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IRAQFILES - Background

March 17, 2007 07:05 PM

The Pentagon has begun to release some of the thousands of Iraqi government and military documents and media confiscated during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Some have already been translated, but many are in the original Arabic. They were made public in order to allow translation by bloggers and others fluent Arabic. This Pajamas Media blog is a repository for those translations and for commentary (either in text, audio or video) on what the documents mean.

PJMedia videos available for background:
1. Congressman Hoekstra, chairman of the House Select Intelligence Committee
2. Former Director of Central Intelligence James Woolsey
3. Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Perle
4. Shadow War author Richard Miniter

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Document IISP-2003-00040598

April 28, 2006 10:42 AM

Translator’s note:
-Document IISP-2003-00040598 contains 64 pages regarding memos and transfers of money to the Afghani opposition in 1988-89-90
- All transfer documents are in English, $500,000.00 per month.
- The interesting fact is that the Afghani opposition at this time 88-90 was fighting the Soviet Union, Saddam’s best friend.
- So Saddam was financially supporting the enemies of his best ally.
- If he has no problem back stabbing his best supporters, one should wonder how he feels about the United Nations whom he never considered as friends.

Translation of page 13/64:

Council of Revolutionary Command
Intelligence Directorate
Top secret and private

To: Respected director
Subject: The Afghani Ahmad Hassan Al Kilani

Sir,

The President Leader (May God protect him) had previously ordered us, through Mr. the Secretary’s memo number 560/K on 2-2-1990 to provide a monthly amount of half a million dollars from the account of the Presidency to be transferred to the account of Mr. Ahmad Al Kilani in a Swiss bank, starting from 1-1-1989 and until the opposition controls the government in Afghanistan.
Since 1-1-1989 we have been continuously paying half a million dollars monthly.

Please review, with respects
11th March 1990

On page 61/64 a top secret and private memo (dated 2nd of November 1988) says that the half a million dollars transfers started in October 1988.

On page 29/64 an intelligence memo (dated 5th of January 1991) mentions that the last half a million dollar payment took place on the 9th of August 1990 (translator’s note: 7 days after he invaded Kuwait)

Translator’s note: A total of 23 months of transfers equals eleven millions and five hundred thousands US dollars.

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Document: CMPC-2003-015065

April 25, 2006 04:34 AM

Document CMPC-2003-015065 is composed of 35 pages of memos between different intelligence directorates regarding the procurement of new computers.
- Page 3/35 is translated. It is dated January 1st 1999.

Top secret

Presidency of the Republic
Directorate of Intelligence

To: Director of the Intelligence service
Subject: Providing a secret location

In view of the upcoming execution of the computer installation project which is going to be contracted and because the mentioned computers are advanced and highly capable on the technological level they are therefore part of the equipment which the UN has prevented its import to the country. Because we are worried that UN inspection teams might visit the Directorate’s headquarters and while searching the computers’ building they will find those advanced computers which in the future will store the data of the different directorates of Intelligence.
Therefore we propose the following:
Provide a secret house for the new computer which would be close to the headquarters….
(Translator’s notes: the remaining of the page deals with the technicalities of the operation.)

Original Arabic here.

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Document CMPC-2003-005935

April 20, 2006 11:39 AM

In the Name of God the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate

The Presidency of the Republic

The Intelligence Apparatus

Mr: The Respected Director

Subject: Projects of a Plan

Below are projects of the plan for the year 2000 and according to the budget suggested for it in the spending budget of the year 2000 and as follow:

1. Prepare an armored brief case to protect the VIPs 180 days.

2. Study on the Epoxy used currently in preparing the IEDs and the possibility of finding another type that will not affect the explosive.

3. Studies and researches of the materials that increase the intensity of the explosive.

4. Prepare theoretical and applied lessons on the popular explosives 120 days.

5. Training of the Arab Feedayeens- within the plan of the year 2000.

Establish tournaments specialized in the explosives 30 days

Please review and your command with regards

Signature…

Khaled Ibrahim Ismail

Senior Chemist

22/11/99

End of page translation.

(H/T: Captain’s Quarters)

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Fitting the pieces together

April 20, 2006 11:22 AM

Did Saddam Hussein’s Iraq have a successful nuclear test in the late 1980s? See the evidence for and against at Ray Robison.

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Document: ISGP-2003-0001498

April 17, 2006 10:25 AM

Document ISGP-2003-0001498 contains a 9 pages TOP SECRET memo (pages 87-96 in the pdf document) dated March 16 2003 that talks about transferring “SPECIAL AMMUNITION” from one ammunition depot in Najaf to other ammunition depots near Baghdad. As we know by now the term SPECIAL AMMUNITION was used by Saddam Regime to designate CHEMICAL WEAPONS as another translated document has already shown. For example in document CMPC 2004-002219 where Saddam regime decided to use “CHEMICAL WEAPONS against the Kurds” they used the term “SPECIAL AMMUNITION” for chemical weapon[…]. What is also interesting is that these “SPECIAL AMMUNITION” were listed as 122 mm, 130 mm, and 155 mm caliber shells which are not by itself SPECIAL unless it contain CHEMICAL WEAPONS. In fact the Iraqi have always used 122 mm, 130 mm, and 155 mm caliber shell as a main delivery tool for Chemical Weapons Agents by filling these type of shells with Nerve Gas, Sarin, Racin, Mustard gas and other Chemical Agents.


Beginning of partial translation of Pages 85-96 in document ISGP-2003-0001498

In the Name of God the Merciful The Compassionate


Top Secret

Ministry Of Defense

Chairmanship of the Army Staff

Al Mira Department

No. 4/17/ammunition/249

Date 16 March 2003

To: The Command of the Western Region

Subject: Transfer of Ammunitions

The secret and immediate letter of the Chairmanship of the Army Staff 4/17/308 on 10 March 2003

1. The approval of the Army Chief of Staff was obtained to transfer THE SPECIAL AMMUNITIONS in the ammunition depots group of Najaf and according to the following priorities:

A. The first priority

First. Ammunition (122 mm)

Second. Ammunition (130 mm)

Third. Ammunition (155 mm)

To the depots and storage of the Second Corp and the two ammunition depot groups Dijla/2/3

B. Second priority.

First. Ammunition (23 mm)

Second. Ammunition (14.5 mm)

To the ammunition depots of the air defense and distributed to the ammunition depot groups in (Al Mussayeb- Al Sobra- Saad).

2. To execute the order of the Chief Army Staff indicated in section (1) above, we relate the following:

A. Duty

Transfer of the ammunitions shown in sections (A) and (B) from the ammunitions depots of Najaf to the ammunition depots in (Dijla 2/3, and Al Mansor, and Saad, and Al Mussayeb, and Sobra and Blad Roz and Amar Weys from March 16 till April 14 2003.

Signature…

General Rasheed Abdallah Sultan

Assistant to the Army Chief of Staff- Al Mira

March 2003

End of Partial translation

The remaining pages of this 9 pages top secret memo talk about getting the special vehicles to transfer the SPECIAL AMMUNITION and the people assigned to supervise and execute the transfer and they were top Iraqi Army and Military Intelligence officers.

