurgent leaders have been hampered by Syria,
officials said.
"We have been very clear to the Syrians about our unhappiness about Baathist
cells operating from Syria. They have access to money, and they have access
to smuggling routes," Abizaid said.
The Bush administration has been sternly warning Syria to stop the movement
of fighters and smugglers across its borders and crack down on militants
using its territory. This month, Deputy Secretary of State Richard L.
Armitage visited the Syrian capital, Damascus, to deliver that message as
well as other U.S. demands.
Congress has voted to impose sanctions on Syria, but the administration has
so far picked the mildest penalty authorized by the law. The president has
hinted at a tougher stance, but Armitage told U.S.-run Al Hurra television
that Bush had not yet made a decision.
"He's waiting to see the outcome of Syrian behavior over a length of time
and then will make a decision on what to do," Armitage said.
Syrian officials based in Washington could not be reached for comment but
have said in response to earlier criticism that they have redoubled efforts
to police their borders in response to concerns from the interim Iraqi
government and the Bush administration.
It remains unclear exactly how closely the Baathist-led groups coordinate
with foreign Islamic extremists such as Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian who
has proclaimed himself the leader of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda organization
in Iraq. But the two groups are believed to communicate and work together at
least loosely in what officials describe as a temporary marriage of
convenience.
"I think there is a level of coordination between Zarqawi and some of the
Baathist cells," Abizaid said. "There is a certain amount of coordination at
a rudimentary level that goes on within Iraq. And there is certainly an
organizational network within the Zarqawi terrorist network that shows an
ability to organize terrorist activities across a broad range of targets in
Iraq."
Abizaid warned that former regime leaders who ally themselves with
extremists will not be offered amnesty even if they surrendered their arms.
Most of the leaders are probably not capable of rehabilitation anyway, a
senior military official said. "There are a number of people that are going
to have to die," the official said. "Zarqawi is one of them. He's in the
box. His name's on the list, and you only come off it one way."
Times staff writer Sonni Efron in Washington contributed to this report.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Saddam's men control insurgency in Iraq |
11 Jan 2005 04:35:44 PM |
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How the story changes to suit the mood!
First it was Al Qeada operatives, now it is Saddam's old guard, how
about a bunch of folk against occupation, or is that too democratic
sounding, after all the enemy must be demonised.
Maybe they are all Saddam's doubles, there must be at least 34 of them.
But just to keep it on topic the current Quatrain:
C3Q61. The great band and sect of crusaders, Will be arrayed in
Mesopotamia: Light company of the nearby river, That such law will hold
for an enemy.
LXI. La grande bande et secte crucig=E8re 1, Se dressera en Mesopotamie:
Du proche fleuve compagnie legere, Que telle loi tiendra pour ennemie.
1 crucig=E8re =3D Latin crux-gerens, cross-bearing, ie crusaders.=20
LB
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| User: "R. Foreman" |
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| Title: Re: Saddam's men control insurgency in Iraq |
11 Jan 2005 10:46:01 PM |
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"leigh8bee@optusnet.com.au" <leigh8bee@optusnet.com.au> Spat the Words
How the story changes to suit the mood!
First it was Al Qeada operatives, now it is Saddam's old guard, how
about a bunch of folk against occupation, or is that too democratic
sounding, after all the enemy must be demonised.
Tony needs to read up on occum's razor. It's much much easier for
him to believe in some complex, massive conspiracy of arabs against
the US than something simple like the Iraqis not wanting the US
gov't running their country. Tony is such a dolt, a chip off the
old Bush block.
Maybe they are all Saddam's doubles, there must be at least 34 of them.
But just to keep it on topic the current Quatrain:
C3Q61. The great band and sect of crusaders, Will be arrayed in
Mesopotamia: Light company of the nearby river, That such law will hold
for an enemy.
LXI. La grande bande et secte crucigère 1, Se dressera en Mesopotamie:
Du proche fleuve compagnie legere, Que telle loi tiendra pour ennemie.
1 crucigère = Latin crux-gerens, cross-bearing, ie crusaders.
LB
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| User: "TonyZ2001" |
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| Title: Re: Saddam's men control insurgency in Iraq |
12 Jan 2005 10:38:40 AM |
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"leigh8bee@optusnet.com.au" <leigh8bee@optusnet.com.au> Spat the Words
How the story changes to suit the mood!
First it was Al Qeada operatives, now it is Saddam's old guard, how
about a bunch of folk against >>occupation, or is that too democratic
sounding, after all the enemy must be >>demonised.
