Terrorist had plans for London attacks (Zarqawi linked London bombings)

UPI ^

[jmc1969]

MOSUL, Iraq -- A terrorist captured near the Syrian border last month had a computer "thumb drive" that contained planning information about the July 7 suicide bombings in London, according to a U.S. military officer.

Col. Robert Brown, commander of the 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Division in Mosul, said that the man was captured north of Qaim in western Iraq and that authorities had connected him to the al Qaeda terrorist network.

It is the first evidence of a link between the London bombs and terrorists in Iraq, but fits with other evidence of a growing presence in Iraq by al Qaeda, which has taken responsibility for the British attacks.

Col. Brown declined to discuss the specific nature of the information on the thumb drive -- a miniature data storage device that plugs into a computer's USB port -- but said it indicated al Qaeda involvement in the attacks on London's bus and subway system.

"I don't think anyone's done a good enough job explaining" the relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda, he said.

Bashar al-Naher, an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, told The Washington Times that he had not heard about the Mosul discovery but said, "This does not surprise me. We are noting a pattern of involvement by [Iraqi hard-liners] in terrorist plots abroad."

[jmc1969]

I actually heard about this find a few weeks ago. Basically, what it means is that Zarqawi does have operation oversight over much of al-Qaeda around the world. And, that he doesn't want attacks linked back to him in Iraq, because that would hurt his goal of getting Western publics to decide Iraq isn't worth it and give up the fight.

That is why Zarqawi had some BS group claim credit for the attacks on our ships on only admitted he did it a week later after they captured some of his men, by that time everyone knew he was behind it anyway.

[D-fendr]

Excellent info and dot connecting. Thanks..

[Canard]

"And, that he doesn't want attacks linked back to him in Iraq, because that would hurt his goal of getting Western publics to decide Iraq isn't worth it and give up the fight."

If he's smart he would want the attacks on London linked to Iraq. Tony Blair has consistently denied this to be the case, so that would be far more damaging for Blair domestically.

[Sacajaweau]

Thanks for the info. Just imagine now that we didn't go into Iraq after Afghanistan. There'd be the biggest friggin' Usama base that anyone could ever imagine. The idea that Saddam wouldn't embrace Usama's scum is pure ignorance.