U.S. military says an Iraqi actor had portrayed the nonexistent leader
By TINA SUSMAN
Los Angeles Times
July 19, 2007, 6:25AM
BAGHDAD — In March, he was declared captured. In May, he was declared killed, and his purported corpse was displayed on state-run TV. But Wednesday, Omar al-Baghdadi, the supposed leader of an al-Qaida-affiliated group in Iraq, was declared nonexistent by U.S. military officials, who say he is a fictional character created to give an Iraqi face to a foreign-run terror group.
In reality, an Iraqi actor has been used to read statements attributed to al-Baghdadi, who since October has been identified as the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner.
Bergner said the information came from a man whom U.S. forces captured July 4 and who was described as the highest-ranking Iraqi within the Islamic State of Iraq. The detainee, identified as Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, has served as a propaganda chief in the organization, a Sunni insurgent group that claims allegiance to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida.
According to Bergner, Mashadani helped create Islamic State of Iraq as a "virtual organization" that is essentially a pseudonym for al-Qaida in Iraq, another group that claims ties to al-Qaida. The front organization was aimed at making Iraqis believe that al-Qaida in Iraq is a nationalistic group, even though it is led by an Egyptian and has few Iraqis among its leaders, Bergner told a news conference.
"The Islamic State of Iraq is the latest effort by al-Qaida to market itself and its goal of imposing a Taliban-like state on the Iraqi people," he said.
Islamic State of Iraq had been widely described as an umbrella organization made up of several insurgent groups, including al-Qaida in Iraq.
There was no way to confirm the military's claim, which comes at a time of heightened pressure on the White House to justify keeping U.S. troops in Iraq. Critics of the Bush administration say he has been trying to provide that justification by linking the broader-based al-Qaida to the conflict in Iraq, even though Bin Laden's organization had no substantial presence here until after the U.S. invasion of March 2003.
"The same people that attacked us on September the 11th is the crowd that is now bombing people" in Iraq, President Bush said Tuesday.
3 comments:
That would explain why the supposedly powerful AlQaida has not sneaked across our mostly unguarded southern border and bombed the hell out of us. Millions of illiterate Mexicans can figure out how to sneak across the border, but AlQaida can't? Who believes that? I think AlQuaida must not be trying very hard. Stephen's theory might explain why.
The only internet news of Al Qaida agents coming into the U.S. wasn't a news item but an article by Mark Silverberg reporting FBI's director Mueller. Another Al Qaida news of entry over the border comes from this guy's JOSEPH FARAH'S G2 BULLETIN saying Al-Qaida got Mexican gangs to smuggle nukes over the border.
I imagine stories of Al Qaida doing all sorts of evil things would be part of the plan to make Al Qaida and Islam the new Communist Menace. Which it can very well become for the almost the exact same reasons Communism flourished for so long--war with the West works to create a reason for Western defense contractors and the whole military-industrial complex that makes so much money off of warfare.
The main reasons I think Al Qaida is phony is that it is not Islamic doctrine but Saudi fundamentalist fanatic interpretation denounced but most Muslims. The Saudi connection to the Bin Ladens by our Neo-Con oil guys and the Saudi involvement with 9-11, Saudis given special treatment, U.S. always friends with Saudis, meaning CIA/MOSSAD also friends and the weakness of the Quran's doctrines to be used as a military manual, the terrorist cells members unknown to each other, all add up to elements for using Muslims to create this terrorist organization as justification for the U.S. War on Terror and war with Iraq, and future wars with Iran and Syria, i.e., enemies of Israel..
.
Anonymous said...
Where have you been 11:24am? Just in the news this past week were stories of Al Qaida (arab's) being smuggled over the southern boarders along with those "illiterate Mexicans" you talk of. You're going to feel pretty stupid when this comes to light with a terrorist attack inside the US.
Well, I don't feel stupid. I want you to answer me this: If Al Quaida is so smart and powerful, why haven't they already blown us to hell by crossing our southern border, which is a lot more porous than Swiss cheese? After all, they have had from September 11, 2001 until now to do it. According to my accurate finger-counting method, they have had over FIVE years to do this terrible thing and yet have not done it. Why? Are they not trying? Or do we have an extremely successful secret program intercepting them at our borders and ports. Until now, I thought our borders and ports were not guarded very effectively.
Since you have all the answers and I am such a buffoon, will you please answer my questions and enlighten us all with your extensive knowledge and wisdom?
(Gee, that didn't sound sarcastic, did it?)
Post a Comment