What Makes Bush Upbeat about a US Victory in Iraq?

DEBKAfile Exclusive Middle East Report ^ | June 28, 2005

[strategofr]

The speech US President George W. Bush makes Tuesday, June 28, at the elite 82nd Airborne Division’s home at Fort Bragg, N.C. is fraught with symbolism. The venue is the home base of the division that has born the brunt of the two-and-a half year Iraq war. The date is the first anniversary of the transfer of post-Saddam government to Iraqi sovereignty. One year ago, US administrator Paul Bremer handed the keys of government to interim prime minister Iyad Allawi amid high hopes of a new Iraq.

Allawi remains Washington’s key man in Baghdad, even after the January general election produced a new administration headed by prime minister Ibrahim Jaafari and president Jalal Talabani. The Bush administration is counting on him heavily to eventually find a way out of the Iraqi insurgency and its supportive Arab terror campaign and put an end to guerrilla-terror war that has claimed 1,715 Americans lives and left an Iraqi death toll estimated in tens of thousands. Since the incumbent government took office in April, more than 1000 have been killed, most of them Iraqis.

But as Bush assures Americans that their country will win the war, Allawi, according to DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources, is playing a supporting role in Amman, Jordan. There, he is running a negotiating marathon with batch after batch of Sunni tribal leaders, guerrilla commanders – some as menacing as the al Qaeda-linked Ansar al Islam – and senior Sunni clerics. His mission is to broker an end to the violence plaguing Iraq. (Ansar al Islam was seriously discomfited by the publication of these contacts and made haste to reaffirm its individed dedication to jihad.)

According to our sources, Allawi embarked on the most intensive phase of his Amman talks Saturday, June 25, after secret preparatory visits to two Arab capitals – Damascus, June 23, to see Syrian president Bashar Assad, and Cairo Friday, June 24 for talks with Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. His purpose was to enlist their aid in stopping Iraq’s guerrilla war. The former Iraqi premier was provided with a special plane by the United Arab Emirates which is chipping in with funding for his US-backed peace mission.

The Iraqi mediator left Damascus empty handed.

Assad again spurned the umpteenth demand to seal Syria’s borders against the outflow to Iraq of the Arab fighters, weapons, explosives and money fueling the insurgency. He likewise refused to shut down the al Qaeda and pro-Saddam Baath senior command posts and training camps operating out of Syria’s main cities. Allawi and Assad never got along. But the Syrian ruler made a deliberate gesture of ill will by immediately inviting Allawi’s great political rival Iraqi president Jalal Talabani to visit Damascus in the coming days. The invitation was also meant as a hint to Iraqi Arabs and Sunnis that the Americans and the former prime minister were not the only options on the board.

In Cairo, Allawi was warmly welcomed. Mubarak not only promised assistance for a negotiated accommodation to pacify Iraq, but there and then, picked up the phone and ordered Arab League secretary Amr Mussa to put the entire organization behind the Allawi mission.

In Amman, the Shiite politician is at home.

DEBKA-Net-Weekly 210 of June 17 was the first world publication to disclose the Hashemite royal palace’s deep involvement on Washington’s behalf in the secret track running between US and guerrilla commanders. King Abdullah has placed his own national security adviser General Saad Kheir in charge of the Jordanian liaison officers carrying messages back and forth between the parties.

But in the five months since these Amman-based exchanges began, little has been achieved. Worst of all, the level of violence has not diminished, but the reverse.

So how does Bush see Allawi proceeding next?

According to DEBKAfile sources, mid-July has been set as the deadline for the Iraqi politician to wind up his negotiations with the Sunni guerrillas. That is supposed to give him time to organize a Sunni Arab Congress that will bring together 250 delegates of all the Sunni factions, parties and guerrilla groups. Their attendance will serve as a ticket to Iraq’s mainstream political process. Whereas Allawi is a secular Shiite outside government, he has enlisted a reliable and solid collaborator inside the cabinet: Sunni defense minister Saadoun al-Duleimi.

DEBKAfile’s Iraq experts believe that, even if Allawi brings the entire maneuver off, there is no guarantee that guerrilla operations will instantly cease or even abate. A decline may be expected – but only over a period of time.

Our experts support the US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s gloomy assessment as more realistic than the president’s optimism. Sunday, June 26, two days before the Bush keynote speech at For Brag, Rumsfeld remarked that insurgencies tend to go on for six, eight, 10, 12 years. He reflected the grim testimony US Middle East commander Gen John Abizaid offered the Senate’s Armed Services Committee when he reported that the Iraqi insurgency was still running with the same intensity and foreign fighters joining the war at the same level as six months ago.

