US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3964

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 003964 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/PPD, NEA/PPA, NEA/AGS, INR/IZ, INR/P 
 
E.0. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, KPAO, IZ, Media, Security, Parliament 
SUBJECT: DAILY IRAQI WEBSITE MONITORING - September 25, 2005 
 
 
SUMMARY: Discussion on the British operation in Basra; 
Syrian border control; and the constitutional referendum 
were the major editorial themes of Iraqi, Arabic language 
websites on September 25, 2005. END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------ 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------ 
 
A. "Terrorists No One Mentions" (Iraq 4 All News, 9/25) 
B. "Terrorist Tourism through Damascus" (Sot Al-Iraq, 9/25) 
C. "Iraq and the Absent Political Consensus" (Independent 
Iraqi News Agency, 9/25) 
D. "Two British Soldiers in Basra .A Suspicious Story" (Al- 
Watan, 9/25) 
--------------------------------------- 
SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
 
 
A. "Terrorists No One Mentions" 
(Editorial by Al-Said Zahra - Iraq 4 All News - 
http://iraq4all.org/viewnews.php?id=10034 ) 
 
"Yesterday I discussed events in Basra and how two British 
soldiers were caught disguised in local cloths-their vehicle 
loaded with weapons and explosives. The incident clearly 
reveals the role of occupation forces in terrorist attacks 
in Iraq. In another comment about the incident, an American 
analyst has asked the question: Have the U.S. and Britain 
established secret terrorist organizations to carry out 
operations that target innocent Iraqi civilians? 
 
"We should note that these operations aim to incite 
sectarian differences not only in Iraq, but throughout the 
Middle East, serving U.S. interests by preventing the 
formation of a unified resistance that would include 
Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians against occupation 
forces.  Sectarian fighting also weakens international 
opposition to war and occupation. The idea raised by the 
American author (that occupation forces establish terrorist 
groups) is nothing new; it has been addressed openly for 
years, not only in Iraq, but as an American strategy 
throughout the world. For example, the Moscow Times 
published in November 2002 reports of Pentagon plans to send 
secret agents to penetrate terrorist organizations and order 
 
SIPDIS 
assassinations of U.S. targets. The New Yorker magazine last 
January published an investigation about the formation of 
terrorist groups and death squads under the supervision of 
Secretary [of Defense Donald] Rumsfeld. The report goes on 
 
SIPDIS 
to quote a Pentagon advisor: "Local citizens are recruited 
to join terrorists and carry out terrorist attacks, and 
these operations commence without the knowledge of U.S. 
embassies in the targeted states. 
 
"It is very likely that the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence 
services formed terrorist groups and death squads during the 
last few years, and the question remains: Where are these 
groups, who are these terrorists, and what operations have 
they carried out lately? It might be obvious in Iraq, but 
what about other attacks attributed to Islamic groups? It 
might be a long time before facts are uncovered, but there 
is no doubt that Al-Qaeda and other groups are American- 
made. They are part of a strategy aimed at creating a state 
of continuous fear of terrorism and creating a list of 
justifications for occupation campaigns targeting the Arab 
world." 
 
B. "Terrorist Tourism through Damascus" 
(Editorial by Mohammed Isa - Sot Al-Iraq - 
http://www.sotaliraq.com/articles-iraq/nieuws .php?id=16080 ) 
 
"Talk continues about terrorists crossing from Damascus into 
Iraq with Syrian indifference to the phenomenon, which I 
have labeled "terrorist tourism." 
 
"It is well known among Arabs, and especially Iraqis, that 
once you lay foot on the airport in Syria you receive a 
badgering of questions from policemen and intelligence 
officers spread throughout the airport-agents with financial 
and political motivations. In other words, the interrogation 
process starts at the airport. And it is also known that the 
tourist season in Syria begins when school lets out and 
lasts until the end of summer vacation. 
 
"In the last two and a half years, and especially following 
the fall of the former regime, many terrorists have admitted 
to crossing the Syrian border into Iraq; hundreds or even 
thousands said they came to Syria by air and arrived at the 
Damascus airport - and not during tourist season. They 
should easily draw the authorities' attention: In a country 
where tourists arriving during the tourist season are 
subjected to so many inquiries, how could terrorists 
arriving in large numbers escape suspicion? 
 
