A report submitted to Iraq's senior leadership by the Iraqi Intelligence Service indicates the existence of three terrorist organizations or groups which carry the name of Al-Qaeda – two of which are financed by Iran.
The first organization is linked with the Al-Qods Brigade (Failaq Al-Qods) under the supervision of General Qassim Suleimani. It has recruited citizens from the provinces of Baghdad, Al-Anbar, and Mosul trained in Iran but redirected into Iraq through other Arab countries to carry out murders, kidnappings, and bombings against targets in their respective provinces.
The second organization, or group, is known as the Islamic State of Iraq, led by Abu Hamza Al-Muhajer, an Egyptian citizens with connections with the world organization of Al-Qaeda. The activities of this group have been constrained due to the strength of the first organization, and because many of its leaders have been killed or captured. The group continues to carry out assassination and bombings.
The third group is Ansar Al-Islam, which is active in Iraqi Kurdistan and the other provinces in northern Iraq. The leadership of the group receives its orders from Iran and has occasionally suspended its activities for political reasons.
The intelligence report focused on a pivotal point regarding a change in the tactics used by Iran, which is to send terrorists to Iraq across other neighboring countries [most likely Syria] to remove any suspicion of Iranian involvement. This new tactic has enabled the Iranians to recruit a large number of people, several times the number of traditional agents who work with the Al-Qods Brigade in Iraq. Political quarters with strong connections with Iran have refused to deal with the report, because of the sensitive issues it raises and because it concluded that Gen. Suleimani is the principal organizer of the large-scale bombings aimed at destabilizing Iraq, and was behind the deadly bombings in Baghdad on August 19.
Intelligence sources claim that Iraqi intelligence (Mukhabarat) chief Muhammad Al-Shahwani has resigned in the wake of information he submitted about Iranian involvement in the August 19 bombings and those that preceded them, which was ignored. Sources in the Iraqi Intelligence Service maintain that the Service has over the last six months submitted information, supported by names of witnesses and documents, about the Al-Qods Brigade carrying out bombings of churches and Shi'ite mosques (Husseiniyat), which reached its zenith on August 19. According to these sources, Al-Shahwani attended a high-level security meeting at which he presented information as well as video and audio documentation, in addition to information from inside Iran, about the instruments that were planned to be used in the August 19. A number of senior officials, associated with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki have insisted that Iran not be officially accused in the bombings or in the bombing of the churches and the mosques. As a result, Al-Shahwani has submitted his resignation and left Iraq [there is conflicting news from Baghdad as to whether Al-Shahwani has resigned or was forced to retire.] Instead, Iraqi authorities have prepared a fabricated story [accusing a senior Ba'th member of the bombing; see Senior Iraqi Ba'th Official In Syria Behind Attacks In Iraq]; Terrorism in Baghdad: The Iranian Connection]instead of laying the blame on the Al-Qods Brigade and its role in Iraq.
Source: Al-Zaman, Iraq, August 25, 2009