DEBKAfile’s Iraq experts add three points to bolster these estimates:

1. While Allawi has been in contact with Sunni figures one way or another for a year, starting during his term as prime minister, the level of insurgent attacks has not been affected. Their leaders have found they can keep shooting and talking at the same time.

2. All the Bush administration’s efforts to topple the Assad regime and create a new political environment in Damascus that would stem the flow of Arab aid to Iraq are turning into long-term endeavors. Results could take months or even years and meanwhile the Syrian lifeline to the Iraqi insurgency is functioning full blast.

3. The Baghdad administration’s conduct of state affairs is increasingly detrimental to Sunni Arab interests. The Kurds and the Shiites who dominate the government are progressively expanding self-rule in their respective territories in ways that constrict the Sunni region around Baghdad, leave them with sparse crumbs of the country’s oil resources, and no access to the sea or Europe.

[strategofr]

Allawi is absolutely top notch, in my opnion. Unfortunately, he had to expend too much political captial standing firm on the First Iraqi Election date while Bush silently waffled and presumably considered backing down. While Allawi won that absolutely critical battle, in my opinion it cost him the chance to win the election itself, by marking him as too much of a "US guy".

It sounds like he is keeping communications open, anyway, which is good. It is also good to see we have good support from Egypt and Jordan here.

I have also been happy to catch references to Iraqi tanks in the media (connected with their infantry.) I have been pushing for this for a long time. We need more Iraqi tanks, Iraqi artillery, and some limited Iraqi air support too. This will boost their confidence and move them forward in their ability to take over.

There is obviously some theoretical risk of attack on Americans by terrorists who infiltrate into the Iraqi army, but that can be minimized by careful vetting. There is no way around it, we cannot give the Iraqis the power to confront the terrorists without making them dangerous in general. I think we should have more empahisis on arming the Iraqis more heavily now, and move away from this exclusive emphasis on developing infrantry prowess.

The other thing we need to do is give the Iraqis the green light to start kicking the media out of the country. The Iraqi armed forces cannot perform as perfectly as the US armed forces, and there will be some ancillary civilian casualties, especailly since the terrorists plan it that way. The Iraqis cannot succeed with TV cameras there and the TV cameras need to be removed. We should make it clear we have no objection to this and it is their sovereign right.

In addition, we need to beef up Iraqi intelligence immediatley. I think we should be brutally honest here and admit that our own intelligence service (CIA) is faulty and in the middle of a major housecleaning. British intelligence (MI6) is far superior to ours and should be given the job of training the Iraqis. In addition, British intelligence, as well as thier special forces (such as SAS) has a successful, mult-decade experience of dealing with the IRA terrorists and so can transfer experience to help with Iraqi terror.

[My2Cents]

Uh, maybe because we're winning?

[bnelson44]

Why would a jewish news site know all this first?

[Jeff Head]

We need to tell Assad directly that either he shuts down the support to the insurgents, or he will find a JDAM in his near term future and we will deal with someone who will shut it down...and keep cycling through them uinti we find one who will.

By not doing so, he is allying himself with the enemy and acting as a state sponsor to them.

[marron]

A couple of years back, we beat the unbeatable Afghans by allying ourselves with them; we helped the Afghans defeat their enemies.

This is how we do it in Iraq, by allying ourselves with the Iraqis. With this in mind, its possible to look back and find ways we might have done it better, but the fact remains that this is what we have to do, this is what we are doing, and step by step we are getting there.

We train their people, attach our people to work with them shoulder to shoulder, but we make it their war, which we help them win.

Oh, and start planning to take Assad down hard.

[elhombrelibre]

Israel has had to have excellent intelligence service to survive. Having said that, I would not call Debka a news site or an intelligence service.

[strategofr]

"Why would a jewish news site know all this first?"

First, I have to say its not exactly a "news" site. While their accuracy seems good to me, and I beleive they are being as accurate as they can be, the site includes speculation.

Secondly, while the Israelis are indeed "Jewish", its a bit naive to think they focus on "Jewish" affairs and hence don't know much about "Moslems". Their very survival depends on the highest possible level of knowlege of all things Arab.

[McGavin999]

Well, I can count a number of things they got wrong here, the first being that Talibani is NOT an opponent of Alawi, they're both on the same side.

Alawi is a good man and I have no doubt that he'll eventually be the President of Iraq.

The other thing that really gave me a laugh was the comment about Bush waffleing. Anyone who believes that has a real problem.

[wildcatf4f3]

ya wanna make an omlette....

[bnelson44]

Sorry, they may care about what happens in Arab lands, but why would Arabs talk to them first and not, say a more neutral or pro-Palestinian source?

