Iraq: Al Qaeda Planning Holiday Attacks in West
President Obama responds to a question from Neil Munro of The Daily Caller after he interrupted the president June 15, 2012, at the White House Rose Garden in Washington. / Getty Images
Iraqi authorities have obtained confessions from captured insurgents who claim al Qaeda is planning suicide attacks in the United States and Europe during the Christmas season, two senior officials said Wednesday.
Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani told The Associated Press that the botched bombing in central Stockholm last weekend was among the alleged plots the insurgents revealed. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, in a telephone interview from New York, called the claims "a critical threat."
Both al-Bolani and Zebari said Iraq has informed Interpol of the alleged plots, and alerted authorities in the U.S. and European countries of the possible danger. Neither official specified which country or countries in Europe are alleged targets.
There was no way to verify the insurgents' claims. But Western counterterrorism officials generally are on high alert during the holiday season, especially since last year's failed attack by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called underwear bomber, who tried to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day.
Al-Bolani said several insurgents claimed to be part of a cell that took its orders directly from al Qaeda's central leadership. He said at least one of the captured suspects was a foreign fighter from Tunisia.
The confessions were the result of recent operations by Iraqi security forces that have netted at least 73 suspected operatives in the last two weeks, al-Bolani said.
Links between al Qaeda's central leadership, which is believed to be hiding in Pakistan, and the terror organization's front group in Iraq are tenuous as the local branch in recent years has been run by local insurgents.
But al-Bolani said the claims; if true; show al Qaeda remains a presence in Iraq.
"Several members of this terrorist group have direct links with the central leaders of the al Qaeda organization," al-Bolani said. "Those captured represent the main structure of the al Qaeda organization in Iraq."
Zebari, who is in New York for a meeting of the U.S. Security Council, said he informed "the countries concerned." He mentioned the U.S, but would not specify which countries in Europe.
Al-Bolani said the suspects claimed that last Saturday's suicide bombing in Stockholm - carried out by an Iraqi-born Swede on Saturday - was among the plots. He said the suspects made the claim after the bombing happened.
AP Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani told The Associated Press that the botched bombing in central Stockholm last weekend was among the alleged plots the insurgents revealed. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, in a telephone interview from New York, called the claims "a critical threat."
Both al-Bolani and Zebari said Iraq has informed Interpol of the alleged plots, and alerted authorities in the U.S. and European countries of the possible danger. Neither official specified which country or countries in Europe are alleged targets.
There was no way to verify the insurgents' claims. But Western counterterrorism officials generally are on high alert during the holiday season, especially since last year's failed attack by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called underwear bomber, who tried to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day.
Al-Bolani said several insurgents claimed to be part of a cell that took its orders directly from al Qaeda's central leadership. He said at least one of the captured suspects was a foreign fighter from Tunisia.
The confessions were the result of recent operations by Iraqi security forces that have netted at least 73 suspected operatives in the last two weeks, al-Bolani said.
Links between al Qaeda's central leadership, which is believed to be hiding in Pakistan, and the terror organization's front group in Iraq are tenuous as the local branch in recent years has been run by local insurgents.
But al-Bolani said the claims; if true; show al Qaeda remains a presence in Iraq.
"Several members of this terrorist group have direct links with the central leaders of the al Qaeda organization," al-Bolani said. "Those captured represent the main structure of the al Qaeda organization in Iraq."
Zebari, who is in New York for a meeting of the U.S. Security Council, said he informed "the countries concerned." He mentioned the U.S, but would not specify which countries in Europe.
Al-Bolani said the suspects claimed that last Saturday's suicide bombing in Stockholm - carried out by an Iraqi-born Swede on Saturday - was among the plots. He said the suspects made the claim after the bombing happened.
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No doubt the Iraqis were tortured; the US has set up a torture regime in Iraq that's even worse than Saddam's. But come to think of it, he was our ally, wasn't he? At one time he tortured for us.
What is so gratifying about the jingoistic and reflexively violent posts here is that they betray your profound unawareness of what is going on. The US is playing right into its enemies hands. A few box cutters were enough to induce the corrupt elite of America to launch wars of choice (like the Nazis) that have cost the country trillions of dollars in past, current, and future expense. We're broke. There are no jobs. China stands ready to set into our place.