  Comments (1)

Document: CMPC-2003-000331

April 15, 2006 07:28 AM

Fourth International

1) The method of “constructed work” will be adopted in the field of the Fourth International.
a. Western Europe:
1. The “constructed work” method will be used in Great Britain through our sources in Ireland and Spain. (2 cases) (translator’s notes: A case is a source)
2. We have contacted one of our friends in Sweden to collect information about the USA and Holland. (1 case)
3. Use one of the operating sources in Greece to move into the “American field” (translator’s note: literal translation of the Arab words, he is referring to the USA) to get to know the American intentions.

b. The two Americas:
A number of sources operating in Cuba, Mexico and Canada were recruited and sent to work in the USA (3 cases)

c. Eastern Europe:
1. A Russian was recruited to work on both Israel and Iran (1 case).
2. A Croatian was sent to work on Slovenia (1 case).
3. We proceeded to recruit several different nationalities to Romania (3 cases).
d. Asia and non-Arab Africa:
We proceeded to recruit several different nationalities for Iran, Israel, Afghanistan, Africa, Lebanon, Jordan, and the Gulf to work according to “constructed work”. (11 cases).
e. Scientific Intelligence section:
Several sources from different nationalities were sent to some scientific institutions, the UN and the Special Committee to acquire advanced scientific and technical information and also to transfer technology to Iraq (10 cases)

Gist: Then follow several instructions for recruiting and the report discusses some of the problems being faced and the intent to start “illegal stations” (probably undercover stations). The potential of using the Iraqi expatriate population is also discussed. The sixth annual expatriate conference was used to renew the contacts. Iraqi businessmen are also mentioned as potential technology transfer factors.

Translation of page 87/239
17. The work was as follows:
a. The Fourth International has connections and friends in most of its countries that are “moved” in the required directions to continuously influence the decision makers in the target countries. In many of our operating areas this effort bared fruit in letting the Iraqi cause be known, to affect the domestic public opinion and the political decisions of those countries.
c. In some countries action was taken with some non governmental organizations and through them on some parliament members and government officials to let them voice their opposition to the Iraqi embargo, as happened lately in the “American field” (Translator’s note: USA)

On page 107/239 an excerpt from a report (12-16-1999) of a meeting between the Director of Intelligence with the Fourth International staff:
3. Establish contact with the Islamic Center in London and the (Shiite) Najafi center in Syria.
4. The USA section should focus on people with influence to strengthen the relations with them because most of the existing relations are of the business type.

On page 207/239 is a part of a report:
Translation
3. The section’s needs for research with M10:
The section coordinated with M10 to identify the nature of the research which is beneficial to the concerned sections. Among them is a report about the help provided by Iraq to the Russian parties of opposition through the oil “shares” (coupons) and the extent of their influence on the making of the Russian political decision regarding the lifting of the sanctions on Iraq. He also requested reports about the presidential elections in Poland and Hungary, and the intelligence services in Poland and Hungary to strengthen our existing information.

END

Original Arabic here; translator notes follow:

Read the whole thing...

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Document: BIAP-2003-000654

April 6, 2006 08:59 AM

In the Name of God the Merciful The Compassionate

Top Secret

The Command of Ali Bin Abi Taleb Air Force Base

No 3/6/104

Date 11 March 2001

To all the Units

Subject: Volunteer for Suicide Mission

The top secret letter 2205 of the Military Branch of Al Qadisya on 4/3/2001 announced by the top secret letter 246 from the Command of the military sector of Zi Kar on 8/3/2001 announced to us by the top secret letter 154 from the Command of Ali Military Division on 10/3/2001 we ask to provide that Division with the names of those who desire to volunteer for Suicide Mission to liberate Palestine and to strike American Interests and according what is shown below to please review and inform us.

Air Brigadier General

Abdel Magid Hammot Ali

Commander of Ali Bin Abi Taleb Air Force Base

Air Colonel

Mohamad Majed Mohamadi.

Original Arabic here; Captain Ed comments to this document at Captain’s Quarters.

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Document: BIAP 2003 00090

April 5, 2006 08:51 AM

Beginning of the Partial translation of Page 186

In the Name of God the Merciful the Compassionate

The Baath Arabic Socialist Party

The Military Office

Subject: The report of the meeting of the cell members

Comradely Salute

At exactly the hour (13:00) on Sunday 12/5/2002 the committee of the cell of members held its scheduled meeting as follow:

5. The political side: The discussion of the comrade the Leader Saddam Hussein (God protect him) during the meeting of his Excellency with the Chairman of the Atomic Energy and an elite of researchers.

End of partial translation of Page 186.

Beginning of Partial translation of Page 194

In the Name of God the Merciful the Compassionate

The Baath Arabic Socialist Party

The Military Office

Subject: The report of the meeting of the cell members

Comradely Salute

At exactly the hour (13:00) on Sunday 9/6/2002 the committee of the cell of members held its scheduled meeting as follow:

5. The political side: The discussion of the comrade the Leader Saddam Hussein (God protect him) during the meeting of his Excellency meeting with the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Organization and a number of researchers.

Original Arabic here; translator comments follow:

Read the whole thing...

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Pakistani cleric diary part III and final

April 4, 2006 02:14 PM

Ray: Third and last article concerning the Cleric diary ISGP-2003-00014127. PDF
An Iraqi intelligence official designated MS4 tells the Taliban representative. “We are ready to help you in any country and against your enemies”. The following are partial translations and “gists”. The paranthesis are the translators.

Translator’s notes:
-This is the third and last translation from the 76 pages diary classified as document ISGP-2003-00014127.
- Most pages on the computer screen cover two pages on the diary. This is why I will be pointing to information as (for example) 73/76 L (for left) or 55/76 R (for right).
-Since Arabic is written from right to left, the page numbers of every report will be in decreasing order.
- It seems that Khaled Abd El Majid’s responsibility was coordinating with the Pakistani and Bengali Islamic Party leaders who used to visit Iraq.
-During all the meetings there is a recurrent theme coming from the Iraqis: We have the same enemy; America. The Islamists also have a recurrent theme: America is also our enemy and Iraq is a Muslim country and we should stand with him.
-Many meetings are taking place with an Iraqi Intelligence official:MS4
- It is worth noting that all during the eighties Saddam never portrayed himself as a Muslim leader. He always wanted to be the Arab leader defending the Arab Nation against Israel and the Arab’s historic enemy: The Persians (Iran).
- In the nineties he saw that riding the Islamic wave would be beneficial.

Partial translations:

73/76 L and 72/76 R: A list of Pakistani Islamic parties leaders coming to Iraq. Names of leaders and their parties. Notes on which party helped organize demonstrations in support of Iraq.

70/76 L: Meeting of MS4 with someone from the Islamic Party. The Iraqi is ready to cooperate on the intelligence and the security level and says: ”We are ready to help you in any country and against your enemies”. The islamist complains that he is facing an international plot and cannot find any country to help him. He says that Iran helped him once (translator’s note: therefore it is an Afghani party) but things changed. Also the Russians called to help but he does not trust them. Both countries only want the war to drag on. This is why he is coming to Baghdad for help. Asked Baghdad to help open a center in Tajikistan and they will bring them (translator’s note: not clear what them refers to) in through Iran or Northern Iraq. Asked for help in printing afghani money in Baghdad or Moscow.
69/76 R: Stinger missiles have a range of 5 kilometers. (translator’s note: there is only this one sentence related to the meeting. The rest of the page is empty).

69/76L: Meeting of MS4 with 6951
(translator’s note: several points are mentioned which are what 6951 is telling the Iraqis)
- He (6951) inquired about our (Iraqis) relation with Ossama. (translator’s note: the diary is just reporting 6951’s question. This is the first one. The Iraqi answer is not reported. But why would he ask if he did not believe there was a relationship?)
- 6951 proposed to the Taliban to form (in the sense of train) their army with Iraq, Libya and Sudan.
- He met some of them in Hajj (Muslim pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia) and he came to the conclusion that they do not know anything about Foreign Relations.
- The Taliban defense minister is Abdul Razzaq (not clear) and all of them are religious scholars.
- They always proclaim that they are against America.
- He said that he was ready to build relations between the Taliban and Iraq.
68/76: Questions and answers between the Iraqi and 6951. Pakistani and Afghani politics. The Iraqi concludes with:” I suggest that you (Afghani parties) come together because that means power to Islam against the US-Zionist policy.”

65/76 R and 64/76: a report about Pakistani political situation: Nawaz Sheriff, Benazir Bhutto and the Army.

