US concerned about spread of insurgent tactics from Iraq to North Africa

[maddezmom]

15 minutes ago



WASHINGTON (AFP) - North Africans are beginning to show up among insurgents in Iraq, raising US concerns that they will carry home tactics and techniques learned from that conflict, two senior US officials said.


Major General Thomas Csrnko, head of US special operations command in Europe, said analysts were still trying to determine where the North Africans came from and who they were affiliated with.

"The potential does exist for individuals or groups to go to Iraq and either conduct operations or receive some of the training," he said.

"And one of our fears is that if they do get that training and get some of the techniques that are going on Iraq, they could bring that back to Africa," he said.

~snip~
more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050617/wl_mideast_afp/usmilitarysaharairaq_050617201205;_

[DavidDvorkin]

1. Who could have foreseen this?

Golly. No one even ever imagined something of this sort happening.

[IChing]

3. "they will carry home tactics and techniques learned from that conflict",

Nevermind all the tons of high explosives that our military failed to secure.

one ounce can blow a hum-vee, 786,000 pounds went missing at site
16 oz to a pound is 12,586,000 oz

[bemildred]

10. Yeah, it's eerily like the insurgents were intelligent.

:banghead::banghead:

[maddezmom]

2. couple tie in articles: US, UK shut Nigeria missions on militant threat

US, UK shut Nigeria missions on militant threat By Tom Ashby
Fri Jun 17,12:46 PM ET



LAGOS (Reuters) - The United States, Britain and Germany closed their consulates in Nigeria's largest city Lagos on Friday due to a threat from foreign Islamic militants, U.S. military and diplomatic sources said.

Intelligence from foreign Islamic militant channels indicated a specific threat to the U.S. presence in the oil exporting country, diplomatic sources said.

"There was some kind of terrorist threat made. It was a terrorist threat that was called in," said Major Holly Silkman, a spokeswoman for the US European Command, at a military training exercise for West African forces in Senegal.

The United States also restricted public access to its Abuja embassy and stopped most staff from going to work in the capital, while operations at the British and German diplomatic headquarters in Abuja remained normal.

~snip~
more: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050617/ts_nm/security_nigeria_dc_5

Oil near record, after Nigeria threat
By Iain Pocock
2 hours, 41 minutes ago



LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed more than a dollar a barrel to $58 on Friday, near an all-time high, after the closure in oil producer Nigeria of Western consulates following a terrorist threat.

Concerns about the ability of U.S. refiners to cope with strong U.S. demand, despite rising fuel costs, also helped propel prices close to April's $58.20 a barrel record.

U.S. crude by 1640 GMT was up $1.47 at $58.05 a barrel while London Brent traded $1.28 higher at $57.50 a barrel, near a record $57.65 set in April.

U.S. December crude futures touched $60 a barrel.

Worries about security of supply were highlighted by the closure in OPEC member Nigeria, of the U.S., German and British consulates in Lagos after a warning of a terrorist threat.

~snip~
more:http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050617/bs_nm/markets_oil_dc_27

[onenote]

4. more last throes n/t

[DrRang]

5. LOL. "Trying to determine where the North Africans came from"

Uh, North Africa, maybe?

[applegrove]

6. My the neocon policies of "Middle East not ready for democracy we

can make deals forever with elites be they Islamists or strongmen" has gone over well! That was the 1980s policy.

[XemaSab]

7. Insurgent tactics seem to be known worldwide

The only place they're really "taught" is at the school of the Americas.

[Roland99]

8. Hmm...sooo...insurgents are getting more effective and quicker training...

than the Iraqi police and guardsmen???


:eyes:

[Roland99]

9. BTW, Vote the article up!