العراق: الائتلاف كان على علم باختراقات لمرقد سامراء
العراق: الائتلاف كان على علم باختراقات لمرقد سامراء
لندن: معد فياض
أفادت معلومات أمنية سرية صادرة عن وزارة الدولة لشؤون الأمن الوطني (التي يديرها عبد الكريم العنزي من حزب الدعوة تنظيم العراق ـ شيعي)، وتقارير أمنية حصلت «الشرق الأوسط» على نسخة منها، بأن حكومة الائتلاف كانت على علم باختراقات أمنية حصلت في فريق حراسة مرقد الامام علي الهادي قبل تفجيره بأسبوعين. وان حكومة ابراهيم الجعفري، المنتهية ولايته، كانت على علم بهذه المعلومات ولم تتخذ إجراءات بصددها.
وحسب تقرير أمني مرفوع من مكتب المتابعة في وزارة الدولة لشؤون الامن الوطني الى مستشار الامن القومي، فإن الحكومة المنتهية ولايتها رصدت منذ العام الماضي حركة ارهابيين في سامراء هدفهم تفجير مقام الامام علي الهادي. وان هذه المعلومات تتهم السنة مباشرة بحادث التفجير.
وعلق سلمان الجميلي، المتحدث الرسمي باسم جبهة التوافق العراقية، قائلا أمس: «نحن في جبهة التوافق نؤمن بأن قوة موقفنا بعد أن شكلنا كتلة برلمانية مع القائمة العراقية وجبهة الحوار وتأييد التحالف الكردستاني لنا والتخلخل الذي أصاب الائتلاف لانقسام الجعفري وتيار الصدريين في جهة والمجلس الاعلى في جهة أخرى، كل هذا دفع بجهات تتبع مجموعات مشاركة في الحكم للقيام بتفجير المرقد»، مشيرا الى «اننا كنا نعرف بأن الائتلاف سيقوم بعمل ما لإنزال الازمة الى الشارع، وكنا حذرين من وقوع شيء كبير، لكننا لم نكن نتخيل ان تصل الامور الى تفجير مرقد الامام علي الهادي لاتهام السنة من جهة، ولإرسال الغوغاء لإحراق مساجدنا وقتل الأئمة والمصلين وحرق المصاحف الشريفة. ونحن على يقين بأن التفجير كان مفبركا ومهيئا له من قبل أجهزة وبتخطيط من قبل دولة مجاورة للعراق».
مصدر أمني عراقي اعتبر ما جاء بالتقرير الأمني «لما تسمى بوزارة الأمن الوطني»، ليس «إلا فبركة مفضوحة الأهداف»، مشيرا الى انه «ليست هناك على ارض الواقع وزارة بهذا الاسم سوى اسم وزيرها».
وأضاف المصدر ان «معلومات التقرير تشير وبوضوح الى ان حكومة الائتلاف تمتلك معلومات عن حركة الارهابيين في سامراء ونشاطات ابن شقيق وشقيقة ارهابي معروف منذ العام الماضي فلماذا لم تتخذ اجراءاتها لحماية المرقد وتعمدت بتركه عرضة للتفجير؟».
ورفض الربيعي مستشار الأمن القومي التعليق على التقرير المرفوع اليه من وزارة الدولة لشؤون الأمن الوطني. وقال لـ«الشرق الأوسط» عبر الهاتف من مكتبه في بغداد أمس حيث كرر قائلا «لا تعليق لدي على هذا الموضوع».
كما ابدى الدكتور خضير عباس هادي رئيس ديوان رئاسة الوزراء عدم معرفته بالتقرير, وقال لـ «الشرق الأوسط» عبر الهاتف أمس «لم اطلع على هذا التقرير ولا علم لي بمعلوماته, لا أؤكد ولا أنفي».
[Note: I haven’t bothered to paste in any graphics.]