[softwarecreator]

I would not call Debka a news site or an intelligence service

Yeah, I used to visit there often, but about 90% of their info was wrong.  The only things they got right were stories that had already been reported on other agencies.  Eventually, i just gave up on them.

[Marine_Uncle]

Getting late and the eyes become bleary, and I will probably hit the sack soon. But a few things perhaps.
1). We are starting to train and supposedly will equipe the new Iraqi Airforce,with choppers, type yet to be named.
In addition as you probably are aware, we also are training a new Iraqi navy to protect their port areas.

2). Yes tanks such as the T55 that are still in operational form are now being used and we have transfered 7 tonner types vehicles to them to be used to transport men and equipment during some of their independent operations. I can envision more of their equipment that still exists will
be put back in service as we build them up.
A lite note: they sure as shit still have at least a 100,00 tons of ordnance we have not found and destroyed. And for all we know a lot may be carefully guarded at this point, say mortar, so that when they are ready for them, they will be made available.

3). Soon according to an article I just read, sorry don't have link, the Iraqi army shall be in control of Mosul area. Eventually allowing for our troops to relocate elsewhere as required, perhaps move a bit west to beef up area in northern Al Anbar below Turkish/Syrian border areas.

4). America has forked over a lot of bucks recently to Egypt as Egypt promised to be a honest broker in the Israeli/Palestinian negotiations.

5). Bashar Assad is shaking in his boots, and plays games because he has no options left. Perhaps he is trying to avoid a bullet in the head from one of his secret police croonies. He has face on humiliation after another for the past some ten years. His wits are running out. As a few folks at this forum who claim intimate knowledge about real allegiances and troop strenghts of the Syrian army have indicated, they may go down real quick if we decided to start targeted the camps mentioned here, amoung other things with cruise missiles. And we really don't know how firm and threatening our DoS and military advisors that interface with Syria may encompass. For all we know they may at this point be informed "really do better or expect some un-pleasant surprises". But of course it is a two edge sword. If Assad falls, Syria turns into a real nut house. Absolutely no control of who does what and who moves where at will. I think the POTUS wants this weak dictator to stay in power but start better eliminating the foreign inflow of goons into Iraq. Assad keeps belly aching they are doing all they can do. So keep applying the pressure.

6). No new news concerning Jordian in my opinion. Dekab has said nothing we did not already know.

7) I totally disagree with what Debka says about the insurgency gaining strenght. There are just to many articles that have been emerging in the past two months that indicated the opposite. We have severly damaged Abu Mussab Al Zarqawi's chain of command. He is on the run. We know this. As how many thousands of Saddamist and intermixed foreign terrorist are gathered up in these many current Army,Marine,Iraqi, and joint operations in which all there work as one, we continue to degrade their ability to build a new ground based, assuming hundreds a month are no longer getting through the newly border check points etc..
The borders are being better patrolled, and more now trained Iraqi security police are being put into place, again, freeing up our Army and Marines to plan and execute additional operations in both Al Anbar and the northern provinces downward into the Sunni Triangle and Triangle of Death AO. It must be noticed, our Marines continue one operation after another between roughtly Ar Ramadi northward along both sides of the Euphrates River to Al Quam area, continuing to round up more Ali Babba and kill em when they try to run or fight.

If this insurgency was so powerfull and well lead we should see literally hundreds of car suicide attacks every week. Hundreds of suicide goons running into crowds and into our humvees and convoys, checkpoints etc., with bombs strapped to their bodies, and platoon size or even company size insurgents attacking our patrols etc.. We see none of this.
What we do see is the continued hit and miss occasional suicide car bomb attacks and find terrorist killing and beating Iraqis as their towns are taken over. Lastly, DEBKA has been watching to much American L/MSM, and their brains are fried.


8). Thanks for the post and your analysis.

[TomasUSMC]

meanwhile the Syrian lifeline to the Iraqi insurgency is functioning full blast.

---

The world will not take us seriously as long as our President stands by and allows, "the Syrian lifeline to the Iraqi insurgency" to continue functioning full blast.

This insane refusal by President Bush, to stand by while thousands of terrorist flood across the Syrian border into Iraq and kill and maim American troops, not to mention Iraqi civilians, reminds the world exactly of the way we allowed the communist to manipulate us in Vietnam, by allowing them use of Cambodia and Laos as Sanctuaries. It reminds them of US losing. It reminds them of the images of the turmoil and weakness of America during and after Vietnam. It reminds them of Carter and Clinton.

And it gives hope to our enemies - who also remember.




Tagline:

[ladyinred]

Uh, maybe because we're winning?

Exactly! The President gets the real reports about the war, not the left wing propaganda the media puts out for the benefit of their Marxist buddies in the Democrat arena.

