War on Terror
Although the authenticity of the Osama
Bin Laden tape can be debated, we surely must be concerned
by its release. The previous re-release of a section of a
previous tape may have signaled the Madrid bombings. It is quite likely that
the tape signaled the attempted attacks in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Israel by Al-Qaeda.
King Abdullah explained the great danger
these attacks posed. Al-Qaeda forces led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
could have killed up to 20,000 people and decapitated the
government. He confirmed that the vehicles with the lethal
chemicals and poison gas came from Syria, carrying 17.5 tons of explosives,
although he mentioned he didn’t believe Assad knew about it.
WorldThreats.com does not believe that though. Anyway, the
attacks were to destroy the US embassy in Amman, a government facility, and a Jordanian
military-intelligence installation.
[1]
It was later found out that the attack
involved 71 lethal chemicals including nerve gas, choking
agents and blister agents, involving a total of 20 tons of
chemicals. The money for the plot came from Zarqawi’s agents
in Syria. If successful, a chemical cloud would
have extended 3 miles above Amman, destroy the entire Jordanian intelligence
department, and contaminated a large mall and medical hospital.
[2]
People close to the investigation into
the WMD plot have told John Loftus that the weapon to be used
was a poison gas consisting of several chemicals to be mixed
together, thus it had to be VX as that is the only nerve gas
where chemicals can be safely mixed in the field. If the lab
tests show it is VX, it is proof Syria is cooperating with Al-Qaeda, and
proof that either Syria has VX, or that Iraqi VX is in Syrian
hands.
[3]
Zarqawi, who is behind this plot, also
has declared responsibility for a sophisticated boat assault
on an oil terminal at Basra, Iraq that killed three Americans.
[4]
Considering the success terrorists
had in Madrid, we can bet on some sort of attack around election time. Many
figures including Condi Rice has confirmed the worry. This
summer also looks especially dangerous, as former FBI Special
Agent Harold Copus claims summer 2004 will be remembered as
“the summer of terror”. Tom Ridge apparently also sees danger ahead
and has formed a new terrorism task force.
[5]
This came after the FBI warned that over
the summer terrorists might try to attack the transportation
sector near major cities.
[6]
There is rumor that the Department
of Homeland Security debated whether to go to orange alert
when in mid-April intelligence was received indicating that
known Islamic terrorists were saying an attack was imminent
and operatives were in place.
[7]
At the same time, the head of al-Muhajiroun,
Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohamed, publicly stated that militants
sympathetic to Al-Qaeda were planning to attack London and would succeed because of the sheer
volume of militants trying to pull off an attack.
[8]
British intelligence also foiled a plot
by terrorists to use a “dirty bomb” laced with osmium tetroxide
to attack US targets including the Sears Tower.
[9]
Numerous terrorist attacks, as usual,
were foiled in Israel. It is believed by Israeli intelligence
that al-Zarqawi sent operatives to attack Israel with chemical weapons, possibly VX.
That is not proven, but what is proven is that a Palestinian
suicide bomber belonging to Tanzim tried to detonate a bomb
with HIV-tainted blood over Passover.
[10]
Heightened alert likely also came from
the discovery by European intelligence that terrorists planning
to use chemical weapons there were much more advanced than
previously thought, noting that small groups of chemical experts
were in several European countries that coordinate their efforts
in an undetectable way. Many of the experts are connected
to Chechen extremists that carried out chemical experiments
in Chechnya and Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge. Captured terrorists
indicated that some of the plots included plans to use ricin
and botulism on Russian targets in France.
[11]
Information on the hunt for Osama Bin
Laden leaked out in April. US and Pakistani intelligence was
looking into the travels of a high value target, believed
to be Osama, who traveled from Dera Ismail Khan to Karachi via truck, and then may have slipped
out on a private ferry through Karachi or the port of Gwadar. It is also possible though that he
re-entered Pakistan’s Baluchistan province and then moved back into
Afghanistan. The investigation concluded that
a few months ago he was at Dera Ismail Khan, after he and
Zawahiri fled to Showal in North
Waziristan
after escaping Afghanistan. The investigators claim they have
proof Osama stayed in Showal until June 2003, and this is
where the videotapes of that time were shot.
[12]
Regarding the intelligence failures,
CIA director George Tenet testified in April that it would
take five more years to make the intelligence agencies the
way they need to be in order to fight terrorism to their best
ability.