So keep it up, you drooling American Exceptionalists! You are destroying your own country in the name of patriotism!
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Do you suppose it will be another smoldering jockstrap.... Or maybe a pair of Nike 'Hot-Foots'... or how about a fire-resistant SUV?
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Let's all do what Americans do best in these paranoid times... pee our pants, scream like schoolgirls and surrender a bit more of the Bill of Rights to the buffoons in Washington.
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Let's all line up, take our shoes off and shuffle off to the airport so a porky TSA employee can see what dangerous items are hidden in your wifes panties.
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After all... We'd prefer living on our knees to dieing on our feet. that's the Murkan way these days.
Want to get rid of terrorists/drug dealers? Get rid of the CIA.
Here comes insanity claus, here comes insanity claus, turban on his head. He's got plastic explosives in his big round belly and soon he will be dead. Believes' a religion of peace means killin' everybody, to him it's a beautiful sight. So lock yourself down and throw away you freedom 'cause insanity claus is commin tonight!
Quick, lets send in the TSA to pat down Santa and his elves, and reindeer while whistling a heart warming Christmas tune. Maybe Rudolph's nose will light up while they are fondling him.
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you're kidding ... right?
you call 'they may attack during the holidays' important intelligence?
i think you need some intelligence in order to distinguish 'the obvious' from what might be called 'important intelligence'.
You might remember Inspire Magazine because the suspect in Portland claims to have written three articles for them... With that kind of a background, maybe, just maybe, such a person would have gotten a hold of radical organizations if the FBI hadn't gotten to him first...
Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, is now said to have been trained by al-Qaida's affiliate in Iraq... He was the one responsible for the attempted car and suicide bombing in Sweden this past week...
An even more insidious threat than terrorist attacks in this country is from the numerous Muslim Brotherhood groups which are funded by Wahhabi Saudi oil money... They seek to destroy this country from within by what they call "civilization jihad... Most people don't realize it but the Muslim Brotherhood controls nearly every major Muslim group here...
Just this week I read an article where the Muslim Public Affairs Counsel (MPAC) had completed training 2,200 TSA agents on proper etiquette in dealing with Muslims... MPAC is synonymous with radical Islam. Not only are they tied to the Muslim Brotherhood and Wahhabi groups but there scheduled conference this weekend features a veritable who's who of radicals... Liberals and the current administration need to wake up as to what is going on in this country!
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you mean the fear mentality ... that underlies a policy of perpetual war ... spending more money we don't have ... and the undermining of the constitution in the name of the illusion of security?
how ironic that fear mongers like yourself claim this is all about protecting freedoms ... and the policies that result from that irrational fear undermines the very freedoms you are claiming to protect.
do you mean the disease of authoritarianism that underlies all your delusion and lack of ability to discuss any issue reasonably ... producing uncompromising rants and overreaction?
is this what you mean?
Here's why: If someone 'knows' about a planned attack then they would have some ideas about who, where and when. And, with this info it would be possible to prevent. Without any specifics this is a non-credible threat. If a government agency knows any specifics (e.g. where, when, how, who) they have an obligation to disclose. Otherwise they are essentially letting a preventable attack occur. Conversely, if they are trying to keep knowledge of the attack secret to catch the perpetraters then they have given up that edge.
Logic says either (1) no credible attack but dire warnings anyway, or (2) someone is withholding details.
There have been many instances of item (1) in the past 10 years, often dire warnings with no credible substance around election time to benefit republican candidates (remember the 2004 elections and bogus Orange alerts -- even Tom Ridge blew the whistle on that one. And, btw, perpetrating a false terror rumor should be a crime in itself).
Shame on Republicans - especially Bush and Chertoff - from capitalizing on these lies !
I also think the security companies are interested in obtaining billions of dollars of security contracts through fear mongering.
Remember the anthrax attack was done by a misguided bioweapons research working for the US government who want to make a point about the importance of his work. A pipe bomb was put in the Times Square subway a few years ago by a mentally disturbed police officer who was upset that people were not concerned enough about terrorism. We must be sure to guard from attacks from within...
What ever we do don't go into Pakistan or watch the boarder for insurgents this war has to go on for 100 years, 10 down 90 to go.