[strategofr]

"Sorry, they may care about what happens in Arab lands, but why would Arabs talk to them first and not, say a more neutral or pro-Palestinian source?"

No one in the Arab world has a site like the Debka Files, any more than they have a site like Free Republic (as far as I know). They don't have freedom of speech.

[bnelson44]

But CNN has a site, and the Guardian has a site. Why not report it there? Or the London Times?

[strategofr]

"Yeah, I used to visit there often, but about 90% of their info was wrong."

Thanks for the feedback, which I have heard before on Strategy Page. Debka Files looks good to me, I suppose because I don't know enough to refute them. But if its bad info, I should "kick the habit". I suppose they are clever enough not to make it obviously wrong to a certain group of readers.

[strategofr]

"We are starting to train and supposedly will equipe the new Iraqi Airforce,with choppers, type yet to be named."

Extremely good news and glad to hear it.

"Soon according to an article I just read, sorry don't have link, the Iraqi army shall be in control of Mosul area."

Also very encouraging.


"America has forked over a lot of bucks recently to Egypt as Egypt promised to be a honest broker in the Israeli/Palestinian negotiations."

I've noticed they've committed to keeping order in Gaza, apparently. I hope this works, especially being Jewish myself.

"Bashar Assad is shaking in his boots,"

His father was a horror, but he was strong. This guy is weak.

"If this insurgency was so powerfull and well lead we should see ... platoon size or even company size insurgents attacking our patrols etc.."

Appreciate your insight. Might the recent attacks be considered analogous to the Tet Offensive, in terms of the media analogy? The Tet Offensive was supposed to spark a Communist revolution in Vietnam. But the revolution never happened. Communist forces were largely destroyed in the offensive. But it won the war anyway, due to the media effect.

This phase, according to your analysis, indicates weakness in the terrorists. But they win anyway, if they start the American public on the path of retreat.


"Thanks for the post and your analysis."

Glad you liked it.

[strategofr]

"But CNN has a site, and the Guardian has a site."

As others have indicated, Debka Files is quite possibly making some of it up. I find the site interesting, but will have to take the negative feedback on the site into consideration. I haven't used them that much yet, but if I start seeing inaccuracies, I will discontinue reading them. So far, I am not sure.

[chgomac]

Does anybody have the details on "the Deck of Cards"---the 52 most wanted in this war?

I've never understood why the press won't use the cards as a visual so we can celebrate each time we get another one of these most wanted.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

If memory serves, FL_engineer was keeping score for quite awhile . . .

[Modok]

We already won. We are just running crowd control after the game right now.

[chgomac]

Thanks.
Any chance you could post an update on the deck of cards?

[Marine_Uncle]

"Appreciate your insight. Might the recent attacks be considered analogous to the Tet Offensive, in terms of the media analogy? The Tet Offensive was supposed to spark a Communist revolution in Vietnam."

I continue to have a hard time trying to draw analogies between the Vietnam War and the SASO being conducted in Iraq. As has been layed out by so many writers the underlining MO of the enemy is not the same as it was for the North Vietnam henchmen. Their objective was to take over S.V. and obviously to integrate it under the communist regime. A pure political objective.

In both Iraq and Afghanistan we see many different plays for power, simple retaliatory actions due to occupation, the threat of offsetting the cultural and cultic Islamic rule of law, the fear the US wants to take over the oil resources, the ongoing mis-reporting by Immans in Egypt, Saudi Arabia etc., saying the Americans came to rape Muslim women, kill their children and men etc..
We have such a mixed bag. We can't in some ways even equate the resistive actions by foreign elements as representing lets say the arguments voiced by the arab misfits no one wants to be associated with in Palestine, where they continue to claim land rights that where not their's to begin with from a historic viewpoint, etc..
As you are quite aware, the only part of the insurgency that could be from a political standpoint equated perhaps loosely to the Tet Offensive, would be where the Sunni/Baathist/Saddamist hold outs, have no future and continue to resist hoping a freely elected government would not be put in place. Obviously this is beyond their control at this point. The majority, Shiites, and secondly Kurds, made it clear there will be a secular based government put in place that will represent all Iraq, and obviously we now see the Sunni's falling into line. Once that constitution is written, then ratified, then put into place and they proceed with the full federal level election of a new government, all hopes evaporate for the Iraqi based resistance, for somehow defeating the new order in Iraq.
Of course they will continue to resist, unless the government makes life easier on them, offers how should we say, deeper levels of amnesty to those that did not have blood on their hands, which obviouse to us, has been going on for some two years. Just think back in early 2003 where various Baathist college proffesors where left off the hook because they had no choice but to join the party.