[13]
Intelligence needs to be improved in our
allied agencies as well, especially now that we know that
an Al-Qaeda double agent named Abu Qatada used his relationship
with MI6 to find safehouses for terrorists. The British still
trusted him after he met with the chief of the Madrid bombings.
[14]
There are indications that terrorists
are plotting biological terrorism in Iraq. An encyclopedia was posted which
taught militants how to poison troops with ricin, cyanide,
botulinum toxin, and other substances. The encyclopedia was
very technical and very accurate.
[15]
In another audiotape, this time released
by a senior Al-Qaeda operative in Saudi Arabia, named Abdulaziz al-Muqarin, this
year will be known for fierce attacks against American interests.
[16]
Iraqi WMD
New evidence is always emerging that
Iraq did indeed have weapons of mass destruction. A source
going by the name “Rashid” worked at the top of the Iraqi
science establishment until 1998, and has claimed to have
regularly met Saddam Hussein and the deputy prime minister.
He reported to the Coalition that he had access to a number
of trusted insiders who spoke of secret underground bunkers
where chemical weapons were stored. He said there were at
least five secret bunkers around Baghdad, Tikrit and Basra—three of them he claimed he visited
regularly.
He explained that one bunker was located
under an island in the Tigris River near Saddam University; another was beneath the house of
one of Saddam’s cousins, which could only be reached by a
tunnel that had a hidden entrance 800 meters away. The bunkers
are 15 meters underground, and have reinforced concrete around
them totaling several stories. The lethal chemicals are stored
in drums, artillery shells and 122mm rockets. Foreign construction
companies including one from China, he said, built the sites.
[17]
The head of the IAEA also reported
evidence that Iraq covered up a nuclear program. Muhammad
el-Baradei explained that large amounts of nuclear-related
equipment, including some contaminated supplies, and a small
number of missile engines, had been smuggled out of Iraq and sent to European shipyards for
recycling. He says UN satellites detected extensive removal
of equipment and sometimes even entire buildings from sites
being monitored by the UN before the war.
[18]
Frontpage
Magazine had an incredible article on April 7 from someone
in a position to know about the Iraq Survey Group. Among the
problems with the ISG is that many personnel involved are
from the DIA, CIA and State Department, criticized for bureaucratic
intelligence problems before 9-11. The author criticizes the
ISG’s technical and tactical incompetence, a motivation to
minimize significant findings, and to hurt the search overall.
Huge amounts of commercial and agricultural chemicals have
been seized, but the ISG quickly said they were legit chemicals,
in contradiction to the Pentagon. All the ingredients necessary
for a biological program have been found across Iraq. The Pentagon has the best equipment
for this and should be seen as the ultimate authority on the
decision but is not seen as such. The author also writes a
good question: Are we supposed to believe that the entire
Department of Defense was ripped off by the contractors supplying
the top-notch equipment used to detect WMD?
Among the findings that may have been
WMD:
1)
Near Karbala, 55-gallon drums were found full of
pesticide in a camouflaged bunker six feet underground. Over
a dozen people became ill from being exposed to the site.
An Army NBC-specialized vehicle and other Pentagon tests confirmed
it was sarin. Yet the ISG tests said they were not WMDs, but
could not explain the sickness the people got from exposure,
why it was disguised if it was just pesticides, and why it
was next to a military ammunition dump.
2)
At Baiji, 55-gallon drums were found originally detected to
be cyclosarin and an unidentified blister agent. A mobile
lab was found nearby that could be used to mix chemicals for
use in c/b warfare, and only yards away there was surface-to-surface
missiles, surface-to-air missiles and gas masks. The ISG later
said they were not WMDs, leaving us to the conclusion that
the Iraqis must have been paranoid about killing insects near
the military site coincidentally built perfectly for c/b warfare.
3)
At Taji, just north of Baghdad, suspicious materials were found in
a large ammunition dump. The ISG later said they were just
regular pesticides. Why would they be in an ammunition dump
in a strategic area?
4)
Near Basra, Danish forces found 120mm mortar
shells with a strange liquid inside them. Multiple tests by
the Danes and British all confirmed a blister agent was inside,
but later the ISG said these tests were all wrong. First off,
there is no other reason to ever put a liquid inside a mortar
round. Second, the Danes after the ISG announcement said they
still couldn’t figure out why the tests were wrong.