Leaked Security Memo Critical of Iraqi Government
01/03/2006
By Ma’ad Fayad
London, Asharq Al-Awsat- A leaked security memo from the Iraqi Ministry for National Security Affairs, headed by Abdul-Karim al-Anzi, and security reports seen by Asharq al Awsat allege that the outgoing government was aware of security violations around the Imam Ali al Hadi shrine in Samarra, two weeks before it was bombed but didn’t take any action to prevent the attack
According to a security report from the National Security Affairs Ministry addressed to national security advisor Muwafak al Rubaie, Prime minister Ibrahim al Jaafari’s outgoing government had detected terrorist activity around the Imam Ali al Hadi mausoleum in the historic Iraqi city last year. The report also claimed Iraqi Sunnis were directly involved in the dawn raid in which the famous golden dome, one the holiest Islamic Shia sites, was blown up.
Salman al Jamili, spokesman for the Iraqi Accord Front stated, “The fractures in the Shia coalition caused by divisions between al Jaafari and al Sadr’s movement and the Supreme Council [Supreme council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI)] prompted/encouraged groups closely linked to government members to bomb the shrine.”
“We knew the coalition was about to act so as to increase the crisis. We were on our guard. However, we did not conceive that matters would [deteriorate so far that they would] come to an attack on the Imam al Hadi mausoleum so that the Sunnis could be accused and individuals encouraged to burn our mosques, kill our imams and burn the Quran. We are aware the bombing was premeditated and organised by particular groups, with planning assistance from one of Iraq’s neighbours, ” he added.
A security source who requested anonymity questioned why the government had not acted to halt terrorists plans if, according to the report, it “had information about the movement of terrorists in Samarra and the activities of the nephew and sister of a known terrorist. Why didn’t it take any measures to protect the shrine and deleiberately leave it exposed to attacks?”
From his office in Baghdad Al Rubaie declined to comment [on the report] and told Asharq al Awsat , “I have no comment on this issue.” Dr. Khodr Abbas Hadi, head of the prime minister’s office, said he had not heard of the report and told Asharq al Awsat, “I have not seen this report and have no information about its contents. I cannot confirm it or deny it.”
* The IAF came into being on October 26, 2005. It is a combination of:
- Adnan al-Dulaimi’s General Council for the People of Iraq. [ Adnan al-Dulaimi had escaped a determined assasination attempt approx twelve hours before I started to write this posting. He heads the state-run Sunni endowment and played a leading role in campaigns to get the iraqi constitution adopted mfi]
- Mohsen Abd al-Hamid’s Iraqi Islamic Party
- And the Iraqi National Dialogue Council. [The Iraqi National Dialogue Council are a Sunni political headed by Khalaf al-Ulayyan.
There’s a reasonable good overview of the various parties here - mfi]
The IAF is Islamist and Sunni and as noted in the list above consists of the Sunni groups that backed the 2005 constitution. Its most important rivals for the Sunni vote are:
- Saleh al-Mutlak’s Iraqi National Dialogue Front, the INDF are a secular Sunni party who opposed the constitution.
- The Iraqi National List, which include The Iraqis, the most successful Sunni party in the January election.
It was only a matter of time - markfromireland
No tag for this post.
Oh fuck? OH SHIT! And I’m saying that here because you don’t allow dirty language on your other site.
I’m confused, Mark.
From the second paragraph:_
“The report also claimed Iraqi Sunnis were directly involved in the dawn raid in which the famous golden dome, one the holiest Islamic Shia sites, was blown up.”
This clearly blames the Sunnis but from further down this:-
“We knew the coalition was about to act so as to increase the crisis. We were on our guard. However, we did not conceive that matters would [deteriorate so far that they would] come to an attack on the Imam al Hadi mausoleum so that the Sunnis could be accused and individuals encouraged to burn our mosques, kill our imams and burn the Quran.”
- seems blames the Shia of blowing up their own mosque to set up the Sunis, if I read “the coalition” in the quote to refer to -
“the Shia coalition ….. between al Jaafari and al Sadr’s movement and the Supreme Council [Supreme council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI)]
And which way do Ma’ad Fayad and Asharq Al-Awsat- lean?
Maybe I’m having brain-fade but I’ve read it a few times now and can’t see which way is up.
“You’re confused?!? (wailed the gorilla) How do you think I am?”
LOL sorry but sometimes this stuff makes my head ache. So believe me I sympathise when you say you’re confused. Anyway to deal with your question.
They’re Saudi government owned griffon. Fairly conservative. Fairly well respected. Fairly widely read. ‘Nuff said?
