# al Qaeda in Iraq

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-qaeda-in-iraq/211076>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 3, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-qaeda-in-iraq/211076 "2003-11-03T02:43:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Hydrocortisone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19b73/32.png) [@Hydrocortisone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hydrocortisone)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-qaeda-in-iraq/211076/1 "2003-11-03T02:43:03Z")

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Is al Qaeda now operating in Iraq? How involved are they in the current attacks?

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-qaeda-in-iraq/211076/2 "2003-11-03T03:09:08Z")

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[Al Qaeda Mobilizes All Its Forces for Iraq](http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=548) (Debka-File, believe at your own risk)

> [@](#):
>
> Asked who the assailants were, the US administrator noted that 90 percent of the attacks on coalition forces took place in the Sunni Muslim Triangle between Ramadi and northern Baghdad, whereas the entire southern Iraq and most of the north were largely peaceful with an economy and services returning to normal. The hostile forces most active in Falujja were, he said, “fedayeen and foreign terrorists”. Most al Qaeda and other foreigners infiltrated Iraq through Syria.

[Saddam`s “Muhammad’s Army” Behind Chinook Disaster](http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=652) (Again, at your own risk)

Rumsfeld too:

> [@](#):
>
> Russert:\_ But stop there.\_ Would that have happened – would they have gone to Iraq but for the fact that we went in there?
> 
> Rumsfeld:\_ Well, sure.\_ The Ansar al-Islam was already in there, in Iraq.\_ There were al Qaeda already in Iraq.\_ The Iraqis were engaged in terrorism themselves.\_ They were giving $25,000…

[Rumsfeld interview on NBC -11/02/03](http://www.dod.mil/transcripts/2003/tr20031102-secdef0835.html) (Rumsfeld, believe at your own risk)