Foreign Fighters in Iraq Are Tied to Allies of U.S.

[cal04]

Source: NYTimes

Saudi Arabia and Libya, both considered allies by the United States in its fight against terrorism, were the source of about 60 percent of the foreign fighters who came to Iraq in the past year to serve as suicide bombers or to facilitate other attacks, according to senior American military officials.

The data come largely from a trove of documents and computers discovered in September, when American forces raided a tent camp in the desert near Sinjar, close to the Syrian border. The raid’s target was an insurgent cell believed to be responsible for smuggling the vast majority of foreign fighters into Iraq.

The most significant discovery was a collection of biographical sketches that listed hometowns and other details for more than 700 fighters brought into Iraq since August 2006.

The records also underscore how the insurgency in Iraq remains both overwhelmingly Iraqi and Sunni. American officials now estimate that the flow of foreign fighters was 80 to 110 per month during the first half of this year and about 60 per month during the summer. The numbers fell sharply in October to no more than 40, partly as a result of the Sinjar raid, the American officials say.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/22/world/middleeast/22fighters.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[Judi Lynn]

1. That may be true, but Iran told them to go to Iraq! Or, maybe not. I'd like to hear the spin

from the grubby White House press person on this one.

[cal04]

2. here's another article on the Saudi's and Iraq

An analysis by NBC News suggested that the Saudis make up 55% of foreign fighters in Iraq. They are also among the most uncompromising and militant.

Half the foreign fighters held by the US at Camp Cropper near Baghdad are Saudis. They are kept in yellow jumpsuits in a separate, windowless compound after they attempted to impose sharia on the other detainees and preached an extreme form of Wahhabist Islam.

In recent months, Saudi religious scholars have caused consternation in Iraq and Iran by issuing fatwas calling for the destruction of the great Shi’ite shrines in Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, some of which have already been bombed. And while prominent members of the ruling al-Saud dynasty regularly express their abhorrence of terrorism, leading figures within the kingdom who advocate extremism are tolerated.

Sheikh Saleh al-Luhaidan, the chief justice, who oversees terrorist trials, was recorded on tape in a mosque in 2004, encouraging young men to fight in Iraq. “Entering Iraq has become risky now,” he cautioned. “It requires avoiding those evil satellites and those drone aircraft, which own every corner of the skies over Iraq. If someone knows that he is capable of entering Iraq in order to join the fight, and if his intention is to raise up the word of God, then he is free to do so.”

The Bush administration is split over how to deal with the Saudi threat, with the State Department warning against pressure that might lead the royal family to fall and be replaced by more dangerous extremists.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article2801017.ece

[Diclotican]

3. Whit this type of friends, who needs enemies?

When you have this type of friends, who need enemies.. The US friends in "the war on terror" is worse than the enemies:(

Hey maybee your government at one stage want to come back and get help from your "wortless allieds" in the West Europe if United States are really in problems..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[mallard]

6. Re: welcome

So, what IS your native language, Diclotican?

[Diclotican]

9. mallard

mallard

My native language is norwigian..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[mallard]

12. yes absolutely

Welcome to you from Norway!
glede seg ved!

(I looked that up)

[xchrom]

7. welcome!!!

and all the way from norway!

:hi: :party: :hi:

[Diclotican]

10. chrom

chrom

Thanks for the welcome :toast: :bounce: :grouphug:

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[ladywnch]

4. I'm shocked.....SHOCKED to find out that our "friends" are sending

fighters into Iraq to kill us.

:sarcasm:

[Fool_Me_Once]

5. I would imagine they were..

probably under contract by Blackwater International, somehow.. :shrug:

[tanyev]

8. And Saudi Arabia was the source of 75% of the people who attacked us on 9/11.

Iraq - 0%

[ohio2007]

11. Graph of where they come from

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3074396#3074865