This past week’s issue of the Weekly Standard included an interesting article about Abu Musab al Zarqawi’s terrorist network; much of the information gathered from the Baziyani Memo. The Baziyani Memo was sent to the White House containing information stemming from the arrest of Umar Baziyani, Zarqawi’s number four guy in Iraq. It is a must read if you are interested in ties with Syria and Iran in the current Iraq terrorism push.

At least 13 Iraqis were killed in fighting with U.S. soldiers in the Iraqi city of Falluja on July 30, part of the ongoing U.S. offensive against fighters loyal to Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the man Bush administration officials claim is the most dangerous terrorist in Iraq today. Critics, however, contend that the Jordanian-born Zarqawi is a Washington-made bogeyman who is not worth the $25 million bounty on his head. They doubt the strength of Zarqawi’s Tawhid and Jihad (Unity and Holy War) group, citing intelligence officials who generally agree that no more than 1,000 foreign fighters are active in Iraq.

A memo acquired by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy from Iraqi intelligence sources, however, provides a first glimpse into the configuration of Zarqawi’s Iraqi network, which may be more dangerous than previously imagined. The memo, “Structure of Tawhid and Jihad Islamic Group,” details several days of recent interrogations of one of Zarqawi’s captured lieutenants. Umar Baziyani, Zarqawi’s number four, a member of the Tawhid legislative council, and the “emir” of Baghdad, was captured by U.S. forces in late May 2004. The account of his confessions details the hierarchal structure of Zarqawi’s group, its ties to Syria and Iran, the number of fighters it commands in Iraq, the names of the regional emirs, its media strategy, and more.

The memo explains that Zarqawi, who had allied himself with the Kurdish al Qaeda affiliate Ansar al Islam in northern Iraq, lost his lifeline to al Qaeda in January 2004 when U.S.
intelligence arrested Hassan Ghul. Ghul, according to U.S. officials, was carrying a message from Zarqawi to Osama bin Laden. Ghul, who was reportedly a lieutenant of 9/11 planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, was considered to be the top al Qaeda operative captured in Iraq. Baziyani explains that after Ghul’s arrest, Tawhid and Jihad was cut off from al Qaeda. Recent reports, citing U.S. intelligence agencies, indicate that Zarqawi may have been trying to reconnect with bin Laden “in the last few weeks.”

Baziyani explains, however, that Zarqawi’s group did not wither when it fell from the al Qaeda vine. He claims that there are nine regional leaders of the Falluja-based Tawhid and Jihad under Zarqawi. His deputy, also based in Falluja, is known as Mahi Shami. If U.S. intelligence manages to catch up with these two top leaders, there are still regional “emirs” fanned out around Iraq, which could make the network incredibly difficult to break. For instance, Baziyani explained during his interrogation that he had been replaced as emir of Baghdad after his arrest. There are also regional emirs in the Kurdish north (Hussein Salim), the western Anbar province (Abdullah Abu Azzam), and the city of Mosul (Abu Tallah). In this way, Tawhid and Jihad can execute spectacular terrorist attacks throughout the country. These include the Baghdad-based bombing of the Jordanian embassy; suicide bombings against Shiites and an attack on Basra’s oil infrastructure in the south; suicide bombings against Kurds in the north; attacks against police recruiting centers throughout the country; and the beheading of American Nick Berg in an unknown location.

In addition to its regional bases, Zarqawi’s group has a specially designated media department. Baziyani claims that a man named Hassan Ibrahim heads this department, along with lieutenants Khadi Hassan and “Adil,” who were responsible for taping and releasing the May 11 beheading of Berg.

Baziyani also details the military strength of Tawhid and Jihad. He lists seven military commanders under Zarqawi’s control throughout Iraq with about 1,400 fighters at their disposal. Not surprisingly, Baziyani stated that the Falluja group, headed by Abu Nawas Falujayee, has the most fighters with 500. Second to Falluja is Mosul, with 400 fighters. (Analysts believe Mosul is a haven for former Ansar al Islam fighters.) There are also strongholds in Anbar (60 fighters), Baghdad (40 fighters), and Diyala, the province just northeast of Baghdad (80 fighters). According to Baziyani, most of the fighters in Tawhid and Jihad are Iraqi Arabs and Kurds–not foreign jihadis–which corroborates reports by U.S. intelligence that the foreign fighter presence is much smaller than previously imagined.