So IMHO, I believe the intertwining resistance comprised of Saddamist by association, criminal elements that just are looking for easy ways of making money, the various foreign fighers, and some of the more hostile cleric driven Iraqi groups who side with the resistance, are all just in a rather often haphazard fashion fighting blindly since they have no future. Much like lets say racial tensions in the United States in the 60/70 where race riots where carried out, burning buildings, private property etc.. Acts brought on by sheer despire. I do not see any well organized insurgency under the command of a given central entity.
In the Tet Offensive, clearly there was a central command with a detailed MO. I don't see the same in neither Afghanistan or Iraq as being the case. Perhaps one could apply your analogy to the Talaban issue. But again, obvious, is the fact that there are many different resistance groups fighting for different reasons in A.
In closing. I would just mention. How the heck can the American POTUS or anyone else for that matter, speak in specific terms that provide an all inclusive picture of what we are battleing against to a mostly brain dead society?

[COBOL2Java]

Uh, maybe because we're winning?

Exact same thought I had when I saw the headline!

[strategofr]

"Much like lets say racial tensions in the United States in the 60/70 where race riots where carried out, burning buildings, private property etc.. Acts brought on by sheer despire."

I appreciate the various details of the current struggle that you bring into focus. On one level, your view is accurate.

However, I see things differently on a more fundamental level. Consider Vietnam and the term National Liberation Front (NLF). It is difficult to keep in mind that, initially, the NLF really was a coalition of a wide variety of organizations that, for one reason or another opposed the US presence in Vietnam.

Of course, the nature of such coalitions is that the communists always end up taking control. Or, a more accurate view would be to say that they cosntruct the organization with built-in mechanisms that assure that they will ultimately have control. Of course the term "Communist Front" just now means a communist organization set up for deception. But the initial form was more complex, with not only sincere, deceived individual members, but entire sincere, deceived (duped) organizations.

Likewise, in my above quote of you on race riots. Most participants, and even many leaders, were acting as you say, for a variety of causes. I, however, believe that the race riots were a creation of Hard Left forces in the US, following directives from the Soviet KGB that were similar to directives from the same organization decades earlier. For a variety of reasons, we have a historical record of the early directives (from the 30s and 40s) but not the later ones.

By the same token do I view the situation in Iraq. However, I will agree that things are looser now than they were in the 1960s, 70s. Nonetheless, I still beleive the FSB (nee KGB) still stirs the same pots, using the same spoons.

Along these lines (and in part as a possible way to test my theory), I have a book suggestion for your nephew, the Marine. It is Inside Spetsnaz, by Viktor Suvorov. If he has been or is in Iraq, I predict he will see his current enemy in the pages of this book.

[strategofr]

"Any chance you could post an update on the deck of cards?"

Don't have specifics, but I know things have gone well. Well over half have been "trumped", and the bulk of the higher ranking ones.

[Future Useless Eater]

I know of no recent changes to this, but here's a re-broadcast per your suggestion...

---

Dirty Dozen   Noxious Nine !

...its been FAR too long since we've had one of these!

Recent ADDITIONS :
        2/27/2005 - Sabawi IBRAHIM Hasan al-Tikriti
        Baath Party, Saddam Maternal Half Brother
       
        Captured!

