American military, intelligence and law enforcement officials cannot yet determine whether the recent spate of major bombing attacks in Iraq are part of a coordinated campaign, and they are wrestling with several competing theories about who is behind the continuing violence against the postwar reconstruction effort. Hundreds, if not thousands, of insurgents from Saddam Hussein’s former government have organized into cells, especially in the Sunni-dominated areas in and around Baghdad, to resist the United States-led occupation, American intelligence officials say. The nature of their resistance is clouded by the presence of hundreds of criminals freed from Iraqi jails just before the war, and as many as 1,000 foreign fighters, mainly Islamic militants, who have filtered into Iraq from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Jordan. Some are suspected of having ties to Al Qaeda, the officials said. But even the most experienced and senior intelligence and law enforcement officials say they are still unsure about the degree to which these ideologically disparate forces have made temporary marriages of convenience, uniting to try to disrupt the reconstruction efforts in Iraq. Full Story
About OODA Analyst
OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.