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| Zarqawi's US agent? |
| 2005-05-01 |
| Counterterrorism officials are trying to learn the identity of an apparently important aide to Iraq's most violent insurgent leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who is referred to only as "The American" in a laptop computer belonging to Zarqawi that was seized by U.S. troops in February. The Pentagon disclosed this week that American special forces almost captured Zarqawi near the city of Ramadi on Feb. 20, but came away instead with a valuable consolation prize - his laptop. In it they found a trove of intelligence, which intelligence officials are still analyzing. "They [intelligence analysts] still don't know who he ['the American'] is," said a counterterrorism source who has been briefed about the contents of the computer's hard drive. "Zarqawi kept him compartmented from the rest of his organization. Some think he might be around in Mexico or some place." But a U.S. intelligence official said he thinks "the American" may already be in U.S. custody. He said that a senior associate of Zarqawi, who holds dual Jordanian and U.S. citizenship, was arrested by U.S. troops inside Iraq late last year. "If it's this man already in the bag, then there's no need to panic," the official said. The senior associate's seizure was confirmed earlier this month by the Pentagon's deputy assistant secretary for detainee affairs, Matthew Waxman. Neither Waxman nor other defense officials would provide the man's name, but they said he was born in Kuwait of Jordanian parents, is a naturalized U.S. citizen and has lived in America for about 20 years. The counterterrorism source, a former top CIA official, said that the laptop also revealed that Zarqawi is actively recruiting most of his suicide bombers from Yemen and Saudi Arabia. "He was doing that in Europe, within the Muslim communities, but the European countries are now watching closely," he said. "There are hundreds and hundreds of Saudis who are trying to be recruited for suicide missions. The Saudis are trying to stop them, but they can't get them all. And Zarqawi's got his people now in Yemen recruiting." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #5 Snoluck Thrusing8432 was me - I've just upgraded to Tiger and I think I've missed some preferences. Sorry folks. |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2005-05-01 8:58:18 PM |
| #4 dotcom - totally agree with you. and you Frank G. and by implication Barbara :) I was thinking about this only yesterday, how 'sensitive' The West (capitalisation intentional - The West *is* the best) has been extraordinarily sensitive in this war. FFS, we were looking at using bombs made of *concrete* to limit 'collateral' damage - so I have no problem about certain folks in the ME getting capped. The whole Saudi Royal Family if necessary - call it the 21st century curse of the Romanovs... Rather that than the full-on response that is highly likely if a US city were to be nuked by f*tards fuelled by Saudi money. |
| Posted by: Snoluck Thrusing8432 2005-05-01 8:57:13 PM |
| #3 Frank G - great minds, etc., again. ;-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-05-01 12:36:17 PM |
| #2 trying to learn the identity of an apparently important aide to Iraq’s most violent insurgent leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who is referred to only as "The American" in a laptop computer belonging to Zarqawi Zarqawi: "Are there two o's in Michael Moore? Forget it...just call him 'the American'" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-05-01 11:56:35 AM |
| #1 "There are hundreds and hundreds of Saudis who are trying to be recruited for suicide missions. The Saudis are trying to stop them, but they can’t get them all. And Zarqawi’s got his people now in Yemen recruiting." Making Nice: The "law enforcement" mentality is still kicking, I see. It doesn't take a genius to figure out it's all happening at the Making Not Nice: I've grown a tad impatient with the House of Saud - to the same point, in fact, as with the Black Hats. They both have to go, as soon as we can muster the goddamned will to do it. Nothing stops until they are forced off the oil tit. Decap 'em both. Organize the Persians to take over. Create the Republic of Eastern Arabia. Tall order? Yeah. So is burying thousands of dead, cleaning up, and rebuilding the WTC. Maybe this time it will be Baltimore or the Houston Ship Channel Petrochemical Complex or the Long Beach Docks. Choose. IT'S THE MONEY, Mr Former Top CIA Official. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. If our Govt isn't willing, then farm it out and make the decaps personal with a healthy dose of that good old extreme prejudice. Time to get real and get serious. They sure are. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-05-01 4:27:43 AM |