5)
A mobile biological lab was found on April 10 2003 near Baghdad by the marines. Initial testing showed
it to be a biological lab but the ISG, again said this was
not so later on. They said its purpose may have been to deal
with hydrogen, and was never used. Of course, this doesn’t
explain the dual-use nature of the lab and how there were
hidden compartments, and how it matched the description of
mobile bio labs provided by defectors and human intelligence.
Additionally, tests detected decontamination agents! If cleaned
this way we should expect to see what would appear to be a lab never used.
6)
In April 2003 underground tunnels were found at the al-Tawaitha
facility near Baghdad, long believed to be used for nuclear
development. Large amounts of nuclear materials such as uranium
was found of a low-grade nature. Tests indicated huge radiation
levels inside the drums. This was quickly dismissed, since
it could have been used for “industrial” reasons.
7)
On April
12, 2003,
an Iraqi airbase in Kirkut was searched and the army found
what was believed to be a chemical warhead with traces of
nerve gases.
8)
In May 2003 another mobile bio lab was found trying to escape
Coalition forces near Mosul.
9)
On April
5, 2003,
it was leaked to the press that substances, possibly cyanide
and mustard gas was detected in the Euphrates Rivers near
Nasiriyah.
10)
On April
7, 2003
near Baghdad marines found was what originally believed to be medium-range
ballistic missiles equipped with sarin and mustard gas. Later
tests showed this not to be the case.
Are all these cases WMD? WorldThreats.com
believes that is highly unlikely. However, some of these,
particularly the ones where we point out inconsistencies,
need to be looked at again for the reasons provided by the
article in Frontpage Magazine.
Charles Duelfer, the new head of the
ISG has reported progress in the search. He explained that
the reason for the difficulties in the search, aside from
Saddam’s preparations to hide the weapons, was over reliance
on Iraqi scientists and uncooperative Iraqi officials.
He mentioned they were still following
leads, “some quite intriguing and credible” about Iraqi WMDs,
and mentioned they have found new evidence that Iraq had at
least the technical ability to use civilian facilities to
quickly produce chemical and biological weapons. He also explained
that new evidence had been uncovered that Iraq flight-tested long-range ballistic
missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles beyond the 93 mile limit
set by the UN.
[19]
Evidence uncovered also indicated that
Iraq had planned to expand, improve and build new facilities
that could be used to make chemical and biological weapons
during 2003, and that scientists were actively testing commercial
pesticides that can be used in weaponized anthrax at research
centers.
[20]
Other findings included that Iraqi nuclear
scientists developed a rail gun that can be used for nuclear
weapons and that Iraqi labs had done research on certain techniques
essential for nuclear experiments including flash x-ray radiography,
laser velocimetry and high-speed photography.
UN experts are also analyzing a shipment
from Iraq of missile engines with nuclear material
to Rotterdam.
[21]
Middle East
The Iraq War took a bad turn this month
as Moqtada al-Sadr revolted with Iranian assistance, and radicals
in Fallujah linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi began aggressive
attacks. Many of those radicals came in with help from Syria. This was the most delicate situation
in the guerilla war yet. Entering Shiite holy cities could
make the situation worse, especially as the normally pro-American
Shiite cleric Al-Sistani threatened to launch jihad if US
forces entered Najaf and Karbala.
[22]
Please refer to my article, “Moqtada al-Sadr
and the Second Iraq War” for more analysis on the situation.
Paul Bremer has had to admit mistakes
in handling Iraqi security. He has begun allowing Baath Party
members back into the school systems, army, and security sources.
WorldThreats.com supports this knowing this is the only way
to speed up the process of putting an Iraqi face on security,
and that most members of the Baath were forced to join, or
had to in order to get any type of meaningful job. The situation
is bad in this area as General Dempsey confirmed that one-tenth
of the Iraqi security personnel betrayed America during the uprising, and 40% refused
to fight.
