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Skriven 2007-07-24 23:31:02 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0707249) for Tue, 2007 Jul 24
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Fact Sheet: Al Qaeda in Iraq
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary July 24, 2007

Fact Sheet: Al Qaeda in Iraq

ÿÿWhite House News

ÿÿÿÿÿ President Bush Discusses War on Terror in South Carolina

Today, President Bush Spoke To The Airmen Of The 437th And 315th Airlift
Wings In Charleston, South Carolina. ÿThe President praised them for their
courageous service and described America_s primary enemy in Iraq al Qaeda
in Iraq.
  þ Since September 11, 2001, Airmen Of Team Charleston Have Deployed
    Across The Globe In Support Of The War On Terror.ÿ Their efforts in
    global airlift are saving lives and bringing security to our country.ÿ
    America is grateful for their courage in the cause of freedom.
  þ The Al Qaeda Terrorists We Face In Iraq Are Part Of The Same Enemy That
    Attacked The United States On 9/11, And They Still Intend To Attack Us
    At Home. ÿWhile there is a debate in Washington about al Qaeda_s role
    in Iraq, the facts are that al Qaeda in Iraq is an organization founded
    by foreign terrorists, led largely by foreign terrorists, and loyal to
    Osama bin Laden.

Al Qaeda In Iraq_s Founder And His Successor Were Foreign Terrorists, Not
Iraqis

Al Qaeda In Iraq Was Founded By Foreign Terrorists Linked To Senior Al
Qaeda Leadership.ÿ Al Qaeda in Iraq founder Abu Musab al Zarqawi was not an
Iraqi and neither is his successor Abu Ayyub al-Masri.
  þ Jordanian Terrorist Abu Musab Al Zarqawi Founded Al Qaeda In Iraq And
    Pledged Allegiance To Osama Bin Laden.
      þ Before 9/11, Zarqawi ran a terrorist camp in Afghanistan.ÿ
      þ According to our intelligence community, Zarqawi had longstanding
        relations with senior al Qaeda leaders and had met with Osama bin
        Laden and Ayman Zawahiri.ÿ
      þ In 2001, Zaraqawi left Afghanistan and eventually went to Iraq to
        set up operations with terrorist associates after Coalition forces
        destroyed his Afghan training camp.
      þ In 2004, Zarqawi and his terrorist group formally joined al Qaeda,
        pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden, and promised to _follow his
        orders in jihad._ÿ
      þ Bin Laden publicly declared Zarqawi the _Prince of Al Qaeda in
        Iraq_ and instructed terrorists in Iraq to _listen to him and obey
        him._ÿ
  þ Zarqawi_s Successor Abu Ayyub Al-Masri Is An Egyptian Who Also Has Deep
    And Longstanding Ties To Al Qaeda Senior Leadership.ÿ
      þ Abu Ayyub has collaborated with Ayman Zawahiri for more than two
        decades. ÿ
      þ Before 9/11, Abu Ayyub spent time with al Qaeda in Afghanistan and
        taught classes indoctrinating others in al Qaeda_s radical
        ideology. ÿÿ
      þ Last year Osama bin Laden tried to send a terrorist leader named
        Abd al-Hadi al Iraqi to help Abu Ayyub.
          þ According to our intelligence community, Abd al-Hadi was a
            senior advisor to bin Laden who served as his top commander in
            Afghanistan.ÿ
          þ Abd al-Hadi never made it to Iraq.ÿ He was captured last year
            and now is held at Guantanamo Bay.
  þ Our Intelligence Community Reports That Many Of Al Qaeda In Iraq_s
    Other Senior-Most Leaders Are Also Foreign Terrorists.ÿThese foreign
    terrorists include:
      þ A Syrian who is al Qaeda in Iraq_s emir in Baghdad
      þ A Saudi who is al Qaeda in Iraq_s top spiritual and legal advisor
      þ An Egyptian who fought in Afghanistan in the 1990s and has met with
        Osama bin Laden
      þ A Tunisian we believe plays a key role in managing foreign fighters
      þ Last month, Coalition forces killed senior al Qaeda facilitator
        Mehmet Yilmaz, a Turkish national who fought with al Qaeda in
        Afghanistan and met with Khalid Shaykh Muhammad and other senior al
        Qaeda leaders. ÿ

Al Qaeda In Iraq Tries To Deceive Others Into Thinking It Is An Iraqi-Led
Operation