Iraq's 55 9 Most Wanted Scoreboard - - and Freeper additions See the DOD website for photos. Note their joker card has an Iraqi SURNAME explanation         (Revised: 02/27am)
	Name	Position	Status
	Saddam Hussein	President of Iraq/CINC of Military	CAPTURED! 12/14/03
	Qusay Hussein	SSO, SRG & RGFC Commander	KILLED 7/22/03
	Uday Hussein	Saddam Fedayeen Commander [the older "crazy rapist" son]	KILLED 7/22/03
	Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti	Presidential Secretary (WMD Release Authority)	Captured 6/18/03
	Ali Hasan al-Majid [aka: "Chemical Ali"]	Pres. Advisor, Fmr South Reg Cmdr	Captured 8/21/03
	Izzat IBRAHIM al-Duri	Vice Chair of the RCC, North Reg Cmdr	NOT Captured --- AT LARGE $10 Million Reward
	Hani Abd Latif Tilfa al-Tikriti	SSO Director	At large** $1 Million Reward
	Aziz Salih al-Numan	BP Regional Cmdr/Cmdr BP Militia Reg Cmd	Captured 5/22/03 [Earlier reports of his death were bogus]
	Muhammad Hamza al-ZUBAYDI [aka Saddam's "Shiite Thug"]	Central Euphrates Reg Cmdr "One of Saddam's most ruthless war criminals" -Clinton Admin	Captured 4/21/03
	Kamal Mustafa Abdallah Sultan al-Tikriti	RG Secretary General	In Custody 5/17/03
	Barzan Abd al-Ghafur Sulayman Majid al-Tikriti	SRG Commander	Captured 7/23/03
	Muzahim Sa'b Hasan al-Tikriti	Air Defense Force Commander	Captured 4/23/03
	Ibrahim Ahmad Abd al-Sattar Muhammad al-Tikriti	Armed Forces Chief of Staff	Captured 5/12/03
	Sayf al-Din Fulayyih Hassan Taha al-Rawi	RGFC Chief	At large(?)** [or maybe dead? see note2] $1 Million Reward
	Rafi Abd Latif al Tilfah	DGS Director	At large $1 Million Reward
	Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti	IIS Director	At large** $1 Million Reward
	Hamid Raja Shalah al-Tikriti	Air Force Commander	Captured 6/14/03
	Latif Nussayif al-Jasim al-Dulaymi	Dep Chmn Baath Party	Captured 6/10/03
	Abd al Tawab Mullah Huwaysh	OMI Director (WMD Production)	Captured 5/02/03
	Taha Yasin RAMADAN al-Jizrawi	Vice President	Captured 8/19/03
	Rukan Razuki abd al-Ghafar al-Majid Sulayman al-Tikriti	Chief of Tribal Affairs	At large $1 Million Reward
	Jamal Mustafa Abdallah Sultan al-Tikriti	Deputy Chief of Tribal Affairs [Saddam's son-in-law]	In Custody 4/20/03
	Mizban Khadr Hadi	RCC Member, Reg CDR Central Euphrates Region U.S. Army's V Corps headquarters said Mizban Khadr Hadi, ... was captured Thursday [5/01/03] in the area of Baghdad controlled by the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division.	Captured 5/01/03 In Custody 7/09/03
	Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF	Vice President and RCC Member	Captured 5/02/03
	Tariq Mikhail AZIZ	Deputy Prime Minister	In Custody 4/24/03
	Walid Hamid Tawfiq al-Tikriti	Governor of Basrah Governate	In Custody 4/29/03
	Hikmat Mizban Ibrahim al-Azzawi	Dep Prime Minister, Economics & Finance Min.	Captured 4/19/03
	Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai	Minister of Defense	In Custody 9/19/03
	Mahmud Dhiyab al-Ahmad	Minister of the Interior, He was previously reported CAPTURED on July 9th by Centcom	Captured 7/09/03 In Custody 8/09/03
	Ayad Futayyih Khalifa al-Rawi	Al Quds Force Chief of Staff	Captured 6/05/03
	Zuhayr Talib Abd al-Sattar al-Naqib	DMI Director	Captured 4/23/03
	Amir Hamudi Hasan al-Sadi	Presidential Scientific Adviser/NMD Dir Gen [chemical and biological programs]	In Custody 4/12/03
	Amir Rashid Muhammad al-Ubaydi	Former Oil Minister [aka "Missle Man" married to "Dr. Germ"]	In Custody 4/28/03
	Husam Muhammad AMIN al-Yasin	National Monitoring Director	Captured 4/27/03
	Muhammad Mahdi al-Salih	Minister of Trade	Captured 4/23/03
	Sabawi Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti	Baath Party, Saddam Maternal Half Brother	Captured 2/27/2005 ** $1 Million Reward
	Watban Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti	Baath Party, Saddam Half Brother	Captured 4/13/03
	Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti	Baath Party, Saddam Half Brother	Captured 4/16/03
	Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash	Party Youth & Trade Bureau Chairman	In Custody 5/05/03
	Abd al-Baqi abd al-Karim Abdallah al-Sadun	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Baghdad	At large $1 Million Reward
	Muhammad Zimam Abd al-Razzaq al-Sadun	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Ta'mim & Ninawa Gov	Captured 2/15/04 $1 Million Reward
	Samir abd al-Aziz al-Najim	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Diyal Gov.	Captured 4/17/03
	Humam Abd al-Khaliq Abd al-Ghafur	Min of Higher Education & Scientific Research	Captured 4/20/03