39/76 L: A meeting with an Islamist leader from Bengladesh. He promises support to Iraq. He says:”…let them know that I made Bengladesh a second country to Mr. President and we have 125 millions (people).”

The two meetings of Fadl Ur Rahman were posted before. They covered from page 25/76 to 21/76 and from 20/76 to 17/76 in the diary. The first meeting was with Taha Yassin Ramadan the VP of Saddam and the second was with an intelligence official.

On 27/76 L it is mentioned that Fadl is arriving on 11/27/1999 and he will be hosted in Al Rachid Hotel suite number 526. He will leave on 12/1/1999.
He visited Iraq on April 1999where the ex-director of the intelligence instructed him to mediate between the Taliban and Hekmatyar following the request done by Hekmatyar on 3/19/1999.

26/76 L: A note says: The above mentioned informed us that he is carrying a verbal message from Mullah Omar, prince of Afghanistan to Mr. President Leader may God protect him and guide him. (translator’s note: In both meetings there is no mention of what that message is. He never met Saddam, only his VP and in the second meeting a senior intelligence official)

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Document: IISP-2003-00026588

April 4, 2006 08:16 AM

Beginning of partial translation of page 28

F. Study the subject of the dead criminals Americans and British and how to surrender them to their relatives from the Red Cross with the showing one of the pilot son TV and his talks about the aggression and the showing of burned bodies.

Beginning of the translation of page 32

The respected Mr. Director of The Intelligence Apparatus

We would like to inform your Excellency about the observations of the Rasafa sector that was discussed during the meeting that included the Commanders of the Sectors on 26/3/2003 and as follow:

1. Study the subject of the American and British dead and how to surrender them after the invitation of their relative to Baghdad by the International Red Cross Crescent.

2. Discuss doing a TV interview with one of the pilot prisoners where he discusses in the interview his aggression against our country and how he was shut down by our heroic ground resistance… and during which the dead bodies of the American-British enemy will be shown on the battlefield.

Please review with regards

The Assistant Director of the Intelligence Apparatus.

1/4/2003

Original Arabic here.

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Iraqi VP and Taliban representative meeting II

April 2, 2006 10:31 AM

Translator: Sammi @ Ray Robison
“Both in One Trench”

ISGP-2003-00014127

Ray: Sammi provides us with a follow up meeting between a Pakistani cleric and the Vice President of Iraq. The main topic is establishment of a secret relationship between the Taliban and Iraq through Iraqi Intelligence apparatus for the purpose of assisting each other against the United States. Context: before the Taliban took full control of Kandahar, there were several factions fighting to gain power. There is another document at the FMSO website in which Saddam and his ministers discuss Afghanistan and how the different factions are vying for control. These meetings lend very strong support to the conclusion that the Taliban sought Iraq’s support to not only take and maintain control in Afghanistan but to be an allie against the U.S. and that Iraq chose to support the Taliban.

Sammi: Translator’s notes:
-The diary is 76 pages on the computer screen. Many screens cover 2 pages in the diary. -The diary belongs to someone called Khaled Abd El Majid and covers events taking place in 1999 since the diary is for the year 1999 (Page 3/76).
-On page 5/76 he has a note reminding him of a “Meeting with Mr. Taha Yassin Ramadan” with the house’s phone number. Ramadan is the vice-president of Iraq from March 1991 to the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.
- There are two important meetings with a Pakistan Islamic cleric named Fadl Ur Rahman. His plan is to establish relations between Baghdad and the Taliban. The second meeting is taking place on 28/11/1999.
-The Pakistani is not from Taliban but in contact with them.
-The diary is hand written which makes it sometimes difficult to read.
-Since Arabic is written from right to left, the meeting starts on page 20/76 and ends on page 17/76.
-In 28/11/1999 Ossama had already struck the two US Embassies in Africa and officially declared war on America.
- In 28/11/1999 Ossama was already in Afghanistan, hosted by the Taliban regime.

This is the translation of the second meeting.

Meeting of Mr. M. O. M. with Sheikh Maulana Fadl Ur Rahman on Sunday 28/11, 7:45 PM

Words of welcoming.

-We are aiming to arrange a meeting between you and Mr. President Leader (translator’s note: this is how Iraqi officials call Saddam). But in the beginning we were instructed that Mr. Vice-President will meet you. (translator’s note: this is the proof that the “Vice-President” of the first meeting was the VP of Saddam, Taha Yassin Ramadan)

-: I personally met Hekmatyar (translator’s note: an Afghani warlord fighting the Taliban) and he asked us to interfere for the possibility of closer relations with the Taliban. And he sent us emissaries concerning this issue. (translator’s note: On the original document Fadl Ur Rahman is not is saying this sentence for the simple reason that Fadl’s name is quoted at the beginning of the following sentence. It is probably M.O. M.the Iraqi official. It is not mentioned where the meeting of M.O.M. and Hekmatyar took place)

- Fadl Ur Rahman: I am the one who started with this issue, the relation between Taliban and Iraq and it is our idea. The brothers in Afghanistan are facing the pressure of America, and are struggling against America and aim to have some connections between Afghanistan and Iraq and it is a good start to establish the relations with Iraq and Libya and our association has taken this responsibility upon her. I already met with Mr. the Vice-President and the previous head of the directorate may God rest his soul (translator’s note: apparently the head of the directorate passed away) and both proposed that Hekmatyar and the Taliban should get to an agreement. I spoke with the Taliban about this issue and they started meeting with delegations from the Islamic Party and I met Mullah Omar and his reply was positive.
As a front (translator’s note: front as party) our stand is that there should be an agreement between the Taliban and the rest of the opposition, Shah Ahmad Massoud and Rabbani.
And Mullah Omar said that we are looking towards this and that (not clear) and (not clear) and Ahmad Al Kilani and Jalal Al Din Hakkani do not oppose us. Therefore Hekmatyar is on the positive way but we are in a war situation and that needs a lot of trust and there are hurdles to this because he fought us and killed us and he has problems with the opposition in the North and with us. After repeated contacts we will reach an agreement but in the form of steps. Concerning the relations with Iraq he said that they are our brothers and Muslims and are facing pressures from America, like us and like Sudan and Libya. And he (Mullah Omar) desires to get closer relations with Iraq and that Iraq may help us in reducing our problems. Now we are facing America and Russia. He requested the possibility of Iraq intervening to build a friendship with Russia since Russia is no more the number one enemy. And we request Iraq’s help from a brotherly point of view. They are ready for this matter and they prefer that the relation between Iraq and Taliban be an independent relation from Hekmatyar’s relation with the Taliban.
We want practical steps concerning this issue and specially the relationship with Taliban and (not clear but could be Iraq).

An Iraqi (most probably M.O.M.): I want to discuss three points.
The first is the relation with Taliban. It should be understood that this issue is completely independent from the mediation requested by Hekmatyar to get to an agreement with the Taliban. Developing the relation with Taliban is essential and this development requires meetings to create a common ground of understanding. We already believe that there are no points of disagreement between us and the Taliban because we are both in one trench facing the world’s oppression. But the details of the relation and its management are linked to the facts of the international situation. I find that by simply meeting with you (Fadl Ur Rahman) is a step forward in the relation with Taliban because we know well how much they trust you and what you represent for them. And when you relay our point of view for them they will understand it. For the future we think that we will arrange relations between us, as an intelligence service, and them in a SECRET (translator’s emphasis) way to establish the strong base of this relation. In the meeting (translator’s note: future meeting) and after reviewing the Taliban’s point of view, we would discuss the possibility of us making an effort to stabilize the situation between Taliban and Russia. We could discuss the subject through the intelligence channel. We look forward to security and stability in Afghanistan, the control of the Taliban and the construction of a political system according to the political and ideological choices of the Taliban. We look forward to assure the Russians that Afghanistan does not constitute a threat to Russia. Afghanistan is a country that wants to live in independence and by dialogue it is possible to reach common grounds to finally get to the result hoped for.

