U.S. military cracks down on money supply to Iraqi insurgents

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://www.wane.com/Global/story.asp?S=1552334

(Baghdad,Iraq-AP Dec. 5, 2003 8:45 AM)_ The U.S. military has begun staging raids on Iraqi smugglers to cut the cash pipeline to Iraqi insurgents who are believed to pay attackers for bombings and strikes against U.S. troops.

U.S. military strategists believe that in just over a month, the insurgency will face a financial crisis when old Iraqi dinar notes bearing the face of Saddam Hussein will be worthless. The military wants to deepen the crisis by launching raids on black marketeers thought to be funding the guerrilla movement.

"If we can stop the money, we can stop the insurgency," a coalition military official in Baghdad told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Many strikes are carried out by hired attackers, he said Thursday, so the United States is going after the "paymasters."

<snip>

Right. The Iraqis are happy to have us there and the only people who would dissent are paid cash to do so. Sheesh.

[Barrett808]

1. BFEE tried this months ago, and by the end of October it was a failure

Iraq Paradox: Cracking Down While Promoting Freedom
By DAVID E. SANGER
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/28/international/middleeast/28ASSE.html?hp

The White House strategy, one senior official noted, depends heavily on choking off those funds, guns and explosives so that the Hussein loyalists are gradually starved of resources. "To look at the plan," the senior official said, "the starvation effect should have started a few months ago. It didn't — and that's something to worry about."

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. Good catch. I'm afraid the writer is spot on.

IMHO, There are probably as many if not more attacks being carried out by Iraqi Patriots rather than any sort of "Paid Insurgent."

To me, it's unbelievable that the Bush admin didn't see this coming before the war started. They were either so blinded by the skewed intel filtered through Chalabi or they were hoping for a continuous conflict to feed the military/industrial machine.

[jayfish]

3. Iraqi Dinars?

What about good old American $100 greenbacks? Didn’t we just hear about how Saddam still has $125 million in, brand spanking new, $100 bills that he might be funding the anti-occupation effort with. When one of these clowns gets the misadmins. story straight could someone, please, let me know?

Jay

[Anus Retainus]

4. First they want their oil, now they want their money...

It's not like the $87B will be offset by any recovered funds!

[Kontinent76]

5. BBC - Terror funding crackdown 'flawed'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/americas/3269849.stm

Friday, 14 November, 2003, 08:45 GMT

A leaked study by the United Nations says that efforts to cut off funding to the al-Qaeda network are failing.

The report blames inadequate co-operation, legislative loopholes and a lack of political determination, the UK's Financial Times newspaper says.

The study says two suspected al-Qaeda fundraisers are still active in Italy and Switzerland, the newspaper reports.

It also says the international arms embargo against al-Qaeda is not working and needs to be overhauled.

Inaction

The report says that despite a system of financial checks designed to impede the activities of terrorists, many countries are not adequately sharing information, the newspaper reports.

Since the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States, countries are required to submit lists of individuals and organisations linked to terrorist groups to a UN committee.

<" About 95% of the charities that are infiltrated are being exploited " Dennis Lormel, FBI>

But, according to the study, many countries have failed to act and have been reluctant to seize properties and businesses, the Financial Times reports.

The newspaper cites the report as saying the arms ban on al-Qaeda is "totally ineffective" in some aspects and needs to be "completely revamped".

It also reported as saying charities suspected of being linked to al-Qaeda remain active and difficult to control because of their involvement in humanitarian work.

[pinto]

6. so many holes in this floated story and questions

Targeting smugglers of gasoline and cooking fuel. They, what, generate millions of dinars, house to house, one donkey cart at a time?

Safeguards against "bad guys" large scale exchange for new dinars. Up to 5 mill are OK...that's $2,500 @ 2,000 ID to 1 US$ exchange rate.

Oh, and they already are watching the bad guys, anyway. If they have something on someone why not let the Iraqi police arrest and charge them in an Iraqi court? It's a democracy right?

And we've heard too many first hand stories of Iraqi's who lost (fill in the blank) son, sister, aunt, mother, father, baby, family....who want a shot at occupation forces.

And the usual mixed messages between on the ground personnel and DC official.
etc, etc.