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11/03/2003 Archived Entry: "What was that about 'foreign fighters?'"
What was that about 'foreign fighters?'
You know how Bush and Rummy and all the other liars tell us that foreign fighters were the reason for their miserable failure in Iraq? Well, it's yet another Bush lie.
Though the Bush administration has for months claimed that foreign fighters were entering Iraq to kill Americans, U.S. military commanders who are responsible for monitoring the borders here say that they have not witnessed a large infiltration of foreign terrorists.As recently as Tuesday, President Bush said that "the foreign terrorists are trying to create conditions of fear and retreat because they fear a free and peaceful state in the midst of a part of the world where terror has found recruits."
But officers whose areas of operations include Iraq's borders with Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran -- the primary Arab entry points into Iraq -- all said there is no evidence that a significant number of foreign terrorists have entered the country.
"We cover the border, so we would know if they came in or not," said Lt. Col. Antonio Aguto, executive officer of the U.S. Army's 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, which monitors Iraq's border with Syria and Saudi Arabia. "Most of them are locals."
The officers said that very few foreigners have been captured while crossing into Iraq illegally, arrested later inside Iraq or detained when trying to enter the country at existing border checkpoints.
One intelligence officer said emphatically that there was simply no evidence to support the claim.
"We keep hearing that, but we haven't seen anything to back it up," the officer said.
Replies: 3 people speak up
In this mornings New Haven Register there is not one word on the vote to send 87 Billion to rebuild Iraq. It would be fine with me to send 87 billion if I thought it was going to help the people of Iraq, but i do not have much faith that is what will happen. Sure would be very American if our local paper reported how our money is being spent.
Posted by kelly kane @ 11/04/2003 07:48 AM NY
Oh well, and the blahblah (as opposed to the blah3 :-) ) on local radio yesterday was all about the Exit Strategy and the re-Iraqization of the war. Or, as Atrios quotes a certain Administration Big Time here, I'll have an extra helping of quagmire with my morning hemlock, please ...
Posted by Melic @ 11/04/2003 09:02 AM NY
I would be very surprised if ANY of the "suiciders" (ya gotta love that term) were Iraqi nationals. By no means am I knowledgeable about Middle Eastern affairs, but it just doesn't seem like their style.
Posted by Metropolitan99 @ 11/04/2003 10:36 AM NY