One senior administration official, however, doubts Baziyani’s claim that Zarqawi has 1,400 fighters under his command. A more realistic figure, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity, might be 500. But the official admitted, “I’m not sure how anyone would really know. If we knew more, we would have probably rolled up this group by now. It could be wrong for us to think we know better than the man we debriefed.”

Interestingly, Baziyani’s interrogation reveals that Tawhid and Jihad maintains a strong military presence (150 fighters)
in the town of al-Qaim, which is close to the Syrian border, just west of the Euphrates River. One Pentagon official believes that the number of fighters Baziyani put in al-Qaim is likely inflated, but says that the importance of the town cannot be overstated. Al-Qaim, to the bewilderment of U.S. officials, was where the Iraqi army put up some of its fiercest resistance during the 2003 Iraq war. A senior administration official calls Qaim “critical” and “the key to understanding how Syria is involved” in the insurgency.

With the help of Zarqawi, the town is said to be a depot for weapons, cash, and fighters supplied by Zarqawi’s financiers–the bulk of whom are now believed by U.S. intelligence to be operating out of Syria. Abu Muhamed, whom the memo fingers as the military emir of the Baghdad cell, is a former Lebanese military officer who once lived in Denmark. According to Baziyani, he was smuggled into Iraq via Syria. Many other fighters, including Zarqawi’s driver and bodyguard, are of Syrian descent.

There are other foreign links. Baziyani explained to his interrogators that the Zarqawi network received a great deal of assistance from Iran. One Tawhid and Jihad militant, Othman, was reportedly responsible for transferring former Ansar al Islam fighters and other jihadis back and forth from Iran to Baghdad once the U.S. occupation was underway. In other words, Iran has been involved in supplying fighters to tangle with U.S. soldiers. This should come as no surprise, given the 9/11 Commission’s recent report that Iran was a transit state for 9/11 plotters.

Looking back, Sunni-Shia enmity has never been a concern for Iran when it comes to providing logistics to al Qaeda, or even supporting Sunni groups such as Hamas in the West Bank and Gaza. Iran, it is also worth noting, provided assistance to the Sunni and Kurdish Ansar al Islam on the eve of the 2003 U.S. invasion. Tehran allowed Ansar fighters to cross the border to escape the U.S. assault. According to several Ansar prisoners, Iran allowed fighters to remain there, and then later helped them back into Iraq to join the insurgency.

Interestingly, the Baziyani memo is not all bad news. The captured militant says that U.S. forces have hammered the Falluja bases of his organization in recent months. This, he said, has caused the network’s leadership to disperse. Thus, Baziyani states, some of Zarqawi’s deputies have considered Samarra as a new base. According to one Iraqi source close to the new Iraqi security cabinet, there has been some indication of “command and control in the Samarra area.” Several U.S. officials, however, believe this assertion to be untrue–perhaps wishful thinking or even disinformation on the part of Baziyani.

The information in the Baziyani interrogation memo needs to be further vetted by U.S. and Iraqi intelligence. Still, the memo provides an unprecedented look into the mind of one of Zarqawi’s lieutenants. It also provides a view of the small but powerful network that may or may not be at the center of the Iraqi insurgency, but has established itself as its brutal, public face.

- Weekly Standard

In the Bullpen has been open for one month today, and I would like to thank my readers and contributors for a wonderful month thus far. I have had more fun at this than I originally thought possible. I’m still on a learning curve, but hopefully the curve is starting to level out.

ITB broke 3,000 unique hits on Saturday with about a quarter of them being direct hits. This number is miniscule in comparison to many other blogs out there that average 3,000 hits in even an hour, however you have to start somewhere. I have written over 180 articles in a month’s time and plan on continuing this activity as news warrants.

Highlighted Articles:
Opinions of Media Bias
Kerry’s Speech in One Word: Delusional
McAullife Takes Stand on Bush’s Military Record . . . AGAIN
Will You Trust the 9/11 Commission’s Report?
Moore has a Tirade at Convention
What if Saddam Dies Before a Trial?
Several Former U.S. Special Forces in Pakistan
Kerry the Comic

As always, you may search my archives with the ‘Search ITB” function. Please continue with providing feedback either via the comments section or by email. I have enjoyed reading other opinions.

United States and Iraqi forces have encircled the Iman Ali Shrine in Najaf where radial cleric Muqtada Al Sadr and the Mehdi Army are held up.