You have no idea what you're talking about, from day one of this I have told
you that it was mainly Saddam's forces behind these actions, yes they are being
helped by Al Qeada, but the main force is made up of Saddam loyalists.
Tony
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| User: "TonyZ2001" |
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| Title: Re: Saddam's men control insurgency in Iraq |
12 Jan 2005 10:41:59 AM |
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"R. Foreman" >eidpers@anti-spam.comcast.net
Tony needs to read up on occum's razor. It's much much easier for
him to believe in some complex, massive conspiracy of arabs against
the US than something simple like the Iraqis not wanting the US
gov't running their country. Tony is such a dolt, a chip off the
old Bush block.
You're completely clueless, the majority of Iraqi's are glad that the US
unseated Saddam and that we are there to try to stabilize the country and help
set up elections.
Approx. 20% of Iraq is Sunni and loyal to Saddam, this is the only force
fighting against the US.
In other words 80% of Iraqi's are behind US forces being there on a temporary
basis.
You and your ilk are in league with those who are loyal to Saddam.
Tony
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| User: "R. Foreman" |
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| Title: Re: Saddam's men control insurgency in Iraq |
13 Jan 2005 10:44:31 AM |
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(TonyZ2001) Spat the Words
"R. Foreman" >eidpers@anti-spam.comcast.net
Tony needs to read up on occum's razor. It's much much easier for
him to believe in some complex, massive conspiracy of arabs against
the US than something simple like the Iraqis not wanting the US
gov't running their country. Tony is such a dolt, a chip off the
old Bush block.
You're completely clueless, the majority of Iraqi's are glad that the US
unseated Saddam and that we are there to try to stabilize the country
and help set up elections.
Approx. 20% of Iraq is Sunni and loyal to Saddam, this is the only force
fighting against the US.
Now that you raise the issue, let's talk about the stupidity
of unseating the leader of Iraq who was holding together such
disparate groups which hated one another. In your own words, it
was a completely stupid thing to do.
In other words 80% of Iraqi's are behind US forces being there on a
temporary basis.
You and your ilk are in league with those who are loyal to Saddam.
Tony
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| User: "MonsieurStat" |
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| Title: Re: Saddam's men control insurgency in Iraq |
11 Jan 2005 07:12:05 PM |
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Soon it's going to be Syria, and then Iran, and in a more distant future,
Canada and Australia when their turn will come to be invaded.
Stat.
<leigh8bee@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:1105482944.281842.207430@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
How the story changes to suit the mood!
First it was Al Qeada operatives, now it is Saddam's old guard, how
about a bunch of folk against occupation, or is that too democratic
sounding, after all the enemy must be demonised.
Maybe they are all Saddam's doubles, there must be at least 34 of them.
But just to keep it on topic the current Quatrain:
C3Q61. The great band and sect of crusaders, Will be arrayed in
Mesopotamia: Light company of the nearby river, That such law will hold
for an enemy.
LXI. La grande bande et secte crucigère 1, Se dressera en Mesopotamie:
Du proche fleuve compagnie legere, Que telle loi tiendra pour ennemie.
1 crucigère = Latin crux-gerens, cross-bearing, ie crusaders.
LB
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| User: "TonyZ2001" |
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| Title: Re: Saddam's men control insurgency in Iraq |
12 Jan 2005 10:36:42 AM |
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MonsieurStat"
wrote:
Soon it's going to be Syria, and then Iran, >and in a more distant future,
Canada and Australia when their turn will >come to be invaded.
Stat.
You've now exposed yourself to be a total clown.
Tony
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| User: "WH" |
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| Title: Re: Saddam's men control insurgency in Iraq |
12 Jan 2005 02:30:51 AM |
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TonyZ2001 wrote:
Los Angeles Times
Ex-Baathists Play Crucial Insurgent Role, U.S. Says
By John Hendren
Times Staff Writer
January 11, 2005
Make your mind up pantyboy willya. You've claimed it was everyone else
and their granny except Iraqi's so far. Iran, Syria, Al Qaeda
etc...apparantly all the Iraqi's until now have been very welcoming and
nice to the invading vermin. Now suddenly it's the Iraqi's. Do us a
favour then will you...stop referring to these people who are dying to
rid their country of this American scourge as terrorists. After all, as
far as you're concerned anyone fighting for their
country/president/dictator/monkey is a hero aren't they? Whether
they're right or wrong! So let's see a change in your language from now
on. In future you refer to Iraqi's as freedom fighters...ok?
WH
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