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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Rogue Iraq embassy in Syria expedites movements of terrorists to Iraq |
| 2005-01-27 |
| From Geostrategy-Direct, subscription req'd. The Iraqi embassy in Syria facilitates the flow of insurgents to fight the coalition in Iraq, U.S. officials have determined. They said the Iraqi embassy in Damascus has refused to submit to the authority of the interim government in Baghdad. The embassy has provided passports at sharply reduced costs to Islamic volunteers who have joined the Sunni insurgency movement. Iraqi passports---cheap---inquire within The embassy in Damascus is one of at least two embassies that have refused to come under the authority of the Foreign Ministry in Baghdad and remains aligned with Saddam Hussein loyalists. The other such Iraqi embassy is in Libya. Officials said the embassy in Damascus issues passports for a range of Arab nationals who seek to join the insurgency. For $95, or 5,000 Syrian pounds, applicants can receive a passport within a day. The passports have been issued to Iranians, Lebanese, Palestinians and Syrians. Officials said embassy staffers have been offered financial incentives to provide the passports to the insurgents. Iraq and the United States have warned Syria to stop the operations of the Iraqi embassy in Damascus. But the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad has refused to intervene. I think that we have given way too many warnings. Something to make the Syrians think about the price of such nefarious activities is in order now. The Iraqi embassy could be overseeing the activities of five insurgency centers to recruit volunteers to fight the coalition in Iraq, officials said. Some of the centers have been sending at least 30 insurgents a month to Iraq since April 2003. The U.S. military learned of the role of the Iraqi embassy following the capture of Fallujah in November 2004. Iraqi passports were meant to conceal the identity of foreign Arab nationals, particularly Syrians. "Some of the Syrians captured in Fallujah and amongst the insurgents have been caught with Syrian identity cards," the opposition Reform Party of Syria said. "The distribution of free Iraqi passports out of Damascus can, in the future, conceal the real identity of insurgents." Over the last week, Iraqi authorities have captured more than 100 Sunni insurgents. Officials have not ruled out that among them were senior operatives. But the detainees have benefited from changes in identity that make it difficult to determine their names and countries of origin. Culturally sennnnsitive interrogation by Iraqis should get the answers forthcoming, IMHO. [snip] |
| Posted by:Alaska Paul |