The important thing is that the report claims that the govt knew and did nothing about it. The reference to the Sunni is clear enough when you remember that Samarra is a Sunni town and therefore the Waqf (Sunni religious endowment headed by a man who has just narrowly escaped a determined assasination attempt) were and still are responsible for security at the dome.
The rest is people covering their asses and or pushing their own agendas.
The important thing is that the story is out there now.
Asharq al Awsat is read throughout the world (they print on four continents) and thoroughout the Middle East. Think of them as a sort of Arabic “International HeralD Tribune” They syndicate quite a lot international reports too btw
Thanks very much, Mark. Much appreciated.
It must be hard for you to not get buried in the never ending detail.
I don’t know whether it is a bad thing or a good thing in the end, but my head just blurs after a while trying to keep the Arabic names straight.
I think I need a cup of tea and a little lie down, now!
You’re welcome and as it’s nearly 1 A.M. here and I’m up early tomorrow I think I’ll hit my bed and get some sleep.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who is lagging behind here. Thanks so much for serving this up on a platter Mark - goodnight all only it’s another few hours before my bedtime
I’m so glad griffon was confused too … !
The line that jumped out at me was Salman al Jamili saying “We are aware the bombing was premeditated and organised by particular groups, with planning assistance from one of Iraq’s neighbours. ”
Am I right in assuming that neighbor would be Iran since this is a Sunni spokesman accusing Shia govt figures? (or did I get that all wrong?)
I posted on this topic at Booman a couple of days ago. I hope you don’t mind, but I thought it might be interesting to get your Irish perspective.
I have little doubt that the British special forces are involved in stirring up trouble in Iraq and also Iran. Here’s something that got my attention.
I lived in England during the Thatcher years. Which gave me a great opportunity to see government propaganda in action. And I must say that Mrs. T’s people were VERY good at it, far better than the Bush administration’s version of the same (but why try too hard when the people beg so desperately to be lied to, I suppose).
Its important for background to point out that during the height of the IRA campaign, any time there was a bombing, the only question among the few people who were actually paying attention was “so - was that one of theirs or one of ours?”
In that context, my BS detector went off bigtime when I came across this little story that slipped into the Independent Newspaper in October last year:
Terror devices used by the IRA in a vicious murder campaign in Ulster blew up British servicemen as the world blamed Iran.
By Greg Harkin, Francis Elliott and Raymond Whitaker
Published: 16 October 2005
Eight British soldiers killed during ambushes in Iraq were the victims of a highly sophisticated bomb first used by the IRA, The Independent on Sunday can reveal.
The soldiers, who were targeted by insurgents as they travelled through the country, died after being attacked with bombs triggered by infra-red beams. The bombs were developed by the IRA using technology passed on by the security services in a botched “sting” operation more than a decade ago.
Unfortunately, it requires a login to acces the full article, but the gist of the story is that Iran has been provided with bomb-making technology by the Irish Republican Army, who in turn, had been supplied with it by no less than the British Army in the so-called “botched sting operation”. (!)
The thing that struck me as wrong about this story was that it appeared out of the blue without any context in terms of the events around that date. So why did this story appear when it did? On the face of it, there’s no obvious reason, because the eight soldiers that it mentions were killed months earlier. There are no clues in the story itself, either. And its rather noteworthy that beyond the disclosure of these allegations, we do not find out where, when, how, why, or from whom the authors came by this damning material.
The answer, of course, is that this is just a fine specimen of the British garden-variety planted story. By a remarkable “coincidence”, it appeared at precisely the same time as reports of a terrorist attack inside Iran, after which the Iranian authorities claimed to have evidence of British complicity.
Oops! Who knew that parts of the bombs would still be recognizable? Never mind, when you’re in spot of bother, nothing beats nice cuppa and a drop of propaganda-journalism to save both the day and someone’s flabby white English arse.
One of the subtleties of the story is that while it certainly meets its objective (to get out in front of the obvious question about why British bomb technology is being discovered in Iraq and Iran), superficially, it looks like criticism of the government for some foolish actions taken in the past.
When this story came out, I e-mailed the authors, asking them WHY they had seen fit to put forth this “information” at that particular time. No reply, of course.
Damn them all.
Sadly Siun you’re quite correct. As you know I’m doing a series over at my other place about who might be crazy enough to think they’d benefit from this. The answer is “not Iran” there’s no way in hell this was the Iranians despite everybody wanting to pin the blame on them. The dome bombing represents a complete and utter disaster for them - and they know it.
