Al Qaida reactivated Iraq sleeper cells following U.S. pullout announcement
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 E-Mail this story Free Headline Alerts
BAGHDAD Ñ Iraqi officials said Al Qaida has activated sleeper cells long dormant in Iraq in an effort to demonstrate the capabilities of the insurgency movement.
The officials said many of the sleeper cells were located in Baghdad and deactivated in 2007 amid the U.S. military surge.
"Al Qaida apparently felt that there was no point in directly confronting the United States during the surge," an official said.
"Now, that the U.S. military is preparing for withdrawal, these suicide bombing cells have been placed back on operational footing."
In March, at least 60 people were killed in a series of suicide bombings in Baghdad. The attacks targeted the Baghdad police academy and tribal sheiks aligned with the government of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki. Officials said the Interior Ministry has received increasing authority for the Iraqi war against Al Qaida. They said the ministry has sought to expand its intelligence networks.
Interior Minister Jawad Al Bolani said the Iraqi effort against Al Qaida required a "war of intelligence." But Al Bolani said the ministry has reduced its police recruitment amid a 25 percent cut in the 2009 budget. The ministry wants to increase the police to nearly 500,000, including the establishment of a police brigade in each province.
Officials said the U.S. military has remained a key provider of the Iraq Army and security forces in the war against Al Qaida. They said the Al Nouri government has asked the U.S. military to continue operations even after the withdrawal of most American combat troops from Iraqi cities in July 2009.