http://www.ft.com/cms/s/83bd20d8-b088-11db-8a62-0000779e2340,_i_rssPage=6700d4e4-6714-11da-a650-0000779e2340.html
Suicide bombers ‘entering Iraq from Syria’ By Daniel Dombey, Diplomatic Correspondent Published: January 30 2007 22:08 | Last updated: January 30 2007 22:08 Dozens of al-Qaeda suicide bombers from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Sudan are crossing into Iraq from Syria every month, a senior US official said on Tuesday. Speaking to the Financial Times in London, the official said that, while sectarian conflict now represented the biggest threat to the country, the violence was being stoked up from abroad. “This is the most difficult challenge,” he said. “How do you bring down sectarian violence in the face of this al-Qaeda campaign to prompt sectarian violence?” But he added that the US’s new strategy for Iraq also depended on much greater co-operation from the Iraqi government. The US says outside actors – chiefly Syria and Iran – are still one of the biggest factors determining the level of violence in Iraq. It also portrays its recent decision to pursue Iranian operatives in Iraq as an effort to “push back” against Tehran’s increased influence in the region. The official alleged that the vast majority of suicide bombers came across the border from Syria, and that they received training for their task within Syria as well as inside Iraq itself. “We do not believe that there was an inevitability to the Shia-Sunni conflict on this scale,” he said, arguing that the violence had been greatly increased by al-Qaeda acts such as the bombing of the Samarra mosque last February. He said that 75-80 per cent of the estimated 75 suicide bombings a month were carried out by foreigners, and that Saudi Arabia and Sudan were the most common countries of origin. But he emphasised that the Saudi government was doing its utmost to take on al-Qaeda. “We have been wholly unsuccessful in affecting Syrian behaviour with regard to the passage of these elements,” the official said, adding that the countries of the region wanted to isolate Syria further. The US is also greatly concerned by Iran, which it believes has become bolder and more confident in its activities in the region in the past few months. Washington maintains that Iran’s activities within Iraq have reached an unacceptable level because of the use of Iranian-made explosive devices and the incursion of Iranian operatives into Iraqi territory. Tehran denies meddling in Iraq’s affairs. “We are attempting to re-establish a position of strength,” the official said of the recent US decision to step up action against Iran, including the despatch of an aircraft carrier to the Gulf. He added that the US plan for Iraq depended on improving security, convincing the Iraqi government to adopt a less sectarian agenda, and eliciting financial aid from states in the region that are suspicious of Baghdad. This would involve the Iraqi government providing effective soldiers, halting sectarian meddling in military decisions and embracing a programme of reconciliation. “If these commitments are not met, then this plan cannot succeed,” the official said. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007 +++ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