Hot update - Abbas Kadhim has a new piece out
I commented on that story at the Time tortoise on a variety of blogs - it was before I started blogging separately so I’ll leave it at saying that you can take it that that is true.
As to why - what makes you think that there isn’t a lot of internicine feuding going on within the British security services? It goes on within all bureaucracies and between them. [Rhetorical question :-) ]
Second the motion on “damn them all” and yes Thatcher’s government were superb at agenda management.
(Databases are handy things *g*)
Full text of article tortoise refers to is:
Terror devices used by the IRA in a vicious murder campaign in Ulster blew up British servicemen as the world blamed Iran
By Greg Harkin, Francis Elliott and Raymond Whitaker Published: 16 October 2005
Eight British soldiers killed during ambushes in Iraq were the victims of a highly sophisticated bomb first used by the IRA, The Independent on Sunday can reveal. The soldiers, who were targeted by insurgents as they travelled through the country, died after being attacked with bombs triggered by infra-red beams. The bombs were developed by the IRA using technology passed on by the security services in a botched “sting” operation more than a decade ago.
This contradicts the British government’s claims that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is helping Shia insurgents to make the devices.
The Independent on Sunday can also reveal that the bombs and the firing devices used to kill the soldiers, as well as two private security guards, were initially created by the UK security services as part of a counter-terrorism strategy at the height of the troubles in the early 1990s.
According to security sources, the technology for the bombs used in the attacks, which were developed using technology from photographic flash units, was employed by the IRA some 15 years ago after Irish terrorists were given advice by British agents.
“We are seeing technology in Iraq today that it took the IRA 20 years to develop,” said a military intelligence officer with experience in Northern Ireland.
He revealed that one trigger used in a recent Iraqi bombing was a three-way device, combining a command wire, a radio signal and an infra-red beam - a technique perfected by the IRA.
Britain claims that the bomb-making expertise now being used in southern Iraq was passed on by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard through Hizbollah, the revolutionary Islamist group it sponsors in Lebanon.
But a former agent who infiltrated the IRA told The Independent on Sunday that the technology reached the Middle East through the IRA’s co-operation with Palestinian groups. In turn, some of these groups used to be sponsored by Saddam Hussein and his Baath party.
The former agent added: “The photographic flashgun unit was replaced with infra-red and then coded infra-red, but basically they were variations of the same device. The technology came from the security forces, but the IRA always shared its equipment and expertise with Farc guerrillas in Colombia, the Basque separatists, ETA and Palestinian groups. There is no doubt in my mind that the technology used to kill our troops in Basra is the same British technology from a decade ago.”
Even more alarming is the claim that the devices were supplied by the security services to an agent inside the Provisionals as part of a dangerous game of double bluff.
According to investigators examining past collusion between the security forces and paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, members of the shadowy army undercover outfit, the Force Research Unit, and officers from MI5 learned in the early 1990s that a senior IRA member in south Armagh was working to develop bombs triggered by light beams. They decided the risks would be diminished if they knew what technology was being used.
“The thinking of the security forces was that if they were intimate with the technology, then they could develop counter-measures, thereby staying one step ahead of the IRA,” a senior source close to the inquiry explained. “It may seem absurd that the security services were supplying technology to the IRA, but the strategy was sound.
“Unfortunately, no one could see back then that this technology would be used to kill British soldiers thousands of miles away in a different war.”
The Provisionals’ agent was allowed to travel to New York andpurchase the equipment. But the strategy backfired in March 1992 when the technology triggered a bomb that killed a policewoman and mutilated her male colleague near Newry before counter-measures were in place.
The officer investigating the Basra incident committed suicide apparently:
Death of a British Officer in Iraq - Captain Ken Masters
Published Sunday 16th October 2005
It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence can confirm that the body of Captain Ken Masters was discovered in his accommodation in Waterloo Lines, Basra, Iraq on Saturday 15 October 2005.
Captain Masters was Officer Commanding 61 Section, Special Investigation Branch, Royal Military Police. He had been responsible for the investigation of all in-theatre serious incidents plus investigations conducted by the General Police Duties element of the Theatre Investigation Group.
