U.S. General Says Qaeda, Iraq Links May Be Growing
Jan 25, 8:34 AM (ET)
By Michael Georgy
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The top U.S. military commander in Iraq said Sunday there
was evidence ties might be growing between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein
loyalists waging a bloody insurgency in the country.
"What you see is a lot of fingerprints in terms of the tactics and techniques
and procedures that are being employed. We are working very hard to establish
whether there are today positive links," Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez said in an
interview.
"We believe that those links may be growing."
Sanchez said the devastating car bombings against Western troops had raised
fears that the al Qaeda network had a hand in the bloodshed.
"It is the frequency of the attacks and the types of attacks that are being
conducted. You have Nassiriya, you have Karbala, quite complex attacks with car
bombs," he said.
"Those are typically tactics al Qaeda has been using. That causes us to look
with a little bit more focus, trying to establish what their operating
capability is in the country."
Violence has gripped Iraq since U.S.-led troops toppled Saddam in April and
then set out to stabilize the country. Guerrillas have killed 240 American
soldiers since major combat was declared over on May 1.
The lethal bombings against the United Nations and U.S.-backed Iraqi police, as
well as the grenade and roadside bomb attacks on U.S. troops, have fueled
suspicions that Islamist foreign fighters have joined forces with Iraqi
guerrillas.
Such an alliance would be a new one. The secular nature of Saddam's Iraq ran
counter to the radical Muslim views of groups like Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda.
U.S. military officials say foreign fighters have crossed over the Syrian
border into Iraq.
"There are some. We are still finding them and killing them here in the
country. We know they are operating in small numbers here in the country. That
continues at a steady pace," said Sanchez.
Speaking after bombings killed six U.S. soldiers over the weekend, he said he
was concentrating on "a terrorist extremist element that may be beginning to
get a foothold" in Iraq. "That's what we have to work very hard to eliminate,"
he said.
TOP BAATHIST STILL AT LARGE
After arresting most of the Iraqi officials on a list of the 55 most wanted,
U.S. troops are eager to track down Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, a top Baath Party
hard-liner believed to be directing some of the guerrilla attacks on the
occupying forces.
"He is hiding just like Saddam was. We are hot on his trail. We are hot on the
trail of all the former regime element leadership that is still out there,"
said Sanchez.
"I am sure there are still former regime elements out there that are involved
in this."
Security issues have acquired added urgency to the U.S. preparations to hand
over power to Iraqis by July. Their plans for regional caucuses to select a
transitional assembly have met strong opposition from Iraq's most powerful
Shi'ite cleric, who insists on direct elections.
Asked if he thought Iraq was stable enough to handle a power handover, Sanchez
said engagements with guerrillas had eased off.
"When you are talking about less than 20 engagements across this entire country
on any given day, that's the average that we are experiencing right now. We are
focused on providing a security that will be necessary to have either the
caucus method or elections," he said.
"We will be working very hard with the Coalition Provisional Authority and the
Iraqi people to make sure that security is there for this democratic process to
evolve."
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| User: "tw" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. General Says Qaeda, Iraq Links May Be Growing |
27 Jan 2004 05:18:12 AM |
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"TonyZ2001" <tonyz2001@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040126094858.17180.00000862@mb-m03.aol.com...
U.S. General Says Qaeda, Iraq Links May Be Growing
Jan 25, 8:34 AM (ET)
By Michael Georgy
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The top U.S. military commander in Iraq said Sunday
there
was evidence ties might be growing between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein
loyalists waging a bloody insurgency in the country.
Well, I'm sure they're turning up there NOW, the pertinent question is were
there any links before? Doesn't look like it...
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| User: "Grantland" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. General Says Qaeda, Iraq Links May Be Growing |
26 Jan 2004 10:55:24 AM |
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(TonyZ2001) wrote:
U.S. General Says Qaeda, Iraq Links May Be Growing
Jan 25, 8:34 AM (ET)
By Mikey Georgious
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The top U.S. military commander in Iraq said Sunday there
was evidence ties might be growing between al Qaeda and patriotic resistance-fighters waging a bloody insurgency in the country.
Was it Sitting Bull or Crazy Horse who remarked (of Custer): "They
were looking for it; they came for it, they wanted it: And we let them
have it!"
Grantland
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. General Says Qaeda, Iraq Links May Be Growing |
26 Jan 2004 05:48:04 PM |
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In article <20040126094858.17180.00000862@mb-m03.aol.com>, (TonyZ2001) wrote:
U.S. General Says Qaeda, Iraq Links May Be Growing
Jan 25, 8:34 AM (ET)
By Michael Georgy
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The top U.S. military commander in Iraq said Sunday there
was evidence ties might be growing between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein
loyalists waging a bloody insurgency in the country.
I would expect that - "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". I believe that was
one of the things being alluded to in intelligence warnings of the repercussions
of Saddam's downfall if we attacked.
Woods
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