The second point is the subject of the agreement between Hekmatyar and the Taliban.
We proposed it for a single reason related to our psychological stand concerning Taliban. We hope that they will win and control. We felt that Hekmatyar hopes that Taliban will control the situation and his intentions are true. Because when he sees the different political and military parties in Afghanistan he knows that the best choice is Taliban.
(translator’s note: the Iraqi continues to expand his view on how all parties should come together through trust and negotiations.)

The third point which is important for us is outside Afghanistan. It is the spiritual relation which ties us with the Association of Islamic Scholars and we know your role in supporting the Iraqi cause and the effect you have on the Pakistani street. In the coming two weeks we are going to a confrontation with America because the US has put all its weight in the security Council to publish the Dutch-British resolution. We refuse this resolution and view it as a life long embargo. We look to our Muslim brothers in particular to support us and especially our brothers in the Association of Islamic Scholars to organize protests in Pakistan against the resolution when it is made official. We ask our Muslim brothers in Pakistan to do this effort. We are trying and we have contacts with Muslims all over Asia and especially in Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India. We hope that during the two coming weeks you will ask our friends in those associations to demonstrate.

Fadl Ur Rahman: Concerning the relations between the Taliban and Iraq I was informed that they are going to start those relations in a SECRET (translator’s emphasis) manner and they are waiting for the answer and I will inform them that you will answer them through the embassy (translator’s note: could be through the Iraqi embassy of Kabul, if they had one or Islamabad-Pakistan). Concerning the agreement with Hekmatyar we are going to proceed with this issue. Concerning the third point the Association of Islamic Scholars has a popular voice in Pakistan and we will always side with Iraq and we hope that the new government (probably the Pakistani government) will have a positive stand with Iraq.
Last July we received information that America wants to attack Afghanistan because of Ossama Ben Laden so we did a (not clear) and agreed to contact Taliban to be sure and they said it was true. We received information about CIA and US commandos reaching the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and they started dropping bombs on Afghanistan and they used the Pakistani airfields to bomb important positions in Kandahar. We as a Muslim people do not accept the American presence on our soil. A representative from the US embassy came and told me “You said that America was your enemy, how can you say that we are your enemy and the enemy of Islam?” So I told them that you took Russia’s role in bombing Afghanistan and you are bombing Muslims. Then they said that they wanted Ossama so I told them that Ossama is in Sudan and that he was in Afghanistan during the rule of Rabbani and I added that they do not have a treaty to hand over criminals, as they pretend, with Afghanistan. And they are proposing to form a council of Muslim scholars from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other Islamic countries to study the issue of handing over Ben laden and what is the Islamic position about it.
I also told them that we have the Kashmiri problem and you are putting pressure on us to solve this problem through dialogue and without weapons. Also (not clear) you request dialogue between Palestine and Israel so how is it that concerning Ossama you use military force. The issue here is not Ossama Ben Laden but your interests require you to find a submissive government in Afghanistan to transform it into a trade zone in Central Asia.

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Iraqi memo: how to be incognito in Afghanistan

March 30, 2006 11:49 AM

Translator’s notes:
1) In the previous document ISGP-2003-00014127 a first meeting between Taha Yassin Ramadan (Vice-President of Iraq) and a Pakistani islamist leader Fadl Ur Rahman was translated. At the end of the meeting the Pakistani suggests that the Iraqis should send a delegation to Kandahar. Ramadan says that the Iraqis will study the issue.
2) This whole 7 pages document 2RAD-2004-600760-ELC reads like intelligence instructions to a group of Arabs (including women and children) living in Afghanistan and specifically Kandahar.(sounds like a delegation!)
3) Kandahar was the capital of the Taliban regime. It is mentioned 3 times in the document (twice in page 3 and once in page 7)
4) The Arabs are called “brothers” in the documents. This is a typical way of calling between islamists.
5) This group of Arabs is running “hosting places” (as per translation) that look more like safe houses for other Arabs. Moreover they are instructed to hide their arab identity and to look like Afghanis.
6) Even though Afghanistan was teeming with boasting Arab volunteers the instructions given to the “brothers” is to keep a very low profile and they are told to behave as if enemies would strike at any moment.
6) They are running some kind of “work” with multiple intelligence precaution instructions.
7) It could be that the Iraqi intelligence Service has established a secret base in Kandahar (and other cities) under the cover of families. I am saying “has established” because anybody reading arabic can tell from the first sentence of the paragraph of “Public meetings security” (page 7) that the “brothers” are already present in Kandahar:” Al Maoujoudin Fi Kandahar”. Therefore this document is targeting people already in Afghanistan and not people that would probably go there.

In the Name of God the Merciful

Personnel security:
Respected brother know that one of the main reasons of information leak is personnel (translator’s note: personnel making a mistake and causing the leak), this is why we try to cooperate with you so that neither you or one of your brothers becomes the cause of a catastrophe that might hit one of the brothers or all of them.

Please follow the following instructions:
1- Know as much as you need (translator’s note: don’t ask too many questions)
2- Don’t talk too much and it is said that “silence is wisdom”
3- It is recommended that all personnel be wearing Afghani clothing so they do not show out between people.
4- All the brothers should go to the market by themselves, alone.
5- It is not advised to move alone at night. (At night walk the streets on foot)
6- As much as possible do not disclose your identity as an Arab.
7- Avoid excitement (translator’s note: in a conservation) whether by glorifying or bashing.
8- Avoid being observed (translator’s note: being followed and observed) and always notice who is walking behind you or following you from a distance. (review the observation manual)
9- All brothers should be always armed even if with a small knife in their pockets.
10- Check your pockets and never leave important papers in them when moving around.
11- Always be careful in personal relations with Afghanis or Pakistanis.
12- Avoid giving any information about the locations of your brothers.
13- It is forbidden to discuss work issues with the women.
14- It is forbidden to take children to parks and offices.
15- It is forbidden to talk about your work or the nature of your mission with anybody who is not related to it. (translator’s note: the work or mission)
16- Beware from taking a habit in your daily routine because the rule says”Routine is the enemy of security”.
17- If you are moving and have a large amount of money, beware from showing it in the market so you do not incite robbers on you. (pull back).
18- Always beware when you are talking about the work because somebody not related to your work, the women or the children might hear you.
19- Beware of rapid and spontaneous friendships with Afghanis who speak Arabic.
20- In public places beware from talking about work issues because some Afghanis know Arabic but you cannot notice this.
21- Always be forgiving when you are buying from, selling to or dealing with Afghanis and avoid trouble.

22- Children are not allowed to go out by themselves whether to buy stuff or play.
23- Always make sure about the identity of your neighbors and classify them as regular people, opponents or allies.