	Yahya Abdallah al-Ubaydi	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Basrah Gov.	At large $1 Million Reward
	Sa'd Abd al-Majid al-Faysal	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Salah ad Din Gov.	Captured 5/27/03
	Sayf al-Din al-Mashhadani	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Muthanna Gov.	Captured 5/27/03
	Fadil Mahmud Gharib (aka: Gharib Muhammad Fazel) al-Mashaikh	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Babil/Karbala Gov.	Captured 5/13/03
	Muhsin Khadr al-Khafaji	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Qadasiyah Gov.	Captured 2/09/04 $1 Million Reward
	Rashid Taan Kazim	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Anbar Governate	At large $1 Million Reward
	Ugla Abid Saqr al-Kubaysi	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Maysan Governate	In Custody 5/20/03
	Ghazi Hammud al-Ubaydi	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Wasit Gov.	In Custody 5/07/03
	Adil Abdallah Mahdi	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Dhi Qar Governate	Captured 5/15/03
	Nayif Shindakh Thamir	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia - Salah ad Din Governate Long ago, an Iraqi TV report said he was KILLED in the battle for Najaf. - - - Apparently, Centcom now believes he is dead. NO Jan'04 reward was issued. (Centcom status page still lists him as no status)	[Believed DEAD] As of 1-14-2004, Central Command began quoting Iraqi TV that he was killed.
	Khamis Sirhan al Muhammad { He was first reported captured on August 8th: per FoxNews: "Senior defense officials said Monday morning that No. 54 of the 55 most-wanted Iraqis has been taken into custody -- Khamis Sirhan al Muhammad, a Baath Party chairman and commander of the Baath militia in the Karbala Governate. Muhammad was captured in raids over the weekend, along with another on the wider list of 200."}	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Karbala Governate { CENTCOM never updated him on their website, then in January offered a $1Million reward, and then reported he was captured 1/11/2004.}	Captured 8/04/03 Captured 1/11/04 {this time for SURE!}
	Husayn Al Awadi	BP Chmn & Cmdr BP Militia Ninawa Governate	Captured 6/10/03
- - - Freeper Additions - - - leading al-Qaeda & and Iraqi insurgents [black list of 32]
	"Ace of PIGS" Aka: Usama Bin Muhammad Bin Ladin Wanted for numerous crimes against humanity	At large $25 Million Reward.
	Ayman Al-Zawahiri born: Egypt	*indicted along with Bin Laden by a grand jury in New York in 1999 for embassy bombings, *named as a prime suspect in the 9/11 mass murders *considered to have masterminded several terrorist operations in Egypt. *Al-Zawahiri was sentenced to death in absentia by an Egyptian military court. *Al-Zawahiri is believed to now serve as a spiritual advisor and doctor to Usama Bin Laden	At large $25 Million Reward.
	Saif Al-Adel born: Egypt	*thought to be affiliated with the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, and a high-ranking member of Al-Qaeda. *Al-Adel is wanted in connection with numerous 1998 bombings of US Embassies.	At large $25 Million Reward.
	Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi born: Jordan	*was named as the link between Iraq and Al Qaeda. *believed to be a close associate of Usama Bin Laden and Saif Al-Adel. *A poisons expert; ran a poison and explosives training camp	At large $5 10 Million Reward. increased Feb 2004
	Abdul Rahman Yasin born: Bloomington,IN (US citizen)	Indicted fugitive from 1993 WTC bombing. Has a long history with Iraq	At large $5 Million Reward.
	Mohammed Yunis al-Ahmad	A former top Baath Party official. Wanted for significant anti-coalition activities in Iraq.	At large $1 Million Reward.
	Lt.Gen. Hakam Hassan Ali al-Tikriti	wanted for insurgency activities former commander of the military's helicopter forces and an adviser to the Iraqi General Staff	At large $200,000 Reward.
	Maj.Gen. Ismael al Rawi	wanted for insurgency activities	At large $200,000 Reward.
	Maj.Gen. Fawz Mohammed Mutlak	wanted for insurgency activities	At large $200,000 Reward.
	Nuhad Naji al Azzarsi aka: Nuhad Naji Al Azawai	wanted for insurgency activities	At large $200,000 Reward.
	Ahmed QaQa al Ubaydi aka: Kaka al Ubaydi	wanted for insurgency activities	At large $200,000 Reward.
	Khalid Ahmed Sultan aka: Sultan Ramadan	wanted for insurgency activities	At large $200,000 Reward.
	Ghazwan al Kubaisi aka: Gazwon Sabty Faj al Kobaisy	wanted for insurgency activities	At large $200,000 Reward.
