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| Iraq-Jordan | |
| Zarqawi leading 500-1,000 hard boyz | |
| 2004-07-10 | |
| In case you’re curious, this is the same idiot who was talking to the AP the other day. I’m writing up a WoC piece solely for the purpose of refuting his idiocy. Elusive Jordanian activist Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi has been attracting sympathic Iraqis and his ranks have swelled in recent months, a nigh-ranking US military officer has said. The officer says Zarqawi’s can count on between 500 to 1,000 armed men among his immediate support. His clandestine cell-structure stands alongside a separate revolt of 5,000 hardcore Sunni Muslim fighters, motivated by issues from communal aspirations to the politics of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party, which can grow even larger in times of crisis, the official told AFP. The two movements are separate, and contrary to claims by the Bush administration, Zarqawi and Saddam’s followers have probably never mixed, the official said. Zarqawi has poached members of the Kurdish Islamist faction Ansar al-Islam, which became active in late 2001, and shared headquarters with the al-Qaida linked operative on Iraq’s mountainous northeastern border with Iran before US air strikes destroyed their compounds in March 2003.
"There have been some number of defections of Ansar al-Islam individuals... The whole organization is far less capable than it used to be. There are some numbers that have moved over and joined Zarqawi," the officer said. "Zarqawi is a powerful man and his organization has become pre-eminent. With power, (it) brings the desire of others to join the big guy." Other small religious factions could also have linked up with Zarqawi. Zarqawi’s popularity has also sparked a backlash. The Al-Jazeera satellite television said on Friday that a previously unheard of armed group had threatened to kill the Jordanian -the second outfit to do so in three days. Despite the latest developments, the US officer made clear that the military was nowhere near catching the suspected al-Qaida operative. "He can move relatively free. We don’t see Zarqawi. He is not a guy that is real visible. He is a guy who is very cautious. He’s got his operational security," he said. In reviewing the multiple strains of anti-US violence in Iraq, the officer was adamant that Zarqawi most likely never had any ties to the former president of Iraq, either before the US-led invasion in March 2003 or after. "Saddam didn’t have any love for foreigners and... thought they had to be very closely watched. We have not found any evidence he cooperated with Zarqawi himself... In any case, I think he would be very wary of that kind of cooperation with Zarqawi." The officer said that the most dominant strain of the insurgency remained the hardcore 5,000 Sunni Muslim insurgents, spearheaded by veterans of Saddam’s security services. This number could also swell by the thousands in times of chaos, and the US military has failed to cripple the movement since the fall of Baghdad in April 2003, the officer said. The movement has demonstrated an ability to regenerate through tribal, communal and Baath party ties, the officer said. "They have been dented but they are still operating -- we think they are probably around 5,000 ... We have always said 4,000 - 6,000 and unfortunately the number hasn’t gone down because it’s very resilient." | |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 I don't think Zarqawi has functional control over anywhere near 500 people. To do that would require more $ than he could reasonably have. However, if you count people who praise him but don't carry out military or logistics tasks it may be 1000. As a former Prez might say, it depends on what the meaning of is is. |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-07-10 10:21:22 PM |
| #1 "They have been dented but they are still operating -- we think they are probably around 5,000 ... We have always said 4,000 - 6,000 and unfortunately the number hasn’t gone down because it’s very resilient." Kill 'em a little faster and the number will go down. Too bad this theory couldn't have been tested with an all-out assault on Fallujah. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-07-10 5:57:16 PM |