Security of compounds
The security of the house or the living quarters is one of the most important aspects of security because the house contains the personnel, the equipment and the important documents. Making the house secure is securing all those issues and it is advisable that these measures be taken seriously.
There are important precautions, to the security of the house, that have to be taken before renting but it is not practical to list them here.
• Security personnel will patrol the houses of the brothers at different times.
• It is preferable that there should be a parking in the house
• It is preferable that two families should live in a house and it is warned against one family only living in a house.
• The house should be in a quiet place and not crowded so observing the house and its activity will not be easy.
• The house should be away from suspected places.
• The house should have more than a visible entrance and exit and also an invisible entrance and exit.
• Live away from important places like ministries and others.
• It is preferable that the one who rents the house be an Afghani and not an Arab.
• Every house should have a weapon while making sure it is away from children.
• Irregular patrols should be set up between now and then to uncover any strange object close to the house or a car parking close to the house.
• Measures to uncover observation of the house should be taken:
-Look out for persons or cars who constantly observe the house (static observation)
- Observe the house from a distant place or from inside the house without anybody noticing to uncover static observation.
• At night it is advised to light the court of the house if possible.
• Firmly close doors and windows when sleeping.
• Windows should be reinforced with iron rods.
• It is preferable that women should not be left alone in the house for a long time.
• All the brothers should not leave the house at the same time.
• If an urgency happens and all the brothers should leave the house then it is advisable to:
-Firmly close the windows and doors.
-Take necessary precautions in case the house is secretly searched
• If there are three or more families in a house a night guard should be organized, and a brother should at least go out 2 or 3 times to make sure the house is safe.
• An emergency plan should be established for the house where every person in the house should be assigned a location and a role.
• It is advisable that there will be some kind of communication between the houses of the brothers and if not possible at least between the houses of a different compound.
• It is forbidden to open the door before making sure who is knocking, and identifying who is knocking takes place from a proper distance.
• It is forbidden for the children to play outside.
• Children should be forbidden from opening the door.
• Groupings at the front of the house are forbidden, anything should take place inside the house and not on the road.


Security of the hosting places:
A hosting place is the place where most infiltration takes place. What we mean by hosting place is a public place where people, who most of the time are not related to the work, are received. But in case we are receiving special guests or others, it is not considered a hosting place but it is affiliated to the security of the special offices.

*At the hosting place a room for the security unit is necessary for observation:
1- The hosting place should be away from the housings of the brothers and their grouping areas.
2- Brothers should not go often to the hosting place except for a purpose.
3-It is forbidden to practice any private or secret matter in the hosting place.
4-The hosting place where our brothers are grouped, like Kandahar
*Anybody who enters it should be known
*Nobody lives in it unless a known party recommends him
*Persons living in the hosting place should be organized and be allowed by the brother in charge of the hosting place. It should be known where the brother is going and when he is coming back.
5-Brothers living in Kandahar and who repetitively visit the hosting place should abide by the Holy Hadith ”The virtue of one’s Islam is to leave what does not belong to him”, and not to start a relation with the brothers living in the hosting place.
6-The brother in charge of the hosting place should assign a private place for each brother living in the hosting place and not leave the decision to the visitor
7-There should be a schedule for night guard in the hosting place.
8-The communication room should be isolated in the hosting place and not close to the visitor’s rooms.
9- The hosting place should have a reception room where the visiting brother is dealt with, before entering the hosting place, and decide if he is going to stay in it.
10- Public meetings are strictly forbidden in the hosting place.
11- The person in charge of the hosting place should be living in it or he should assign a deputy who is always living in it.
12- Visiting brothers are warned not to bring cameras or video cameras.
13- The brother in charge of the hosting place should decide who opens the door and who receives visitors only in the reception room.
14- Groups are forbidden in front of the hosting place.
15- Make sure you identify and classify the neighbors.
16- An emergency plan should be implemented for the hosting place and everybody should be assigned a responsibility.
17- the hosting place should be away from suspect places.
18- the hosting place should be away from important places like ministries and others.
19-It is forbidden to leave visitors alone in the hosting place.
20- It is forbidden to completely empty the hosting place.
21- Take necessary precautions to discover static observations of the hosting place
22-Always patrol around the hosting place to uncover any foreign object.
23-establish an administration list to the hosting place because a good administration is the basis for applying all the previous security rules.

Security of movement
First: Security of cars and vehicles:
Constant movement of cars between the houses of the brothers and their workplace is a big breach which might lead to uncovering and locating all those places if the brother driving was not aware of observation and other. (it is possible that the car itself, with its occupiers be a target) therefore:
• Check (technical) the cars daily, because if a car breaks in a dangerous location this could lead to the enemy getting to the car’s occupiers.
• The brothers driving the cars should their cars daily to make sure it does not contain any foreign material or device.
• All the brothers driving the cars should be armed and should have their weapons license.
• It is preferable that the cars should not look different from other cars in the city.
• Cars should be handed to specific people so they would be careful to the security of the movement.
• Brothers driving the cars should always be careful to any vehicle behind them and should take necessary precautions to uncover observation while driving.
• Brothers driving the cars should always be wearing afghani clothing so their identity cannot be easily discovered.
• Brothers driving the cars should not always follow one path and should not have a constant habit in choosing their way.
• Cars should not be left in front of houses or hosting places and if this happens for an emergency, a brother should stay in the car.
• It is advisable that if the brothers go to the market, a brother should always stay in the car.
• It is absolutely forbidden to keep the car outside the house during nighttime. They should be inside the house or in the hosting place.
• It is advisable to lock the cars well in the houses and in the hosting place.
• If possible change the cars every now and then for more safety.
• Pick-ups should always have a tarp on them to hide what’s in them and not to uncover the transport.
• It is advisable to reduce car movements because the more we move the more we encounter danger, and generally moving at night is much better than moving in daylight.
• Brothers in charge of the cars should avoid trouble while driving inside the city and should abide by the driving regulations.
• All cars should be provided with a security key in a secret location as an anti-theft measure.
• If it is possible all cars should be provided with a talkie warlike since they are in constant movement.
• If you are using a taxi in your movements, make sure you get in it from a place distant from where you left and do not step out of it directly in front of the place you’re going to.

Second: security of movement and travel inside Afghanistan
Travel is one of the most important security breaches that we should be careful of because of the long absence from the brothers and facing the dangers of the road.
• Do not forget to mention the prayers of travel
• It is absolutely forbidden for a person to travel by himself, and it is preferable that the number of travelers be at least three including a trusted Afghani.
• In rest areas a brother should not show his military ID.
• The security office should be informed about the travel before the travel, and when you reach your destination you should inform the office for follow up.
• It is advisable that a personal weapon be carried even if it is a pocket knife.
• If travel includes a sleep over
• (Translator’s notes: several instructions for sleeping during travel follow)

Mail and Communications security:

(Translator’s notes: several instructions for mail and communications security are listed, right out of an intelligence personnel book)

Public meetings security:
The danger of public meetings is that it often groups the personnel present in Kandahar, and if the enemy manages to know and reach the meeting place he would have got a dangerous opportunity and to be able to let him miss this chance we should follow some precautions.
(Translator’s notes: several instructions concerning public meetings security follow)

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Santorum on Iraq & Saddam documents

March 30, 2006 06:14 AM

Here is Senator Rick Santorum on the floor of the Senate yesterday:

[…] Another effort I have been working on in Iraq is the intelligence information we have been able to gather from the former regimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. This has been a project that Congressman Peter Hoekstra, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has been working on—and I have worked with him—to make sure these 48,000 boxes, containing roughly 2 million documents, are released to the American public and the world to determine what was the intelligence assessment and the activity level and, in particular, in Iraq with Saddam, and with his interaction with elements of al-Qaida or other terrorist organizations.

What we are finding is that some of the statements that have been made on the floor and statements that were made just as recently as March 19, 2006 by my colleague from Pennsylvania, Congressman Jack Murtha who said:

There was no terrorism in Iraq before we went there. None. There was no connection with al-Qaida. There was no connection with terrorism in Iraq itself.

Yet if we look at some of the documents that are being released by Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte—and, again, only a few hundred of the millions of documents have been released. As a caveat, while Congressman Hoekstra and I are excited about the fact that DNI decided to release these documents, the pace of the release is, let us say, unsatisfactory to this point.

We have, with the blogosphere, the Internet, the opportunity to put these documents out there and have almost instantaneously translated postings about what these documents contain.

During the time the Director of National Intelligence Negroponte has had these documents—this is 3 years ago—less than 2 percent of the documents have been translated. At this pace, my grandchildren may know what is in these documents.

