Report:Iraq based terrorists wait for U.S.

United Press International ^ | Published 3/9/2003 3:02 AM | UPI Staffwriter

[Pro-Bush]

From the Washington Politics & Policy Desk Published 3/9/2003 3:02 AM

WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- The CIA has warned American policymakers that al Qaida terrorists in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq are getting ready to attack Americans on their own during and after any U.S. incursion, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Intercepted communications and other intelligence suggests al Qaida operatives now at least tolerated by the Saddam Hussein regime, as well as others based in outlying areas Saddam only loosely controls, have been making plans for the arrival of Americans.

Terrorist fighters may blend in with Iraqi civilians to strike during an invasion, and may attack U.S. forces trying to stabilize Iraq after an attack, according to the CIA assessment, the Times said.

The al Qaida operatives are not necessarily working in concert with Iraqi military planners but a surge in communications by their terror network appears linked to the threatened U.S. attack on Iraq, the report said.

Those terrorist cells in Baghdad are small, with even smaller cells in Mosul and Erbil in northern Iraq.

They were organized by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al Qaida poisons and terror expert mentioned by Secretary of State Colin Powell in his presentation to the United Nations last month, the Times said.

In northern Iraq there may be up to 200 al Qaida operatives working alongside several hundred members of another extremist group, Ansar al-Islam, the report said.

Copyright © 2001-2003 United Press International

[Pro-Bush]

Booga-Booga!

[AFPhys]

But wait a minute ... this can't be true ... France and Germany and Saadumb and the peaceniks and almost the whole UN say that there is no such linkage possible! ... they don't even have the same interests ... one is secular and the other is religious ...blather, blather, blither ... .... ... Yeah, R-i-i-ight

[elfman2]

My guess is they'll be even less successful than the al Queda in post Taliban Afghanistan, or al Queda in post 9/11 America for that matter.

I've been saying for almost a year that these losers are the walking dead, and even they can't deny it if the Iraq war goes well.

[laz17]

First, the Left tells us there's no link between Iraq and Al Qaeda. Now, when it suits their purpose to frighten us into calling off the war, they're perfectly willing to report that Al Qaeda plans attacks on behalf of Iraq.

How liberals keep from getting dizzy while spinning and flip-flopping is one of life's greatest mysteries.

[merak]

WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- The CIA has warned American policymakers that al Qaida terrorists in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq are getting ready to attack Americans on their own during and after any U.S. incursion, The New York Times reported Sunday.

I would GUESS that they'd find the US military a somewhat more difficult kettle of fish than the usual unarmed civilians who they normally target...

[anniegetyourgun]

I'm waiting for Biden, Hillary, or Teddy to make a speech about how the sun isn't going to come up tomorrow because of something Bush is or isn't doing. And they think the president is stupid?

[Tom Bombadil]

I would GUESS that they'd find the US military a somewhat more difficult kettle of fish than the usual unarmed civilians who they normally target...

I see you've observed these cowards closely......The U.S. military doesn't react like hospital, school, or church workers.

[Terridan]

"Terrorist fighters may blend in with Iraqi civilians"

No, ya think? Hell, they are "blending" right here in America!!! And our law eforcement personnel are hog tied with this "no racial profiling" mandate...
Insanity, plain and simple...

[Cvengr]

"Intercepted communications and other intelligence suggests al Qaida operatives now at least tolerated by the Saddam Hussein regime, as well as others based in outlying areas Saddam only loosely controls, have been making plans for the arrival of Americans."

I had to reread this 4 times to grasp its meaning. More simply stated, "..intelligence suggests al Qaida operatives ...have been making plans for the arrival of Americans...".

The rest seems to be implication from the location of the source information.

[bart99]

Another one of the "there aren't any WMDs there - but they'll be used on us if we come in".

There are no al-queda there, but.......

Wonder if Blix gets to interview these guys? *chuckling*

[bart99]

How I agree with you. Let' search 85 year old grandmothers, or women's milk from breast feeding supplies before checking out any that just might resemble someone who would do us harm.

God...... and to think I used to be a liberal. I'm sorry.

[b4its2late]

I didn't think there was a connection between al Qaida and Iraq?

[kabar]

According to Mike Farrell and his ilk, you are correct. There is no connection between al-Qaeda and Saddam because Iraq is a secular country and al-Qaeda is an Islamic fundamentalist organization, which is hostile to leaders like Saddam. Rubbish. I suspect we will find out a lot more about these connections once the war is over. The revelations will be shocking.

[goodseedhomeschool]

conservation of angular momentum :)

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Teddy already suggested that just because a country has al Qaeda within it's borders, that does not mean that the country is supporting al Qaeda. He pointed to the hundreds of sleeper cells within our own borders, and said that this doesn't mean America is supporting terrorism, either.

[CyberAnt]

Bingo! I was just thinking that - I thought there wasn't any connection between Al Queda and Iraq ...???

The liberal idiots are just so pusillanimous!!!!

[Pro-Bush]

re: I thought there wasn't any connection between Al Queda and Iraq ...???

Exactly! Those ignoranuses..

[Defender2]

We'll be getting a two for one deal on this. Getting rid of the Bathe Party and taking out some terrorists as well.