[23]
The Pentagon now believes that many
of the bombings in Iraq, particularly in Fallujah and Ramadi,
are carried out by Saddam’s secret service that planned for
the insurgency before the war (reversing the recent belief
that this was not pre-planned). Members of M-14, or the “Special
Operations and Anti-Terrorism Branch” are organizing attacks
especially ones with car bombs and improvised explosive devices
such as roadside bombs. Suicide vests often used by the terrorists
have been found to be made by M-14 before the war. The Pentagon
also believes that much of the Fallujah fighting is from Special
Republican Guard soldiers with assistance from Iraqi intelligence.
[24]
Syria’s assistance to the insurgency has
caused what some have called a “silent war”. WorldThreats.com
has been reporting on this undeclared war for months. This
week however, attention was brought to it when marines trying
to stop the flow of insurgents battled Syrian security officers
and terrorists crossing the border. Five marines were killed
over one weekend near al-Qaim and Qusaybah.
[25]
Marines also discovered a missile launch
pad on the Syrian border.
[26]
Despite the deaths, Syria is refusing
to help secure the border, and continues to help the insurgency
by arming the terrorists, allowing them free passage, allowing
them to return for supplies and helping terrorists like Hamas
and Hezbollah that work with them.
[27]
Coalition intelligence has identified several
Iraqi resistance groups that are linked to Syrians in Damascus who provide them with funding. It
is also possible they receive money from the scores of former
Iraqi government officials hiding in Syria.
[28]
Syria’s oppressive nature is still not ending
despite Western pressure. On April 13, Syria arrested the head of the Committee
for the Defense of Democratic Liberties and Human Rights in
Syria, in addition to the hundreds of already
detained Kurds.
[29]
On the Iranian side of things, sources
indicate that there is some sort of talks going on with Iran in regards to the Iraq situation. This became obvious once
the US extended the temporary suspension
of some sanctions on Iran that were lifted to deliver relief
for their earthquake disaster.
[30]
I hope that we will not compromise. It
is well known that al-Sadr’s “Mehdi Army” received limited
support from the largest Shiite militia in Iraq, the Badr Brigades (directed by Iran). The militia was formed by the Supreme
Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, consisting of 30,000 fighters. Moqtada
al-Sadr also received help from Ansar al-Islam, after Ansar
delegates met with Sadr in April.
[31]
Al-Sadr is directly linked to Khameini’s
offices. 1,200 members of the Mehdi Army trained in Iranian
camps, including in at least three along the border at Hamid,
Ilam and Qasr Shireen. The Iranian embassy in Baghdad transfers equipment including communications
gear to the militants. Among the items the embassy and other
Iranian outposts have supplied are anti-aircraft missiles,
RPG-7 rocket launchers, mortars, and hundreds of advisors
from the intelligence branch and Al-Quds branch of the Revolutionary
Guard. The Iranians pay Iraqis that provide sensitive intelligence
on US military and security $25,000.
[32]
Iran is believed to be using a cleric by
the name of Kazem al-Ha’iri in Qum, Iran as a liaison with Moqtada al-Sadr,
and to be using another cleric inside Iraq named Hassan Kazemi Qumi, an Iranian
Revolutionary Guard officer.
[33]
The Iranian embassy in Baghdad is used to supply the radical Shiites.
Right before Al-Sadr’s revolt, the embassy gave 400 satellite
phones to al-Sadr’s militants. Iran allowed al-Sadr to use the Iranian
media/propaganda networks as well, and Iran funded him with $80 million in recent
months in addition to the training and equipping of his Mehdi
Army.
[34]
Iranian intelligence is operating at
least 18 covert outposts in Iraq in an effort that already cost nearly
$1 billion, according to an Iranian intelligence defector.
He said that the centers based in Baghdad, Basra, Karbala, Najaf, Nassariya, and Suleimaniya
pretend to be “charities”, but really help the insurgency
and try to silence the pro-American Shiite community. The
defector reported that there are at least 300 Iranian intelligence
agents in 14 cities in Iraq with 2,700 safehouses.
[35]
The defector also claimed that intelligence
operatives of Iran’s al-Quds Army carried out the killing
of Ayatollah al-Hakim, who led SCIRI. He claimed they also
tried to kill Ayatollah Al-Sistani and Ayatollah Al-Fayadh.
[36]
If anyone doubted that Iran was behind the Shiite troubles, the
doubt was lost when former Iranian president Ayatollah Akbarh
Hashemi-Rafsanjani (and current chairman of the Expediency
Council) said US forces in Iraq were a “wounded monster”, and defeat
of the forces was necessary to teach the West a lesson. He
very plainly stated that any US vulnerability in Iraq makes Iran stronger, praised al-Sadr’s revolt,
said that defeat was needed to guarantee Iranian security,
and said that the US trouble was due to “close ties” between
the Iranian and Iraqi people.