The Recent Capture Of Al Qaeda In Iraq_s Most Senior Iraqi Official Reveals
That The Group Is Led By Foreigners Who Are Trying To Deceive Others Into
Thinking They Are Iraqis. On July 4, Coalition forces captured a senior al
Qaeda in Iraq leader named Khalid Abdul Fattah Da'ud Mahmoud al-Mashadani,
the highest ranking Iraqi in the organization. ÿ
  þ Mashadani said the foreign leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq went to
    extraordinary lengths to promote the fiction that al Qaeda in Iraq is
    led by Iraqis.
  þ Mashadani said al Qaeda in Iraq went so far as to create a figurehead
    whom they named _Omar al-Baghdadi_ so that Iraqi fighters would think
    they are following the orders of an Iraqi instead of a foreigner.ÿÿÿ
  þ Mashadani said Abu Ayyub and his team of foreign leaders, not Iraqis,
    make most of the operational decisions for al Qaeda in Iraq.ÿ

According To Our Intelligence Community, Al Qaeda Senior Leaders And Al
Qaeda_s Leaders In Iraq _See Al Qaeda In Iraq As Part Of Al Qaeda_s
Decentralized Chain Of Command, Not As A Separate Group._Al Qaeda in Iraq
is not just collaborating with al Qaeda leaders or maintaining contacts
with them, they have formally merged with them and pledged baya_at, or
loyalty, to Osama bin Laden.ÿ
  þ Our intelligence community concludes that _Al Qaeda and its regional
    node in Iraq are united in their overarching strategy._

Al Qaeda Is The Greatest Threat To Security In Iraq Due To Their Constant
Attempts At Inflaming Sectarian War Through Large-Scale Bombings

Our Intelligence Community Believes Al Qaeda Is The Most Dangerous Of The
Sunni Extremist Groups In Iraq.
  þ Al Qaeda In Iraq, More Than Any Other Group, Is Behind Most Of The
    Spectacular, High-Casualty Attacks Seen On TV. Our military estimates
    that between 80 and 90 percent of suicide attacks in Iraq are carried
    out by foreign-born al Qaeda terrorists brought into the country for
    the sole purpose of blowing themselves up and killing innocent Iraq
    civilians.
  þ Al Qaeda Designs Their Attacks To Accelerate Sectarian Violence In
    Iraq. ÿAl Qaeda attacks Shia in hopes of sparking reprisal attacks that
    inspire Sunnis to join al Qaeda_s cause. ÿ
  þ Al Qaeda Is The Only Terrorist Group In Iraq With Stated Ambitions To
    Make The Country A Base For Attacks Outside Iraq. ÿAl Qaeda in Iraq
    dispatched terrorists who bombed a wedding reception in Jordan and sent
    operatives to Jordan where they attempted a rocket attack on U.S Navy
    ships in the Red Sea.
  þ Al Qaeda In Iraq Shares Bin Laden_s Goal Of Making Iraq A Base For Its
    Radical Islamic Empire And Using It As A Safe Haven For Attacks On
    America.
  þ This Is Why Our Intelligence Community Reports That Al Qaeda In Iraq,
    Compared With Other Groups, _Stands Out For Its Extremism, Unmatched
    Operational Strength, Foreign Leadership, And Determination To Take The
    Jihad Beyond Iraq_s Borders._

Iraq Is Central To The War On Terror, And America Can Accept Nothing Less
Than Complete Victory
  þ These Killers_ Own Words Show That They Would Not Stop Trying To Kill
    Americans And Others Were We To Leave Iraq.ÿ
      þ We know their intentions. Just last November, al Qaeda_s top
        commander in Iraq issued an audio statement saying he will not rest
        until he attacked our Nation_s capital.ÿ
  þ For The Security Of Our Citizens, And The Peace Of The World, We Must
    Give General Petraeus And His Troops The Time And Resources They Need
    To Defeat Al Qaeda In Iraq.ÿWe have already seen how al Qaeda used a
    failed state in Afghanistan to bring death and destruction to the
    street of our cities. The costs of withdrawal could be catastrophic:
      þ Sectarian violence in Iraq could increase dramatically, raising the
        prospect of mass casualties.
      þ Fighting could engulf the entire region in chaos.ÿ
      þ We could soon face a Middle East dominated by violent Islamic
        extremists.
  þ Recent Successes In Anbar Province Show That This Is A Fight We Can
    Win. Less than a year ago, Anbar Province was al Qaeda_s base in Iraq,
    but U.S. and Iraqi forces have since teamed with Sunni sheiks who have
    turned against al Qaeda and driven the terrorists from most of the
    population centers. Our troops are now working to replicate the success
    in Anbar in other parts of the country.ÿ

The facts are that al Qaeda terrorists killed Americans on 9/11, are
fighting us in Iraq and across the world, and are plotting to kill
Americans here at home again.ÿ Those who justify withdrawing our troops
from Iraq by denying the threat of al Qaeda in Iraq and its ties to Osama
bin Laden ignore the clear consequences of such a retreat.ÿ Following their
advice would be dangerous for the world and disastrous for America.ÿ So we
must defeat al Qaeda in Iraq and we will.

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