NYT: Inquiry Into Ambush Opens; Iraqi Forces Feared Infiltrated

[DeepModem Mom]

THE OCCUPATION
Inquiry Into Ambush Opens; Iraqi Forces Feared Infiltrated
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.

Published: October 26, 2004


BAGHDAD, Iraq, Tuesday, Oct. 26 - Iraqi officials opened an investigation on Monday into the role played by infiltrators in the ambush on Sunday that left 49 Iraqi National Guard trainees dead in the face of growing indications that insurgents are being given inside information about the movements of Iraqi security forces....

***

United States military officials have long been skeptical of the loyalty of the Iraqi security forces, having seen some American-trained Iraqi soldiers take up arms against occupation forces during fighting in April. But on Monday, even senior Iraqi government officials conceded that it was very possible that insurgents staged the attack with help from members of the Iraqi security forces. One adviser to the interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, said that as many as 5 percent of the Iraqi government's troops are insurgents who have infiltrated the ranks or their sympathizers....

***

Evidence of infiltration has been steadily growing. One month ago, an Iraqi National Guard commander who was one of five candidates nominated to become the provincial commander in Diyala - the region where the ambush occurred Saturday - was arrested by American officials for "having associations with known insurgents." The commander, Brig. Gen. Talib Abid Ghayib al-Lahibi, was in charge of Iraqi guardsmen providing security in the region and had been a senior commander under Saddam Hussein's government.

The deputy governor of Diyala Province, Aqil Hamid al-Adili, who said he believed that the travel plans of the slain National Guard troops had probably been leaked to insurgents, told Agence France-Presse on Monday that the government investigation "will explore whether elements of the police or the National Guard had any contact with terrorists."...


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/26/international/middleeast/26iraq.html

[leftchick]

1. quick, toss these folks a history book....

One would have come in mighty handy two years ago...

:eyes:

[JPace]

2. I heard they were unarmed....

what the @#*#! are they doing not arming people they train?

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Yes, they were unarmed -- from the article --

"It's quite possible they were involved in this and other incidents," said Aqil al-Saffar, an Iraqi national security aide. Suspicions of infiltration have arisen in part because the victims were unarmed and did not have armed escorts even though they were traveling in an area where insurgent attacks are frequent. That issue will be examined in the inquiry, an Iraqi official said.