The city, which had been quiet early Monday, was hit by series of explosions in the late morning that shook the vast cemetery, the scene of many battles between U.S. forces and militants. Witnesses also reported U.S. tanks had moved to within 500 yards of the revered Imam Ali Shrine.
– FoxNews

Could this finally be the end of the battle with the push of Iraqi troops? Not so fast as reports indicate that Al Sadr reportedly has lined up explosive boobytraps to any who enter the shrine. If this shrine is such a religious location, Al Sadr should be condemned by all Shiite Muslims for using such sacred land as a military base of operations. Indeed Iraqi delegates are asking Al Sadr to leave the mosque.

Some of the delegates threatened to walk out (of the Iraqi National Conference in Baghdad) unless the crisis was resolved. On Monday, the conference voted to send a delegation to Najaf to ask radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to tell his followers to drop their weapons and join the country’s political process.

“The door is very open to all Iraqis, regardless of their religion, ethnic background, to join the free political process,” Shiite cleric Hussein al-Sadr, a distant relative of Muqtada al-Sadr, told the conference.

Muqtada al-Sadr’s aides said they supported efforts to end the violence.

“We are ready to accept any mediation for a peaceful solution,” al-Sadr aide Ahmed al-Shaibany said.

- Associated Press

The request from delegates for Al Sadr to lay down his arms and join the political process is appalling. The intentions are good, however Al Sadr is a wanted murderer or a fellow Shiite cleric. The new Iraqi government should not include someone wanted on murder charges.

The volunteers cheered al-Sadr in the marble-floored courtyard of the Imam Ali mosque on Monday in an impressive show of force.

Al-Sadr is holed up inside one of Shia Islam’s most sacred shrines before an expected American-led offensive.

Travelling to Najaf from across Iraq, the al-Sadr volunteers are swelling the ranks of his supporters and could provide another reason for US troops to think twice before storming the shrine.

“These people are a deterrent to the Americans because they are civilians. They are here so that the Americans won’t attack the Imam Ali shrine,” said Shaikh Ahmad al-Shaibani, a senior al-Sadr aide.

- Aljazeera

Now we see “innocent human shields” (via Blogs of War) flocking to the shrine to defend the grounds against U.S. and Iraqi forces. These people aren’t innocent, they are more militants joining the cause. They plan on picking up arms to fight against U.S. forces, not to deter an assault by protests or deliberation. If they go into the shrine or fight outside of the shrine, they will perish like hundreds of their fellow “innocent” followers have.

This conflict needs to end as soon as possible. The longer it goes on, the less credibility the Iraqi government has and the more backlash this will cause the American troops on the ground. Perhaps we need to bring back Janet Reno and ask her how to storm the shrine like she did in Waco, TX. At least then the conflict would finally be over.

Hat tip: Blogs of War

According to Time, a terrorism summit was held in March of this year in Waziristan, the lawless region between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It was a gathering of terrorism’s elite, and they slipped silently into Pakistan from all over the world in order to attend. From England came Abu Issa al-Hindi, an Indian convert to radical Islam who specializes in surveillance. From an unknown hideout came Adnan el-Shukrijumah, an accomplished Arab Guyanese bombmaker and commercial pilot. And from Queens in New York City came Mohammed Junaid Babar, a Pakistani American who arrived with cash, sleeping bags, ponchos, waterproof socks and other supplies for the mountain-bound jihadis.

The March 2004 terrorist summit in the lawless province of Waziristan, described to TIME by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf last week and expounded on by U.S. officials, has become a subject of obsession for authorities in both countries. “The personalities involved, the operations, the fact that a major explosives expert came here and went back,” Musharraf said, “all this was extremely significant.”

Although some summit participants have been arrested, others are still at large and are considered very dangerous. At least two are believed to have done some of the surveillance of targets in New York City and elsewhere that authorities found out about last month. Some U.S. officials fear that the meeting may have been a pivotal planning session, much the way a 2000 meeting in Kuala Lumpur was for the 9/11 attacks. “This was a meeting of a bunch of cold-blooded killers who are very skilled at what they do and have an intense desire to inflict an awful lot of pain and suffering on America,” says an official familiar with the summit. A senior counterterrorism official said analysts are scrutinizing the recent pattern of enemy activity against timelines of previous attacks. This, he said, has contributed to the worry that at least some members of a strike team are already in the U.S.

