ABU DHABI – Iraqi officials and Arab diplomatic sources said foreign Arab nationals had benefitted from training in Iraq before returning to their countries to bolster insurgency movements. They said the foreigners, after a stint of six months to a year, were returning with vast experience in operations, recruitment and weapons use.

Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, said Iraq was being used as a laboratory for Al Qaida and related groups. He said the Al Qaida cell that attacked the U.S. consulate in Jedda in December was trained in Iraq, Middle East Newsline reported.

"This terrorist group moved back to Saudi Arabia during Ramadan from Iraq where it had been trained for six months," Al Hakim told the Saudi-owned Al Wasat daily.

The Al Qaida attack in Jedda was the first that breached a U.S. diplomatic facility. Five consulate employees were killed in the takeover of the Jedda consulate compound.

Over the last month, however, Iraqi authorities have detected the departure of foreign Muslim nationals from Iraq. Officials said exiled Saddam Hussein loyalists who helped pay for the recruitment of the foreigners have asked them to leave in wake of complaints by Iraqi insurgency commanders. The commanders were said to have accused some of the Muslim volunteers of representing foreign intelligence services.

The Iraqi assessment matched that of a forecast by the U.S. intelligence community. The National Intelligence Council warned that the Sunni war against the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq could enhance the capabilities of Al Qaida and related groups. The council envisioned that the Islamic insurgency, led by a new leader, would expand beyond the Middle East to Asia and Europe.

"Iraq may become a center for terrorist groups which could attack other countries," Al Hakim said. "Therefore, we ask all our neighbors to support the efforts of restoring security and stability in Iraq."

Officials said the insurgency in Iraq has attracted nationals from Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Syria. They said Europeans have also been recruited to fight against the Iraqi government and U.S.-led coalition.

"Even in the best of scenarios, there is a likelihood that jihadists not killed in Iraq will dissipate to various countries or sanctuaries," David Low, the National Intelligence Office for Transnational Threats, told a briefing on Jan. 14.