There was a report back in 2004 at about the time the Iraqi insurgency really started rolling that the insurgency was planned by the Baathists. Since then I have seen opinion pieces that alternately repudiated this claim and supported it. Now we can be sure.
Among the thousand of documents in the repository maintained by the Foreign Military Studies office is a top secret document that lays out eleven directives to be followed should the regime leaders be disposed. For the first time, we present the translation here as provided by Sammi.
Translation begins for CMPC2003016373, Page 1
In the Name of God, most Merciful, most Compassionate
Republic of Iraq
Presidential Office
Iraqi Intelligence Service
Top Secret
Number: 549
Date: 23 January 2003
To / All National Offices [directorates] listed below
Re / Emergency Plan
- Security [Service]
- [Military] Intelligence
- Intelligence [Service]
In reference to our secret letter, numbered 3870, dated 19 January 2003, please do what is necessary if, God forbid, the Iraqi Command falls to the Coalition Forces—the Americans, British and Zionists. To all the associates in your offices, and specifically the departments mentioned above, proceed in accordance with the following instructions:
1. Demolish and burn all offices in the country, especially [those] associated with ours and other departments.
2. Change your residence from time to time.
3. Sabotage electrical power stations.
4. Sabotage water stations.
5. Recruit reliable sources and direct them to the mosques.
6. Join with the Islamic Hawza `Alemiya in Najaf. [Translator’s comment: The Hawza is an Islamic religious teaching institution.]
7. Associate with the national and Islamic groups and parties.
8. Cease all internal and external communications.
9. Purchase stolen weapons from the public.
10. Develop relationships with those returning from abroad.
11. Assassinate the clergy in the mosques. [Translator’s comment: Clergy here includes both Imams and orators (guest speakers).]
A copy to the [Illegible signature]
Baghdad Intelligence Directorate Comrade
Ninawa Intelligence Directorate General Intelligence Director
Al Basra Intelligence Directorate 23 January 2003
Here's what I know about this document. It appears authentic to the best of my ability to judge. The document was captured in 2003 because it has 2003 in the Harmony number. So if it was forged back in 2003 then the writer was astoundingly accurate as to how the future insurgency would unfold. This is real folks.
This document ties the former Baathists to an Islamic school called the Hawza in Najaf. I find it very interesting that they were supposed to infiltrate this school which is the support base of none other than Moqtada al Sadr. At the very minimum, this document shows that the Baathists planned to incite the Shiite/Sunni violence. It also is interesting to consider that possibly they were supposed to infiltrate the Hawza specifically because Sadr had an agreement with the Baathists to lead the Shia insurgency which would be an absolute must to dislodge the Americans from Iraq. I realize this goes against the picture most of us have of al Sadr, but it is interesting that Sadr is leading Shiites in a revolt against the people who liberated them from the Sunni Bathists over the objections of his peers and superiors, some of whom he killed off, much like directive eleven tells them to do. And yes, Sadr hated Saddam, but he has made a distinction in interviews between "Saddamists" and Baathists. That is a very important distinction.
Of course there were plans. Why else design IED's and VBIED's and host terror training camps ?
The IED training began in at least 99. Not a coincidence.
Posted by: mark | Tuesday, November 07, 2006 at 07:37 PM