We need to get these documents out. Mr. President, 600 over a little over a 2-week period is almost the same pace as translating with the people they had over in DNI Negroponte’s shop. We need to get these documents out quicker. Why? Because if we look at what is in these documents, there is important information in understanding the connection between Iraq and terrorist organizations and the threat we were facing, the potential threat we had talked about, which is the coordination between a country that had used chemical and biological weapons, was thought universally to have chemical and biological weapons, and terrorists who have expressed a direct desire to use those weapons and get access to them.

If we look at a report that was issued by the Pentagon Joint Forces Command translating and analyzing some of these documents, called the “Iraqi Perspectives,” on page 54, they write: Beginning in 1994, the Fedayeen Saddam opened its own paramilitary training camps for volunteers—this is 9 years, by the way, before the Iraq war—graduating more than 7,200 “good men racing full with courage and enthusiasm” in the first year.

Mr. President, 7,200 in the first year, 1994.

Beginning in 1998, these camps began hosting “Arab volunteers from Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, `the Gulf,’ and Syria.” Volunteers. I wonder why they would be volunteering to help Saddam. It is not clear, it says, from the available evidence where are all these non-Iraqi volunteers who were “sacrificing for the cause” went to ply their newfound skills. Before the summer of 2002, most volunteers went home upon the completion of training. They didn’t stay in Iraq. They came for training from countries in the gulf regions, and they went home. Odd that they would be fighting for the cause which would, in that case, be Saddam, if they went home.

Before the summer of 2002, as I said, most volunteers went home upon completion of the training, but these camps were humming with frenzied activity in the months immediately prior to the war.

As late as January 2003, the volunteers participated in a special training event called the Heroes Attack.

Stephen Hayes, who deserves a tremendous amount of credit for his reporting on these documents in the Weekly Standard, has brought this issue to the forefront and has awakened Members of Congress, myself included, to the importance of discovering the content of these documents as well as some of the information contained in these documents.

He reminds us of the special significance of that training in 1998:

That is the same year that the U.N. weapons inspectors left Iraq for good; the same year a known al Qaeda operative visited Baghdad for 16 days in March; the same year the U.S. embassies were bombed in East Africa; the same year the U.S. bombed Baghdad in Operation Desert Fox; and, the same year Saddam wired $150,000 to Jabir Salim, the former Iraqi Ambassador to the Czech Republic, and ordered him to recruit Islamic radicals to blow up the headquarters of Radio Free Europe.

What we have here is, again, information that I believe is vitally important for the American public to see. I encourage Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte to step up the pace. Congressman Hoekstra and I have introduced legislation which would require just that: it would require the release of these documents and provides a way to do so.

We introduced this legislation prior to the decision to release these documents, but, again, I just make the point that the pace with which these documents are being released is inadequate. We need to continue to step that up, allow this information to get out for people to see, pro and con—all the information that is available to us. These are old documents. They are at least 3 years old; in some cases much more than that. The classified nature is specious, at best. We want to protect names, obviously, if there are reasons to protect certain names because of potential fallout from having their names released. If there are recipes for chemical weapons, fine. But the bottom line is most of this information should be released, can be released, and is not being released.

I assure my colleagues—and I think I can speak for Congressman Hoekstra in this regard—we will stay on this issue, and we will make sure all of this information is made available to the American public so we have a better understanding of what the situation was in Iraq prior to the war.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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Document: ISGZ-2004-028179

March 28, 2006 07:36 AM

In the Name of God the Most Compassionate The Most Merciful

The Republic of Iraq

The Intelligence Apparatus

The respectful Mr Director of the Apparatus

Subject: The Frenchman Le Floch and the German Dieter Holzer

In the date of 10/1/2003 the two mentioned above arrived to the country in visit for two days only and they did during their stay with the following activities:

1. They met with the deputy of the Industry and minerals ministry and they spoke with him about the possibility of building the non working factories since the year 1991 and provide the country with the spare parts that the ministry needs in the domain of industry.

2. They met with Mr. Ghazi Faysal the chairman of the department First Political Department in the foreign ministry and they spoke with him about the following subjects:

A. The German Holtzer confirmed that Chancellor Shroeder does not like the Leader President but he still oppose the war and it is because of his stand on this he won the latest elections and in case his stand changes this will lead to his loss of the Chancellery and that he hot replacement is ready to win the position and he is the economy minister the German Clement from the ruling Socialist German Party.

B. He mentioned that a meeting in Beijing in the beginning of this month was held between the Prime minister of China and the German Chancellor Schroeder in the occasion of the opening project for the fast train and the latter was asked about the information that was obtained by the Chinese intelligence and it says that Iraq has moved his mass of destruction weapon to Syria and the German Chancellor told him that the German intelligence did not indicate this. And after two days the US state secretary went to Damascus to check on this with the Syrian government that in turn denied this news..

C. He suggested the idea of bringing the Pope John Paul II to visit the country because this visit cause Bush Junior to lose his balance and that he has good relation with the originally German (Ratzinger) in the Vatican and that the latter has influence has influence through waving the card of the financial support that Germany give to the Vatican and it is estimated to be (around 6 billions dollars yearly).

D. He indicated that Chirac became a honorary President of Europe not through elections but through popularity since most of the countries of Europe oppose the war but this man is not courageous and he needs the support of Iraq and for example present what proves that his weapons of mass destruction were destroyed.

C. He express the readiness of French and German companies to execute projects in Iraq as long as the necessary moneys are guaranteed to execute these projects because its revenue decreased lately due the decrease of oil exports.

3.In our meeting with the German Holzer he spoke about the following subjects:

A. He was shown a secret report prepared by the French Army Chief of Staff who presented to Jacques Chirac warning him of the losses that the French troops suffered in Spain and Germany during Napoleon campaigns because the participation of France in the possible war against Iraq will let her suffer huge human losses because it is impossible getting the Iraqi President by aerial bombing and that the entering in street fights will be a disaster for them

B. He intend to buy a residential house in Baghdad under the name of his wife where as his wife is Palestinian and that he visited one of the houses in Arsat and he paid the house own (150) 150 thousand dollars but the latter asked for 300 thousand dollars.

4. Opinion:

A. There phone has been wiretapped for surveillance and they were followed and also the there was phone wiretap of the Syrian Jamal Saba for surveillance because they vist him and to control their relations and we will show the results later.

B. The Paris station informed us that they were coming to the country to prepare for a visit by the ex-German economy minister with a delegation of German companies to the country for commercial purposes and their visit to the country was shortened because this is not the first time we have doubts about their real intentions toward the country.

C. We prpose to continue in following them inside the country and direct the Paris station with the necessity to put them under an operation of check up and verification and observe their connections.

For your review Yours… with regards

The Assistant for the Director of Intelligence

23/1/2003

End of translation

Original Arabic: here.

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Document CMPC-2003-000776

March 24, 2006 12:45 PM

Mr. General Director of the Office of National Supervision

Subject: Visit of the IAEA team

A team of the IAEA did a SURPRISE (translator’s emphasis) visit today, on the 15th of December 2002, to
1) Oumm Al Maarek Company (Mother of all battles Company)
2) Al Qadessia Company
3) Badr Company

The agency’s team consisted of two cars and 6 members:
1- Philip Coalfield, team leader, English
2- Greg Lavender, English
3- Thomas Moriati, English
4- Franck (family name unclear), American
5- Roy (or Ron) (family name unclear), American
6- Kenneth Phyllis, Ecuadorian

They left Al Qanat hotel at 8:25 and here follows what time they reached the companies and what they did:

1) Oumm Al Maarek company:
The team arrived at 8:55 and did the following
1- Met with the director’s assistant (liaison member) and inquired about all the new buildings (after 1998) and their activities. Then focused on all the mechanical operations done by the company for the 81 millimeter (mm) rocket.
2- Visit the sites containing the manufacturing machines and the steps involved in the production of the 81 mm rocket. They also requested technical drawings for the rocket (copy enclosed with the report).
3- General tour in the factory and checking of the machines, especially the ones imported after 1998 and making a list of equipment present in the Central lab of measurement.
The inspection finished at 11:45 and they headed to Al Qadessia.