- Time

A year before the attacks of 9/11, terrorists held a summit in Malaysia reportedly to discuss final details of the attack. Could this summit be another last-minute check before an assault?

All intelligence indicates that Al Qaeda has been strengthening a plan to attack the United States within the states and abroad. Terror threat levels have been increased and this summit could be yet another factor for the raise. What role the latest arrests in Pakistan have either put off an attack or disrupted it all together are yet unknown and probably will never be known.

Pakistani troops have been entering the tribal lands of Wazirstan at the urging of the United States for past year, however the final push has yet to be mounted. Waiting on the opposite side of the Pakistani border with Afghanistan are Afghan and United States troops. Many Al Qaeda operatives have been captured by U.S. forces from the squeeze put on Waziristan by the Pakistani army.

While this has had some success, there needs to be more of a joint effort by both sides to once and for all clear this area out. If there aren’t as many Al Qaeda forces in this area, we need to know so we can start the search elsewhere. Intelligence show that top Al Qaeda leaders are in this area and possibly Osama Bin Laden, however the global reach of Al Qaeda and the presumed knowledge of an eventual attack on their stronghold should convince Al Qaeda to de-centralize their leadership if they have not already. The first step to gain knowledge of this de-centralization is to clear out Waziristan.

Backcountry Conservative linked with Monday's Terrorism News Roundup

USA Today

Al-Qaeda allies are believed to be scouting U.S. targets, and the terror organization is using non-Arab recruits to avoid detection, U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials say.

[snip]

Information about active cells came from Ridge and three intelligence and law enforcement officials. The three officials wouldn’t speak for attribution because the information they provided is classified. One of the three, a senior U.S. intelligence official, responded to criticism that the Bush administration raised the terrorism threat level based on information about surveillance al-Qaeda did years ago. The official said the cells:

• Have been in the USA off and on since the early 1990s, and some are still here.

• Are focused primarily on states on the coasts, though not exclusively. They include New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, Michigan and California.

• Operate under deep cover, sometimes hiding their Muslim faith by posing as Christians.

• Are isolated from each other and from al-Qaeda members who would carry out attacks.

- USA Today

Non-arab scouts? No kidding. It doesn’t take years of experience working for the Department of Homeland Security to come up with this idea. It is perfectly logical that Al Qaeda would want to change the face of their operatives. It is interesting to note that they are possibly posing as Christians. Does this mean that they simply are wearing a cross around their neck or attending church? Either way, why? This comes from the misunderstanding of the American culture by Al Qaeda, a misunderstanding relating to religious tolerance and acceptance.

Backcountry Conservative linked with Monday's Terrorism News Roundup

When you’re not watching sand volleyball, or more importantly the contestants in their bikinis, check out handball. If you are not familiar with the Olympic version of handball, it is a mix of soccer, hockey and basketball. It is quite entertaining with it’s fast pace and very easy to grasp if you are familiar with the previously mentioned sports.

Ever wonder where terrorists call a domain? Check out Internet Haganah. They have the most in depth look at domain hosting for terrorist sites. It comes to no surprise that the vast majority of sites are hosted by U.S. companies and they switch domains on a regular basis.

It appears that Internet Haganah has waged war against terrorist web sites and the propoganda they sling and is actively crusading to take them all down.

Backcountry Conservative linked with Monday's Terrorism News Roundup

Speculation continues to grow regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq and the possible transfer of these weapons to Syria just days before the United States invasion.

Saddam Hussein periodically removed guards on the Syrian border and replaced them with his own intelligence agents who supervised the movement of banned materials between the two countries, U.S. investigators have discovered.

The recent discovery by the Bush administration’s Iraq Survey Group (ISG) is fueling speculation, but is not proof, that the Iraqi dictator moved prohibited weapons of mass destruction (WMD) into Syria before the March 2003 invasion by a U.S.-led coalition.

Two defense sources told The Washington Times that the ISG has interviewed Iraqis who told of Saddam’s system of dispatching his trusted Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) to the border, where they would send border inspectors away.

The shift was followed by the movement of trucks in and out of Syria suspected of carrying materials banned by U.N. sanctions. Once the shipments were made, the agents would leave and the regular border guards would resume their posts.

- Washington Times

This information reinforces the belief that Syria and Saddam Hussein had a collaborative relationship and did smuggle in WMDs before the topple of Hussein. It is conceivable to believe that Hussein did sell the weapons to Syria as he must have known his time was up.

