Intel: Al-Qaida Has 20 Cells in Iraq

Expanding as volunteers recruited from Arab world, Europe

February 5, 2004
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

Western intelligence sources say al-Qaida has at least 20 insurgency cells in Iraq, reports Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence news service.

Most of them are in the Sunni Triangle, but others are located in both Kurdistan to the north and in Shi'ite areas to the south.

The cells began as small units but have expanded over the past few months as volunteers have been recruited from the Arab world and Europe.

The al-Qaida cells go by a variety of names, including "Muhammad's Army," "the Army of the Just," "Farouq Brigades" and "Saraya Islam."

The cells are not formally linked to Saddam loyalists. But loyalists have managed to infiltrate some of the cells and also have supplied them with weapons.

So far, the cells have not formed into a network with a united command, the sources said.

This could change since al-Qaida operatives have fled Saudi Arabia and are trying to organize the cells.

Meanwhile, Abu Mussib Al Zarqawi has tried to form an insurgency network in Iraq for al-Qaida. Al Zarqawi is believed to have been the main subcontractor for al-Qaida in attacks on U.S. and other targets.

Al Zarqawi also planned to attack the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad in the summer of 2003.

All in all, the sources said, al-Qaida has not yet built a strong presence in Iraq. But since December 2003, the U.S. military and allied forces have seen the first clear signs of al-Qaida's presence in Iraq. Sunday's car bombings in Irbil point to how dangerous that presence can be.

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