2) Al Qadessia company:
The team arrived at 11:52 and from the gate one of the cars left towards the hotel with 3 inspectors: Coalfield, Franck and Phyllis.
1- They visited the company’s factories and its shops, checked its machineries and made sure the machineries present corresponded to the agency’s lists and checked the newly imported machinery (type CNC, 5 pieces) which is not covered by the inspection scope.
The visit ended at 12:55 and all headed to Badr company.

3) Badr company:
Team arrived at 13:00 and visited:
1- Machinery production factory
2- Shaping factory (Cold method)
3- Central laboratory for quality control
4- Building of precision manufacturing
All the old machinery was inspected along with the seals of the double purpose machinery. They also inspected the newly imported machinery, which were not included in the supervision program (except one disclosed in the biannual report).
During this visit signs were put on a large number of new machinery. They totaled 52 and in the building of precision manufacturing 34.
Inspection visit ended at 14:45 and hotel arrival was at 15:15.

Remarks:
1- I was informed by the team leader (Coalfield) that during the past days two clothing suitcases belonging to inspector Greg Lavender and the inspector (probably Coalfield: translator’s note) were broken into and their contents dispersed. They informed the hotel who promised to buy them new ones. But for the inspector the problem is not with the suitcases but the infraction and he does not want to make a problem but requests that this infraction be stopped.
2- When we visited Badr company there were Turkish and Russian experts at the site and they had to hide away from the inspectors. We demand your (General Director of the Office of National Supervision: translator’s note) instructions for what to do in case there is a face to face between the agency’s inspectors and the experts.
3- During his meeting with the general director of Badr company the team focused on how the new machinery is being imported. The director told them that it is advertised in the newspaper and middlemen or equipment agencies apply for the bid. He also told them that the equipment agency for Badr company is Al Ariqa company.
4- A copy of the special instructions for dealing with journalists was given to the director of Oumm Al Maarek company.

Respectfully,

Enclosed: 2 copies of technical drawing (Most probably for the 81mm rocket)
1st signature: Major Ahmad Ibrahim Operations officer.
2nd signature: Not clear.

Translator’s notes:
1) Document CMPC-2003-000776 is made of two reports each one made of two pages, dated 15th December 2002 and 16th December 2002.
2) The first report dated 15th December 2002 is the one I translated. It is interesting for two reasons: 1- It was a surprise visit, therefore the Russian and Turkish experts had to be hidden, and whoever wrote the report is requesting instructions on what to do if the agency’s team comes unexpectedly face to face with them. 2- The breaking in of the suitcases of the inspectors at the hotel. (Was this incident reported at the time? If not, could it be that the Agency intended to show that Iraqis are fully cooperating and had nothing to hide?)
3) The second report also details every move of the team from leaving the hotel to coming back to it. It was not a surprise visit.
4) Whoever scanned the documents made a small mistake. On the computer screen page 2 of every report appears before the first page.
5) Unlike previous typed or nicely written documents, this one was probably rapidly hand written. That is why I could not fully grasp the names of the American inspectors.

Original Arabic here; commentary by Ray Robison follows:

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Document: CMPC-2003-001950

March 24, 2006 05:52 AM

Office of the Presidency
Mr. Secretary (of the President)

Subject: Meeting with the Russian Ambassador

Best of our salutes,

We would like to inform you that the Russian ambassador met this evening with the general director of Foreign Economic Relations and the General Director of the Grains Trade and told us the following:

1- Provide the necessary facilitations for the travel of the Russian experts working in the projects of our ministry (probably grains or trade experts) without any delay for the period of time between the 5th and 8th of March. The last plane will take off on the 9th of March. He mentioned (the ambassador) that the request of evacuating the Russian citizens follows an order from the Russian president.

2- He said that Russia, France and Germany and both Syria and China were expected to join the three of them, have prepared a project of resolution opposing the Anglo-American project submitted to the United Nations. Voting on both projects will take place on the 9th of March. He pointed that some countries of the Security Council might refrain from voting, like Pakistan, Chili and Kenya.

3- During the meeting the ambassador gave us the following information about the US military presence in the Gulf as per the 2nd of March:

Number of troops: 206,500 out of which 98,000 naval forces and 36,500
infantry. 90% of theses forces are in Kuwait and on the Navy ships.

US troops have reached the island of Bubiyan (Bubiyan is largest Kuwaiti island in the Kuwaiti coastal islands chain)

Number of tanks: 480
Number of armored cars: 1132
Number of artillery: 296
Number of Apache helicopters : 735
Number of fighter planes: 871
Number of Navy ships: 106. 68 in the Gulf and the rest in Oman (State of Oman), Aden (Yemen), the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
Number of air carriers: 5. One nuclear powered. Three in the Gulf one in the Mediterranean and one on its way.
Number of Cruise missiles: 583 based on the US Navy and distributed on 22 ships.
Number of Cruise missiles on planes: 64
Number of heavy bombers B-52 H: 10 in the Indian Ocean.
Number of B1-B: 8 present in the US base of Thumarid in Oman.

4- The ambassador pointed that what worried us (most probably “us” refers to the Russians) was the increase in the number of planes in Jordan where the number of planes in Al Sallt base was as follows:
24 planes F-16
10 planes Tornado
11 planes Harrier
He also mentioned that there were 10 A-10 tank destroyers in the Jordanian base of King Faysal.

5- The ambassador also pointed that a certain number of the 82nd Division (82nd Airborne) which was deployed in Afghanistan started coming to Kuwait. The number of troops has reached 750 soldiers.


]Translator’s note: The original Iraqi document is made of four pages. The released document shows only three pages. It is not improbable that the fourth page could have been lost or might show up in a different release.]

Original Arabic: here.

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Document: ISGZ-2004-028947

March 23, 2006 06:57 AM

REPUBLIC OF IRAQ
IRAQI INTELLIGENCE
SERVICE Secret, private and immediate

Date: 23rd of March 1997

To the respected general directors

It came to our attention that during the inspection of the directorate’s headquarter (most probably the HQ of Iraqi intelligence) by UN team (No 182) that they inquired about some of the matters related to the symbols of some directorates and their modus operandi. They were also inquiring about the activities (scope of work) of those directorates and were trying to find a link between their intelligence work and the nation’s (Iraq) activity in the military industry sector. In the purpose of preventing future (UN) teams, from establishing this link, and in case they search the service’s headquarter or regional directorates we found that it was necessary to be prepared to execute the following instructions as follows:

1- Review the archive and files and remove any letters (written communication), with the atomic agency, the office of military manufacturing or stations (offices) and directorates, related to forbidden weapons (Bids, research, studies, catalogues, tests, guest experts….etc.)

2- Removal and disposal of documents and reports related to the follow up of the special committee and investigation teams (most probably the UN) along with all letters (written communications) related to them (UN) that were sent to the different directorates.

3- Taking away of forbidden and dual purpose materials, systems and equipments along with documents, catalogues and related books from the technical sections and libraries. And ensure the purification of laboratories, storage places (warehouses) and work sites from traces of any chemical, biological or radioactive material that has been previously used or stored.

( 1 / 2 )

Secret, private and immediate REPUBLIC OF IRAQ
IRAQI INTELLIGENCE
SERVICE Secret, private and immediate

4- The operation of removal or disposal of documents, reports and equipments takes place through the review of a special committee. This committee provides the necessary approvals for destroying or relocation of those documents, reports and equipments

5- Implement a constant method in dealing with the members of the inspection teams and never answer only if through a representative of the service in charge. In case they inquire about directorates and formations outside of the (intelligence) service the answer to all questions and inquiries will be general (not precise) since the scope of work is intelligence work (meaning Iraqis are not supposed to answer precisely any question they regard as directly related to their intelligence work). When faced with an inquiry of a secret topic the person in charge should go back to his superiors to have the appropriate answer.