Other Iraqis wanted for insurgency activities: Mohammed Mahmoud Eshlah Salwan Ibrahim Umar al Musalat Hussein Ali Tahah Abed Dawood Sulayman Moyad Abood al Jumali Hamid al-Mutlak Brig. Gen. Abid Daud Khalifawy Hiene Amin Rashid Saloh al-Samerai Alaa al Sammari Firas al Dulaymi Khalid Kafi Flaih al Ani Kareem Jahed al Azzawi Ali Ahmad al-Mashadani Mohammad Fadil al Damarrai Thabit Shaker al Douri Moaad Shifeek Ali Firas Mashadani Kareem Mustah al Dulaymi Satam Hamid Khalaf al Jabouri Saad Hamad Shohab Nadem Khalef al Marsumi Mohammad Khalif al Ulayian QaQa Khidr
- - - other Freeper Additions - - -
	Hassan Ghul born: Pakistan	a facilitator known in terrorist circles as "the Gatekeeper" who moved money and people around the Middle East, Africa and possibly beyond. Officials said that Ghul has extensive contacts in Al Qaeda and wider terrorist communities	Captured 1/23/04
	Farouk Hijazi	#3 in Mukhabarat Iraqi intelligence ["biggest fish so far" -CIA]	Captured 4/25/03
	["unnamed associate of"] Abu Musab Zarqawi	a leading Al Qaeda operative	Captured 4/29/03
	Abu Abbas	Convicted Terrorist/Murderer - Leader Palestine Liberation Front	Captured 4/15/03
	Ahmed Walid Raguib al-Baz	Terrorist - 1st Lieutenant Palestine Liberation Front	Killed 3/20/03
	Khala Khadr Al-Salahat	Member of the Abul Nidal terrorist organization	In Custody 4/18/03
	Husam Al-Yememi	a top deputy of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi who is believed to link Iraq directly to Al Qaeda.	Captured 1/22/04
	Ahmad Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani	former Iraq Consul, met with Mohammed Atta in Prague shortly before 9/11	Captured 7/02/03
	Ahmad Hikmat Shakir	an Iraqi national and al-Qaeda operative, with connections to the 1993 WTC bombing, a Jan 2000 al Qaeda summit in Malaysia, the Oct 2000 USS Cole bombing, and the 9/11 mass murder. (Newsweek) Shakir fled back to Baghdad just before the war.	At large three months after he was detained in 2002, Shakir was "inexplicably" released by Jordanian authorities - and he promptly vanished
	Ali Hussein Habib	Iraqi airforce general	Killed by the regime ~3/20/03
	Khaled Abdallah	a senior official of Saddam's Mukhabarat secret police	In Custody 4/20/03
	Major Khalid Hmood	Head of Iraqi intelligence during the war and one of Saddam's top bodyguards,	In Custody 4/20/03
	Salim Sa'id Khalaf al-Jumayli	former Chief of the Iraqi Intelligence Service American Desk	Captured 4/23/03
	"Son of Ham" [apple falls close to the tree]	Son of Hamza (Q-of-Spades - one of Saddam's most ruthless war criminals)	Captured 4/21/03
	Luay Khayrallaha [Saddam's brother-in-law]	#152 on the top 200 most-wanted list. Iraqi intelligence and security leader	Captured 5/19/03
	Mulhana Hamood Abdul Jabar [Saddam's brother-in-law]	caught with $300,000, three AK-47 rifles, and a rocket-propelled grenade	Captured 5/25/03
	Jaffar al-Jaffer	physicist & father of Iraq's nuclear WMD program	In Custody 4/13/03
	Imad Husayn Abdallah al-Ani	former VX nerve agent developer	In Custody 4/18/03
	Rihab Taha [aka "Dr. Germ"]	architect of Iraq's bio WMD program	In Custody 5/12/03
	Mohammed Saeed Kazim al-Sahaf [aka: "Comical Ali"] [aka: "Baghdad Bob"]	Minister of Information [wanted for DNC spokesperson]	Captured 6/25/03 [reportedly questioned by U.S. forces and released] On Administrative Leave
	**  Nine fugitives supposedly hiding in Syria? That seemed to have been a smokescreen as FOUR have since been caught in or near Baghdad.           Note2: Also, Al-Rawi (J-of-clubs) was reported by an Islamic newspaper as murdered by Saddam                 and Qusay on 4/08/03... one day AFTER the bombing of Saddam at the restaurant.                 [IMO, this is MUCH more believable now that we KNOW both Saddam and Qusay survived that restaurant blast] If someone else updates this list, please bump the revision at the top and ping FL_Engineer You can click here to see if there is a pointer to a newer revision.

   

[Future Useless Eater]

Ping to an encore re-posting of the latest scorecard

[chgomac]

Good morning and thank you. I had a feeling this news would be good....but no idea we had done so well in capturing/killing these bas#*^*s!

[chgomac]

Am I counting correctly that there are only nine still at large of the original 52?

[Future Useless Eater]

correct. only 9 left of the original 55.

And one of those 9 was reportedly murdered by Saddam after
the start of the war, something that became more believable
after we realized Saddam definately escaped that
restaurant bombing.