[37]
According to the Iranian intelligence
defector, the next stage in the Iranian campaign is to influence
the Shiite majority in parliamentary elections. Iran will try to silent pro-American Shiites,
and use their propaganda assets that include over 300 reporters
and technicians in the Iraqi media. Should Iran be caught, they will increase the
tension. For example, when the Kurds caught Iranian agents,
the Revolutionary Guard incited Turkmeni Shiites to revolt,
using paid agents inside the community.
[38]
In the Israeli theater, Iran and Syria’s Hezbollah have become the most important
factor in the Palestinian terrorist campaign. They funded
most of the suicide bombings in recent months, by sending
money to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who have taken authority
from some of Arafat’s al-Aqsa Martyr Brigades. Hezbollah plays
the lead role in coordinating the joint operations between
the three groups.
[39]
Hamas and Hezbollah signed a cooperation
accord, allowing Hezbollah to increase assistance to operations
and funding.
[40]
Iran has also used its links to Hezbollah
and Hamas to help the terrorists in Iraq.
[41]
We know Hamas and Hezbollah have opened
offices in Iraq and are running recruitment efforts
in Basra and Nasariya.
[42]
Iran’s nuclear program, luckily, is becoming
closer to being dealt with. The IAEA condemned Iran on April 1, saying inspections were
being “managed” by Iran, and they were not allowing inspectors
to take pictures with their own high-tech cameras or to use
their own electric equipment. Germany, France and the UK quickly condemned Iran’s plans to continue uranium enrichment
at Isfahan.
[43]
Despite this, Iran announces plans to build a heavy water
facility in June, which can be used to make weapons-grade
plutonium.
[44]
Once the Iraq situation is stabilized, WorldThreats.com
does not believe the US will restrain Israel any longer from taking tough action
against Arafat. Proof has been obtained that Arafat approved
terrorist attacks on American interests in Palestinian territory,
leading to the attack on a US embassy convoy that killed three Americans
in October 2003.
[45]
Europe
Russia is continuing to take steps towards
a totalitarian state. April saw attempts by the Russian parliament
to begin banning public demonstrations in most places.
[46]
Spain’s president confirmed he would withdraw
1,300 troops from Iraq. Although that is unfortunate, what
is even worse is that the president of the European Commission,
Romano Prodi, praised the withdraw, saying it reflects “our”
position.
[47]
The Dominican Republic and Honduras have followed Spain’s example and begun withdrawing troops
from Iraq. Poland has said that the option was open
depending on the situation, and Thailand has said it will withdraw its troops
should they be attacked.
[48]
In Denmark, in response to allegations the country
lied about Iraq’s WMDs, the defense minister resigned
on April 23. This occurred after an attempt to stifle criticism
by declassifying a Danish intelligence report showing that
they truly believed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
[49]
In Lithuania, the parliament narrowly decided to
impeach the president for leaking classified information and
giving citizenship to Russian businesspersons for financial
support. The scandal began when a security report was released
in October showing that some of his advisors were closely
linked to the Russian Mafia and the Russian secret service.
[50]
This reinforces the warnings WorldThreats.com
has issued about the influence of former Communist/KGB personnel
in Russian intelligence and in the Russian mob.
Although France has sided with the US on pressuring Iran and Syria in regards to weapons of mass destruction
and sponsorship of terrorism, the French are playing a double-game.
As tension with Iran heated up, Chirac claimed relations
with Iran were “excellent”, praising the country
as a source of stability. This came right after a condemnation
of Iran for not fully cooperating with the
IAEA.
[51]
Latin America
Brazil is coming under fire for refusing
to allow the UN to send inspectors to a site being built for
uranium enrichment near Rio de Janeiro.
[52]
Brazil has extensive WMD potential, and is
led by a pro-Castro socialist who has allied with Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, China and others. One of the most striking
things he said when campaigning was that he supported Brazil
withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, having
uranium enrichment capability, and a nuclear weapons program.
Asia
In South Korea, the Uri Party won a majority victory
by winning 299 seats of parliament. This group of leftists
wants to engage North Korea for better ties rather than confront
the danger that lies ahead.
