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July 19, 2007 | The LA Times published on July 15 that a majority of foreign militants in Iraq were Saudis. The Times reported that - according to a senior U.S. military officer and Iraqi lawmakers - about 45% of all foreign militants "targeting U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians and security forces are from Saudi Arabia." Only 15% are from Syria and Lebanon; and 10% are from North Africa. This is based on official U.S. military figures made available to newspaper by the senior officer.
"The situation has left the U.S. military in the awkward position of battling an enemy whose top source of foreign fighters is a key ally that at best has not been able to prevent its citizens from undertaking bloody attacks in Iraq, and at worst shares complicity in sending extremists to commit attacks against U.S. forces, Iraqi civilians and the Shiite-led government in Baghdad." There was not much debate about this after the article until today when MSNBC published their own, albeit belated, investigation results and concluded that 55% of foreign insurgents were Saudis. The report further indicates that the Saudis are motivated by Al-Jazeera reports that show "Americans massacring Iraqis" and radical clerics who urge their followers to go to Iraq and kill Americans. The MSNBC report was, however, quiet on the Sunni Saudi insurgents assiting Iraqi Sunnis in killing Iraqi Shia muslims. The United States government would have us believe, through a compliant media, that foreign militants and insurgents are primarily from Iran or Syria. Such erroneous reports have been reported continuously through mainstream media in order to bolster the government's agenda that paints Iran and Syria as "evil". There are certainly issues that must be addressed as regards Iran and Syria - and Israel may need to address their own issues separatley - but to attempt to mislead the American public about certain nations while remaining quiet about Saudi Arabian terrorism against Iraqis and the Iraqi occupiers is a dishonesty that reeks from Washington, DC at many levels and the American voter should not allow themselves to be fooled by the government or mainstream media. Editor & Publisher, Did Military and Media Mislead Us? Most Outside Insurgents in Iraq Come from Saudi Arabia By Greg Mitchell LA Times, Saudis' role in Iraq insurgency outlined, Sunni extremists from Saudi Arabia make up half the foreign fighters in Iraq, many suicide bombers, a U.S. official says By Ned Parker MSNBC, Who are the foreign fighters in Iraq?, An NBC News analysis finds 55 percent hail from Saudi Arabia, By Lisa Myers & the NBC Investigative Unit ___________________________________ 7.19.2007 |