With the intelligence that came from numerous sources (CIA, British sources, the United Nations and Russia among others) that Iraq did indeed have WMDs and our subsequent failure to find more than just a few warheads, it makes perfect sense that these weapons were smuggled into another country. It is hard to believe that so many intelligence organizations could be 100 percent wrong.

What could Syria possibly stand to gain though by having these WMDs on hand? The would face economic sanctions and possible invasion. They would lose any clout they might already have in the world community and face a regime change. Syria would gain a “bargaining chip” however if they had and announced their posession of WMDs, much like Iran and North Korea have been diong this past year. I only see one advantage and several disadvantages if Syria indeed does have Iraq’s old WMDs. Wise up Syria, if you have them destroy them.

Hat tip: Power Line

Backcountry Conservative linked with Report Finds No WMDs in Iraq
Backcountry Conservative linked with Monday's Terrorism News Roundup
mypetjawa v. 2.0 (beta) linked with Iraqi WMD in Syria

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Pisanu has vowed to stay the course in Iraq and the war on terror dispite repeated calls for terrorist attacks inside of Italy by Al Qaeda linked terrorist organizations.

Pisanu told reporters militants were using the media to hype their threats and played down reports that a van packed with explosives might have crossed into Italy from France.

“We are not underestimating (the threats) but we are not going to let ourselves be frightened and we will continue with the heightened security measures we have put in place,” he said.

The Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades has repeatedly threatened to hit Italy if it kept troops in Iraq and Sunday said it would now put words into action.

“Today we have declared the start of a bloody war and, by the will of God, the ground will shake beneath the feet of each and every Italian,” said a statement posted on the Internet.

- Reuters

The terror group, Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, has been questioned as to it’s validity and connection with Al Qaeda by U.S. intelligence, however Italy is fearing that other militants inside of Italy might hear this call and act in the name of the group. Italy has been a strong ally in the war on terror and in Iraq and this brazen move to almost challenge terror groups is applauded. While they may not have the biggest amount of troops inside of Iraq or Afghanistan, every little bit helps and the rhetoric Pisanu is using in the face of adversity sends a clear signal to terrorists that Italy will not back down.

Storyteller Michael Moore has released unused footage from his film Fahrenheit 911 that contains newly appointed Director of the CIA Porter Goss in a short interview (via Martini Pundit).

Just six months ago, however, Goss told Moore’s production company he doubted he could even find employment with the agency.

Goss, who served in army intelligence and the CIA 30 years ago, said: “I couldn’t get a job with the CIA today. I am not qualified. I don’t have the language skills.”

Porter Goss is set to take over from George Tenet, who resigned before the 9/11 commission delivered its damning verdict on the state of the US intelligence community.

He explained, “My language skills were romance languages and stuff. We’re looking for Arabists today. I don’t have the cultural background probably.

“And I certainly don’t have the technical skills, as my children remind me every day: ‘Dad, you got to get better on your computer.’ So, the things that you need to have, I don’t have.”

- Guardian Unlimited Film

I do not doubt the statements that Goss made nor the fact that he would not be qualified for certain positions inside the CIA. Moore uses these soundbites as “evidence” of Bush’s partisanship and incompetence in choosing Goss to head up the CIA.

Since when has a company CEO had to know every facet of an organization including the how to and skills to do each and every task? They never have. Just like any hire made at any company, you choose a person qualified for a certain task.

A salesman at a newspaper isn’t asked to know how to lay out print at the same newspaper. He should know how the concept works as it could effect his clients’ needs, however he does not need to know the computer language and typeset in order to do so. His lack of this information does not in any way make him bad at his job or unqualified.

Goss was hired due to his belief that the CIA needs more field agents; a belief shared by Bush and former Director of the CIA George Tenet. Goss believes the CIA needs to be restructured, a common belief everywhere. The Director of the CIA doesn’t have to physically tap into terrorist internet chatter, he just needs to know how to react accordingly. He doesn’t need to be able to fully comprehend spoken or written arabic, he just needs to know what to do with the translations there of.

Perhaps in Michael Moore’s operation of at most 20 employees, he does need to know the technical aspects of everything he does. He is the one doing it. The CIA has thousands of employees doing very different tasks. The Director of the CIA doesn’t need to know how to technically do everything for each of those thousands of jobs.