Ken Masters was aged 40, married with two children and had served with the Royal Military Police since 1981. He was commissioned from the ranks in 2001 and served most of his career with the Special Investigation Branch.
The Ministry of Defence asks the media to respect the privacy of Captain Master’s family at this time
http://www.news.mod.uk/news_headline_story2.asp?newsItem_id=3643
That operation was one of the force research unit’s doings. They’re the precursor to the SRS and known not entirely affectionately as the “Green Slime” by the rest of British Army.
Oops forgot to mention that Brigadier Gordon Kerr who ran the FRU is currently directing the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) in Iraq.
The two “undercover soldiers” were of course members of the SRR as the UK govt. admitted at the time.
Wasn’t the bomb that killed Rafik Harrari(sp?) triggered by a similar device as Harrari travelled with radio jamming equipment to stop cell phone calls from triggering bombs?
And Capt. Masters’ suicide would have to be as dodgey as a three dollar bill
The Hariri bombing was ultra-sophisticated. If you look at the photos taken at the time the blast was UP and really really precise. Hariri was blown up his driver wasn’t.
A big problem is that the Lebanese coppers got there quicker than fast and took a lot the stuff away and dumped it. So forensically the scene is contaminated - very contaminated.
To do a bombing that precisely you have to really really know what you’re doing. It was dead professional if you’ll excuse the pun. That level of precision and timing and the equipment needed isn’t easily gettable. Personally I don’t think the Syrians have it.
The problem is that like Samarra we’ll never know and Mehlis ballsed it up by going public with his accusations. Sha’kat of course “suicided” which to my way of thinking was very handy.
If it was Syrians (and a lot of us don’t think it was) then it was part of the power struggle going on between the old guard Ba’ath (Sha’kat and co) and the Babby Assad’s faction.
Head ready to explode yet? :-)))))
Don’t know smurf, but I do have a headache if that means anything! Thanks for you insight.
From what I remember it was a pretty big crater indicating that the bomb was not only large but buried in the roadway.
Is it possible that the triggering device was actually mounted under Hariri’s car?
A light beam would be very precise, I imagine, unlike a radio beacon
Radio or mobile ‘phone are the two most likely candidates. An educated guess would be a two trigger command mechanism. Phone backed up by radio. That’s how I’d do it.
(Command wire is a non-starter IMO as to infrared beam or sensor - possible yes, but unlikely, Occam’s razor)
I think you and smurph covered it between you really. The only thing I’d add is about the explosives themselves. That was one hell of a powerful blast and VERY precisely channelled.
I never followed up on which explosive it was that was used because there was no bloody point to it.
I remember the Swiss team who worked under Peter Fitzgerald’s direction during investigation 1 had a fair bit of fairly sharp things to say about it. TNT was the most likely culprit as I recall but the problem with that was that was used was an itemiser which only gives an indication. Not something you’d want put your name to though and definitely not something to stand over in a court of law. The wettest behind the ears barrister would gut me and proper order too.
That’s the important thing about what smurph was talking about about the Lebanese police arriving so fast and taking evidence. They weren’t taking evidence not in they way we would. They were removing evidence and contaminating what they couldn’t remove.
I agree about the triggers. No point in using an infrared and it doesn’t matter whether it was coded or not infrared is infrared.
Phone or radio is the best bet most likely both.
One thing though - I don’t understand why griffon’s asking about jammers. Gor do you remember when this happened and Anto brought that up that you said that one of the ways you’d do it would be to use the phone as trigger 2 and the radio as trigger 1 if the radio was suddenly jammed that’d trip the phone. Remember that?
You know I’d forgotten I’d said that there’s been so much since. Thanks Deco. I wonder why I said it there must have been something that sparked that particular thought.
I’ll quickly follow up on something Deco said - the Swiss and the Czechs are the best there is. They’re better than us and the Brits combined. But not even they can do much with deliberately bollixed about stuff.
I think we should leave this particular topic at that as the Hariri murder is O/T to Samarra and it’s aftermath.
It’s way too easy to see plots everywhere - that’s because there are plots everywhere, paranoids have enemies too and all of that :-)
But one gigantic overarching plot in which everything is connected and neatly fits together - doesn’t work that way.
Lindblom was right gentlemen incrementalism rules.