6- M3 should inspect the computer sites, microfilms and computers along with inspecting the disks and retrieving the memories (probably hard disks) of the computers to transfer any information related to the above (above points) while coordinating with beneficiating parties (probably the different directorates related to the above information) for fear of being targeted in the future (by UN teams inspections).

Proceed with the work of all points mentioned and inform our directorate with what has been achieved in a week’s period since the publication of this notice.

Note: After the completion of all those steps this notice should be returned to our directorate.

Signature of M M6

23rd of March 1997

2

Secret, private and immediate

Original Arabic here; commentary by Ray Robison follows:

Read the whole thing...

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Document: ISGZ-2004-009247

March 22, 2006 08:13 AM

(partial translation)

(Translation of Part of Page 1)

In the Name of God the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate.

The Saudi Opposition and Achieving the Relation and Contact With Them

(Translation of part of Page 4)

2. The Comission of Reform and Advise

Lead by the Saudi Osama Bin Laden who belongs to a wealthy Saudi family with her roots go back to Hadramoot and connected strongly with the ruling family in Saudia, and he is one of the leaders of the Arab Afghan who volunteered for Jihad in Afghanistan, and after the expulsion of the Soviets he moved to stay in Sudan in the year 1992 after the arrival of the Islamists to power in Sudan.

And because of his stands against the Saudi Royal family because of the foreign presence inside it, the Saudi authorities made a decision to withdraw his Saudi citizenship, and we moved toward The Comission from our side and through the following:

Translation of page 5

A. During the visit of the Sudanese Dr. Abrahim Al Sanoosi to the country and his meeting with Mr. Uday Saddam Hussein on 13/12/1994 and with the presence of the respectful Sir the Director of the Apparatus he indicated that the opposition person Osama Bin Laden who is staying in Sudan and who was cautious and fears that he will be accused by his opponents that he became an agent for Iraq, is ready to meet with him in Sudan (The results of the meeting were written to the Honorable Presidency according to our letter 872 on 17/12/1994).

B. The approval of the Honorable Presidency was granted to meet with the opposition person Osama Bin Laden by the Apparatus according to letter 128 on 11/1/1995 (attachment 6) and the meting with him was completed by Mr. M.A ex-4th Directory in Sudan and with the presence of the Sudanese Dr. Abrahim AL Sanoosi on 19/2/1995 and a discussion occurred about his organization, and he requested the broadcasting of Sheikh Sleiman AL Awada (who has influence in Saudia and outside since he is a known and influential religious personality) and dedicate a program for them through the station directed inside the country and make joint operations against the forces of infidels in the land of Hijaz ( the Honorable Presidency has been notified with the details of the meeting according to our letter 370 in 4/3/1995 attachment 7).

Translation of page 6

C. The approval of Mr. President the Leader God protect him was granted to dedicate and program for them through the station directed and we leave to develop the relation and cooperation between the two sides what open in front of it in discussion and agreement through other cooperation doors. The Sudanese side was informed about the approval of the Honorable Presidency above through the representative of the respectful Sir the Director of the Apparatus our ambassador in Khartoom.

D. Due to the latest conditions in Sudan and accusing her harboring of supporting and harboring terrorism it was agreed with the opposition person the Saudi Osama Bin Laden to leave Sudan to another place where he left Khartoom in the month of July 1996 and the information indicate that he is Afghanistan at the present moment. There is stil relation with him through the Sudanese side and we work in the present moment to activate this relation with him through a new channel in light of the current place where he stays.

Original Arabic here

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The mother of all smoking guns?

March 21, 2006 05:38 AM

Ray Robison thinks he may have found it in one of the Docex documents: a report by the Iraqi intelligence service that al-Quds, a Jihad organization composed of Palestinians fighting in Iraq, was planning to carry out an attack with anthrax supplied by Iraq. Robison claims it proves Saddam’s had at least small amounts of WMDs and that he would use terrorists to strike, “exactly the scenario that President Bush warned about.”

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Docex galore

March 20, 2006 07:46 AM

Ray Robison, a former member of the Iraq Survey Group, is all over the Saddam era Docex documents: on Iraq’s nuclear coverup, Iraq top officials admitting to chemical attack on Iran during the war between the two countries, anthrax development, Russia’s complicitness in fooling inspections, and much more.

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Eureka, I think

March 19, 2006 08:23 PM

There has been a lot of excitement about the documents and tapes that were captured in Afghanistan and Iraq, and are now being made available for review and, in some instances, translation. The first batch contained some very interesting items, but nothing, in my opinion, that was new, important and reliable. With one exception: An eight-page document in English, printed off the web site of the Federation of American Scientists, with a cover page and notes in Arabic. As we pointed out here, the contents of the FAS analysis of Iraq’s intelligence agency, the Mukhabarat, are extremely interesting; the question is, are they accurate?

Here are some of the key items from the text of the English document:

Read the whole thing...

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Saddam's Philippines Terror Connection

March 19, 2006 07:33 AM

SADDAM HUSSEIN’S REGIME PROVIDED FINANCIAL support to Abu Sayyaf, the al Qaeda-linked jihadist group founded by Osama bin Laden’s brother-in-law in the Philippines in the late 1990s, according to documents captured in postwar Iraq. An eight-page fax dated June 6, 2001, and sent from the Iraqi ambassador in Manila to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad, provides an update on Abu Sayyaf kidnappings and indicates that the Iraqi regime was providing the group with money to purchase weapons. The Iraqi regime suspended its support—temporarily, it seems—after high-profile kidnappings, including of Americans, focused international attention on the terrorist group.

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Document: ISGQ-2003-00004500-0

March 17, 2006 08:45 PM

In the name of God the most Merciful, the most Compassionate

Republic of Iraq

The Presidency

Fedayeen Saddam

Security Board

SECRET AND PERSONAL

Number: 1/22/11836

Date: 12/1/2001

To: Iraqi Intelligence Service

Re: Rumor

Greetings.

1. In the report on the status of rumors for November of 2001 regarding Fedayeen Saddam in al-Anbar, there is an entry that indicates that there is a group of Iraqi and Saudi Arabians numbering around 3,000 who have gone in an unofficial capacity to Afghanistan and have joined the mujahidin to fight with and aid them in defeating the American Zionist Imperialist attack.

2. After presenting the matter to the Supervisor of Fedayeen Saddam, he ordered that the matter should be looked into for verification of the truth of the rumor.

Please review and inform us.

Original Arabic here. Commentary from Laura Mansfield follows:

Read the whole thing...

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Document CMPC-2003-001488

March 17, 2006 07:35 PM

In the name of God the merciful the compassionate
Presidency of the Republic
Intelligence Service
2/913/5th directorate
Sir: Director General of the 5th directorate
Subject: Information
Our Afghani source #002 (info on him in paper slip ‘1’) has informed us that Afghani consular Ahmed Dahistani (info on him in paper slip ‘2’) had spoken before him of the following:
1-That Usama Bin Ladin and the Taliban group in Afghanistan are in contact with Iraq and that a group from the Taliban and Usama Bin Ladin’s group had conducted a
visit to Iraq.
2-That America possesses evidence that Iraq and Usama Bin Ladin’s group had cooperated to strike targets inside America.
3-Incase Taliban and Usama’s group are proven involved in those sabotage operations, it will be possible that America directs strikes at Iraq and Afghanistan.
4-That the Afghani consular had heard about the Iraq connections with Usama Bin Ladin’s group during his presence in Iran.
5-In the light of what preceded we suggest writing to the Intentions Committee about the above information.
Please be informed…..your feedback please…..with appreciation.
)signature) (signature(
Information office send immediately to the
Of the 5th directorate/3 Intentions Committee
9/15/2001

Original Arabic here.

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