Baath Party rebuilds hidden power in Iraq

Knight Ridder ^ | Sep. 26, 2004 | Hannah Allam

[Tailgunner Joe]

The 52-year-old professor, who did not want his name used, said his American colleagues mistakenly believed that Saddam's capture in December was the end of the Baathist movement in Iraq. Instead, he continued, that was just when party members in Iraq started reconciling with powerful Baathists in Damascus, Syria, and Amman, Jordan.

The result was the return to Iraq of a handful of prominent exiled Iraqi members, who created a shadowy, neo-Baathist organization called ``Al-Islah,'' Arabic for ``The Reform.'' The group held a conference in London in early spring, according to news accounts of the private meeting and sources familiar with the participants.

``This conference . . . stressed one thing: that there is no difference between the Baath Party and the resistance,'' the professor said. ``They are equal.''

The most brazen announcement of the Baathist resurgence came April 7, the 57th anniversary of the party. A statement posted on the Internet lamented that the holiday would be celebrated under occupation. It also made clear members' plans to take back western Iraq's Anbar province, home of the flash point Sunni towns of Al-Fallujah and Ar-Ramadi.

``The Baath Party and resistance are to implement a series of military operations against the U.S. Marines newly situated in western Iraq,'' the announcement read.

The same week, the hostility between Al-Fallujah fighters and U.S.-led forces erupted into a full-scale uprising and a bloody, monthlong siege on the city by the Marines. By the time it was over, the Marines had effectively ceded control of Al-Fallujah to a loosely connected band of Islamist extremists and former Baathists. The entire province is now a ``no-go'' zone for foreigners, particularly Americans.

Neo-Baathists describe the Al-Fallujah ending as a victory, and they are using the model to recruit new members or woo former Baathists back into the fold.

[wretchard]

This is expected and entirely natural. The "Ba'athists" are out of power and will never regain it, not in the least because the Shi'ites won't let them. That's the way it was designed to work and that's the way it is working.

[MNJohnnie]

Sure. Wonder if the "Source" for this "resurgent Baathist" story is the same one that gave See BS their forged Bush Guard documents?

Doesn't it EVER occur to these "journalists" that their "unnamed sources" are NOT reporting news but merely repeating rumor and innuendo? This is NOT news, it hearsay.
This story would get an F in a High School Journalism class. The Editor who allowed this to run should be fired for gross incompetence.

[Gigantor]

By the time it was over, the Marines had effectively ceded control of Al-Fallujah to a loosely connected band of Islamist extremists and former Baathists.

I wish someone would explain to me why we ceded this area instead of crushing them...

[noodler]

If one wouldst dip one's toe into this mess over any many years one is relieved of toe and perhaps foot and more.There was distinct pattern and collaberation amongst terrorists that finally attacked this Country in such grand murderous,anti-God,anti-Allah fashion that Our Country has to become involved and we are not perfect.

[MNJohnnie]

the time it was over, the Marines had effectively ceded control of Al-Fallujah to a loosely connected band of Islamist extremists and former Baathists.
I wish someone would explain to me why we ceded this area instead of crushing them

If you crush them, the survivors scurry away to find new holes to hide in like they did in Afghanistan. If you allow them the illusion of success, you localize them. Notice they Terrorists only can operate successfully in 3 of 18 Iraqi provinces and is not spreading? Notice that weekly drop a couple of bombs and kill off 10-20 Terroririst in Fallujah? Fallujah is a tar baby the Terrorists have hugged to their breasts. They have to defend it to avoid a massive political and propaganda defeat and by defending it, they localize themselves in a fixed area and seriously diminish their threat to the rest of the country. Fallaujah was not a Victory for the Terrorists, it was a defeat. A defeat they are still paying the price for daily.

[Jeeper]

"By the time it was over, the Marines had effectively ceded control of Al-Fallujah to a loosely connected band of Islamist extremists and former Baathists. The entire province is now a ``no-go'' zone for foreigners, particularly Americans."

I guess this guy missed the part about the Marines being ordered to leave only after killing thousands and pinning the survivors against a river crying for a cease fire. These press guys never get it. Just because he has not seen or heard of US Troops within Fallujah doesn't mean they aren't there. Somebody is identifying targets within Fallujah.

"...is now a `no-go' zone for foreigners"

The place is a crap hole. Nobody went there before the war.

[Gigantor]

If you crush them, the survivors scurry away to find new holes to hide in like they did in Afghanistan. If you allow them the illusion of success, you localize them. Notice they Terrorists only can operate successfully in 3 of 18 Iraqi provinces and is not spreading? Notice that weekly drop a couple of bombs and kill off 10-20 Terroririst in Fallujah? Fallujah is a tar baby the Terrorists have hugged to their breasts. They have to defend it to avoid a massive political and propaganda defeat and by defending it, they localize themselves in a fixed area and seriously diminish their threat to the rest of the country. Fallaujah was not a Victory for the Terrorists, it was a defeat. A defeat they are still paying the price for daily. I thank you for the explanation. Now, I wish that the MSM would explain this to the American people - somehow I don't think this wish will be fulfilled...

[Ptarmigan]

I suspect the Baathists if they fail may go to Syria and join their Nazis bretherens.