"The Iraqi Foreign Minister has said that Syrians lack the 
political will to stop terrorists crossing the border. They 
need to be seen resisting Zionist and American plots in the 
region. The reality of the situation is that while all Arab 
states have established relations with Israel, the hollow 
Syrian regime insists on playing the leading role in 
international terrorism. The regime draws Syrians' attention 
away from their interests claiming the supremacy of the 
broader national interest as justification. 
 
"But the interests of Syrians actually reside in the 
stability of Iraq, the defeat of terrorism, and the success 
of the referendum. The Syrian regime should realize the 
necessity of apprehending Saddam loyalists who sent car 
bombs to Syria under the previous regime. How could such 
criminals turn into heroes today, and how could Syrians 
allow them to continue their actions after being their 
victims in the past? We ask these questions and await the 
answers." 
 
C. "Iraq and the Absent Political Consensus" 
(Independent Iraqi News Agency - http://www.normal.iraq- 
ina.com/showarticles.php?id=1405 ) 
 
"The situation in Iraq remains serious with regard to both 
security and politics. On the security side, many parts of 
Iraq continue to suffer violence in the form of terror, 
resistance, criminal violence, and military operations. 
 
"It is obvious that security conditions are difficult to 
control despite the measures that occupation and Iraqi 
security forces have adopted. And it is clear that security 
in Iraq is strongly linked to political stability, which 
also appears to be deteriorating amid significant 
disagreements over the draft constitution. Deteriorating 
security conditions coincide with political disagreements 
and failures to reach balanced solutions. The situation is 
likely to get worse if political disagreement continues. 
 
"The true solution for all of Iraq's crises resides in 
politics. It begins with Iraqi consensus over the country's 
future and the occupation forces' announcement of a 
timetable for troop withdrawals from Iraq. It begins when 
Iraqis are responsible for their own affairs and are pushed 
toward the absent consensus." 
 
D. "Two British Soldiers in Basra .A Suspicious Story" 
(Editorial by Abdul Aziz Al Mahmoud - Al-Watan - 
http://www.al- 
watan.com/data/20050925/index.asp?content=aze ez ) 
 
"The story about the two British soldiers broke on September 
19th when an Iraqi police unit established a barrier in the 
relatively calm city of Basra for fear of possible attacks. 
The policemen, during a search of vehicles, saw a white car 
with two suspicious occupants. When the policemen attempted 
to check them, they started to shoot, killing one officer 
and wounding the other. Then they fled the scene. Policemen 
on patrol arrested them, at which point they identified 
themselves for fear of being killed. Once the officers took 
them to begin the investigation, tanks broke into the 
station and destroyed it. 
 
"The two officers were working in a special British unit, 
formerly called SAS. That name later changed to SRR, which 
is one of the special task units that conducts sabotage 
operations behind enemy lines. The appearance of the two 
soldiers, dressed in Arab costumes, and in possession of 
explosives, makes the situation suspicious. 
 
"Iraq is crowded with different intelligence elements. It 
serves the interests of occupation forces to maintain 
divisions between Sunnis and Shiites that guarantee the 
flames of resistance will not spread to predominantly Shiite 
regions. 
 
"One who listened to the British military spokesman can hear 
the contradictions in British statements: the first revealed 
his ignorance of the situation; the second stated there were 
clashes between the British forces and angry citizens; 
finally it was stated that the Iraqi police handed over the 
prisoners to an armed militia opposed to the occupation. 
This piece of news was circulated to media outlets; 
consequently, many have been misled. 
 
"I could not believe this lie, just like so many other lies 
that invaded our media outlets recently. It is obvious that 
these two officers were on a secret mission to plant bombs. 
The evidence is the amount of explosives found in their 
possession. Fearing disclosure of the whole operation, 
British commanders ordered troops to break into the station 
and free the two prisoners without asking permission from 
commanders in London. The evidence is in the army's 
contradictory statements. 
"An official source in the Major Crimes Directorate in 
Baghdad stated that the two men were working for Mossad and 
that they confessed during interrogation. Some Arab media 
outlets coyly published this piece of news in their internal 
pages. Iraqis should be aware of the conspiracies plotted 
against them by people whose success depends on continued 
Sunni-Shiite division." 
 
KHALILZAD