Dan's Iraq Report: 2003-11-20

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from Iraq that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Our Winds of War coverage of the global War on Terror is a separate briefing today, and both are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

TOP TOPICS

• Websites are popping up showing video footage of attacks on US forces in Iraq. If this Reuters story is accurate, these websites are likely at the very least ideologically affiliated with al-Qaeda - one of the other propaganda films purported to be listed on the website, "Russian Hell in Chechnya," is a propaganda film produced by the organization intended to recruit Muslims to fight Russian forces in Chechnya.

• JK: On which topic, Dan Darling examines the memo excerpts that were provided by The Weekly Standard re: Iraq & al-Qaeda, and tries to see if the raw data is consistent with reported stories in the press over the last 8 years. Part 1 of a 6-part series.

• General John Abizaid is reporting that the number of insurgents active inside Iraq is estimated at 5,000, though one might point out that similar long-running insurgencies in areas such as Chechnya, the Palestinian terrorities, and Aceh have been sustained for years with similar numbers of insurgent fighters.

Other Topics Today Include: Nasiriyah bombing aftermath; Operation Iron Hammer; assassination attempt on Kirkuk deputy governor; the hunt for al-Douri; Shi'ites to form the bulk of the new Iraqi military; Iraqi police back on the job; law and order in Hilla; anti-terrorist demonstration in Nasiriyah; agreement between Coalition Provisional Authority and Iraqi Governing Council; no plans to pull US troops out of Iraq; Ramadi rethinking its position; Baghdad graffiti; UK may deploy more troops; Italians to stay in Iraq; Italian anti-war group sending cash to the insurgents; US to revamp MEK; Iraq isn't Vietnam; more data on Iraqi WMD program; Kay says two Iraqi scientists helping the coalition on Iraqi anthrax program.

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD

• Two US Black Hawk helicopters have crashed in Mosul, with some reports claiming that one of them was shot down by an RPG.

• The UK Telegraph reports on the aftermath of the suicide bombing in Nasiriyah.

• Kirkuk deputy governor Ismail Ahmad Rajab al-Hadidi has been wounded in an apparent assassination attempt.

• Attacks on Iraqi government officials cooperating with the US appear to be on the rise, a possible sign that Operation Iron Hammer may be deterring Iraqi insurgents from directly targeting coalition forces.

• US forces are searching Tikrit for Iraqi leader Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who now has a $10,000,000 reward on his head. Al-Douri, who is also said to be the mastermind behind the Baathist insurgency, is also reputed to be the liaison between the Baathist insurgents and Ansar al-Islam.

RECONSTRUCTION AND THE ECONOMY

• Shi'ite Muslims are slated to comprise 60% of the new Iraqi military, which should be completed by sometime in 2004.

• Iraqi police are back on the job and much in need, according to this, this, and this.

• More specifically, the Guardian deals with the story to restore law and order in the Iraqi city of Hilla.

• Healing Iraq has a photo available of the Iraqi anti-terror demonstration in Nasiriyah.

• You can read the full text of the agreement between Coalition Provisional Authority and the Governing Council here.

• Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is saying that there are no immediate plans to withdraw US troops from Iraq.

• The Iraqi city of Ramadi, which has been at the heart of much of the resistance located within the Sunni Triangle, appears to be rethinking its position towards the Coalition Provisional Authority.

• The fine art of graffiti appears to be returning to Baghdad - and you'd never believe what it's saying.

THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE

• The UK is considering deploying additional troops to Iraq according to Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

• Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is promising to keep Italian troops in Iraq to assist in the occupation and reconstruction efforts despite the Nasiriyah suicide bombing. 50 paratroopers from the elite Tuscania squadron have been redeployed to Nasiriyah after serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

• The Italian anti-war group Antiimperialista is sending funds to Iraqi insurgents according to the BBC. Be sure to check out their website, you'll be interested in who the contacts are.

• The US is reportedly screening members of an Iraq-based anti-Iranian group for terrorist links. Given that the organization in question is the Mujahideen-e-Khalq, this strikes me as an exceedingly bad policy decision that is naive at best and extremely hypocritical at worst.

• Michael Totten explains over at Tech Central Station that Iraq isn't Vietnam - and lists some of the reasons why.

WMD HUNT

• The Washington Post has an interesting article that states that Iraq ordered nuclear equipment in 1999, had an agricultural facility that showed advances in dry storable powder forms of botulinism toxin, and despite the headline the extremely interesting anecdote that Saddam Hussein considered handing Iraqi WMDs over to his son Udai's Saddam Fedayeen - thereby implying that there were WMDs to hand over to begin with.

• This article from the Sunday Times contains yet another fascinating anecdote: "Two top Iraqi scientists, codenamed Charlie and Alpha, are helping the coalition to learn more about Iraq's anthrax programme, Kay said. The Iraqis had made shocking innovations in the milling and drying processes needed to weaponise anthrax."

ETCETERA

• Which "cards" have we captured so far? The CENTCOM list. And the visual version of "Ba'ath Poker."

• The troops are still there. So is the Winds of Change.NET consolidated directory of ways you can support the troops. American, British and Australian. Anyone out there with more information, incl. the Poles and Czechs? [updated Nov. 2, 2003]

• Don't forget Chief Wiggles' Toys for Iraq drive!