[53]
As of right now, though, it seems this
is having little effect on relations with South Korea.
New looks are being taken at Myanmar (Burma). It is known that North Korea offered to sell them surface-to-surface
missiles with a range of over 100 miles and potential WMD
capability. There is suspicion also that Myanmar has a nuclear program despite being
at least decades away from obtaining a nuclear capability
unless they are sold a warhead. The outcome of the negotiations
is not known.
[54]
A self-proclaimed “anti-American” group
called the “Yellow-Red Overseas Organization” sent a letter
to the South Korean embassy in Thailand threatening attacks on diplomatic
compounds, airlines, and transportation systems in South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Australia, Singapore, Kuwait and Pakistan.
[55]
China’s Hutchinson-Whampoa, the world’s
largest seaport operator, which is closely tied to the Chinese
army remains in control of the world’s strategic seaports.
In 1996, this company was identified as a front used by China for military, political and economic
espionage. Thus, the Chinese army has control over the strategic
ports of:
Both ends of the Panama Canal
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Freeport, Bahamas
Veracruz, Mexico
Eight ports in the Philippines
Jakarta, Indonesia
Karachi, Pakistan
Harwich, Felixstowe and Thannesport, United Kingdom
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Negotiations for Pusan and Kwangyang, South Korea
Other ports also in Tanzania, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia, for a total of 136 ports.
Africa
George Bush eased sanctions on Libya this month allowing US companies to
invest there. This will provide a source of oil that can help
reduce dependency on Saudi Arabia. However, Libyan assets in America remained frozen. Although Libya certainly does appear poised to try
to be our best friend in Africa, there are still a few minor issues. State Department counter-terrorism
coordinator Cofer Black says Libya is maintaining relations with terrorist
groups, but has not ordered or helped them to attack.
Black also mentioned problems with
Sudan. Despite the great progress we have
made in turning them around, Sudan has not expelled the officers of Hamas
and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
[56]
WorldThreats.com is confident that Libya will give in to our demands and that
with time, Sudan will also.
In an attempt to prepare the way to
trick UN inspectors, Syria began shipping WMDs to Khartoum, Sudan using civilian airplanes paid by the
Defense Ministry including chemical weapons components, SCUD-C
missiles and SCUD-D extended-range missiles in an effort that
began in January 2004. Up to ten aircraft carried sensitive material
each month full of those items as well as launchers and precursor
chemicals, listed as “medical equipment”. It appears Syria intended to use these items in their
“civilian” projects in Sudan supposedly related to agriculture,
food and transportation.
[57]
Soon after this report, Sudan ordered the removal of the Syrian
materials after the Defense and the Interior Ministry concluded
the intelligence was accurate. Sudan apparently was worried
it would delay talks with the US to get the sanctions lifted.
[58]
New urgency was sensed about North Korea, despite their pledge to continue
multilateral talks, because of the testimony of Abdul Qadeer
Khan. This former head of the Pakistani nuclear black market
has testified that when he went to North Korea in 1999 he was taken to an underground
nuclear power plant, and personally saw three nuclear weapons.
This means that previous estimates are wrong and the real
number of the arsenal is likely much higher.
[59]
A revised US intelligence report will raise the
estimate of North Korea’s arsenal from “possibly two” to at
least eight, and will estimate that North Korea’s uranium enrichment program will
be operational in 2007, allowing for six more weapons each
year.
[60]
Luckily, the director of the Missile
Defense Agency says he believes we will be able to protect
America from North Korea’s nuclear missiles by the end of 2004
due to the activation of an anti-ballistic missile system.
[61]
Miscellaneous
WorldThreats.com received this letter
but cannot confirm its authenticity. Nevertheless, we believe
it provides a great picture of what is really going on in
Iraq. This is reportedly a letter from
Ray Reynolds, a medic in the Iowa Army National Guard:
“As I head off to Baghdad for the final weeks of my stay in
Iraq, I wanted to say thanks to all of
you who did not believe the media. They have done a very poor
job of covering everything that has happened. I am sorry that
I have not been able to visit all of you during my two week
leave back home. And just so you can rest at night knowing
something is happening in Iraq that is noteworthy, I thought I would
pass this on to you. This is the list of things that has happened
in