Ex-Baathists Play Crucial Insurgent Role, U.S. Says

[Rose Siding]

TIKRIT, Iraq — U.S. military commanders say a new assessment of the Iraqi insurgency has led them to focus on 34 former Baath Party leaders who they believe are financing and directing attacks against American troops and their allies.

Army Gen. John P. Abizaid and other senior Defense officials interviewed in Iraq said much of the insurgent violence was being carried out by a network of regional cells that loosely coordinate their operations with former officials of Saddam Hussein's ruling party.
...
"We have focused the intelligence system on these 34 guys in the belief that if there is an emerging leadership structure for the former regime element movement that these 34 guys will be holding the reins," said another senior military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The new information has allowed military strategists to better discern the face of the insurgency, officials said, and has painted a portrait of guerrillas led by former regime officials who are predominantly Sunni Muslim.
...
U.S. efforts to find insurgent leaders have been hampered by Syria, officials said.

"We have been very clear to the Syrians about our unhappiness about Baathist cells operating from Syria. They have access to money, and they have access to smuggling routes," Abizaid said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/la-fg-baath11jan11,0,5707634.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[placton]

1. slate headlines

had some further info - indicated there was no hard evidence, just some guys "brainstorming"

can you say "propaganda"?

[Megawatt]

Looks like they've got their first 34 targets

for the death squads.

[AussieDave]

2. Well DUHHHHH !!!!!!

Abizaid must have brought his head out of his ass long enough to get a gulp of air. For goodness sake you fools in the Administration tell us something which DIDN'T come from the Ministry of the Bleeding Obvious.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[Career Prole]

4. "We have focused the intelligence system on these 34 guys...

...in the belief that if there is an emerging leadership structure for the former regime element movement that these 34 guys will be holding the reins," said another senior military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

No offense intended, Mr. Anonymous Senior Military Official, Sir...
but when you're focusing on a "belief" in an "if" it ain't intelligence nor is it a system. Didn't you learn a single damned thing from the WMD debacle?

The new information has allowed military strategists to better discern the face of the insurgency, officials said, and has painted a portrait of guerrillas led by former regime officials who are predominantly Sunni Muslim.

...and this "portrait" you've painted of the "face of the insurgency" is as apt to be as accurate a representation as those "portraits" of Jesus.

There's no shame in admitting you haven't a clue (well...perhaps a little since you've let it go on so long) so just come clean and admit you're in the dark. You'll find it liberating.

[EFerrari]

5. They have no flaming clue and the MIsadministration doesn't care. nt