Where do the insurgents in Iraq come from?

[Ea$y-8]

My question is where do these people come from? I have heard stuff about "most of the insurgents are not Iraqis but are from other muslim countries all over the world".

[Midav]

My question is where do these people come from? I have heard stuff about "most of the insurgents are not Iraqis but are from other muslim countries all over the world".

From what I have been told the vast majority are Iraqi nationals. Supposedly it is many of the leaders that are not Iraqi.

Correct me if I'm wrong someone...

[NcDeuce]

Well, Iraq borders Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iran. Afghanistan is directly east of Iran. It's not exactly a very long hike for those that want to take part in combat with U.S. forces.

Some are from those countries listed above while some were members of the secret police and Republican Guard.

[TehSuig]

Most of the insurgents we detained were Iraqis, but we did get a few Syrians and one guy from Yemen. Those are the ones you got to look out for, the foriegners. They came over to Iraq just for the chance to fight the Americans. They don't run.

[Argyll]

less than 10% are Foreigners......I'm sure you don't need a degree in mathmatics to figure out the rest?

[Rictor]

Yeah, I remember some US General going on record as saying that about 6% of captured fighters were foreigners. No that leaves the other 94% as Iraqis.

[Airborneranger4israel]

your all wrong, its a goverment secret that they come from Loompaland, they were an experiment of the oompaloopmas that went horribly wrong

[gregb]

stfu...............

[C3F]

Many of the T&FF are North African (Algeria, Morrocco etc...) and of course Syrian and Jordainian. AQIZ is recruiting local nationals to become part of their cells for a variety of reasons but logistics is one obvious reason.

The number of T&FF in Iraq is/was pretty substantial though compared to the entire population, percentage wise would seem low. How many we roll up every week is classified but it's NOT inconsequential.

The good news is due to the way T&FF target indiscriminately, they are becoming targets themselves! It's becoming very difficult for T&FF to operate in Western Iraq the way they used in the beginning of the war.

[Argyll]

The number of T&FF in Iraq is/was pretty substantial though compared to the entire population, percentage wise would seem low. How many we roll up every week is classified but it's NOT inconsequential.

How do you respond to the Studies and rescent documentation released by CENTCOM,stating that less than 10% of the insurgency is NON Iraqi?

If an Insurgency is alleged to be 20000 thousand strong?

[C3F]

How do you respond to the Studies and rescent documentation released by CENTCOM,stating that less than 10% of the insurgency is NON Iraqi?

If an Insurgency is alleged to be 20000 thousand strong?


I would agree with study. As I said, compared to the ENTIRE Iraqi population, the percentage would appear low. Do the math however, what's 10% of 25 million? The number of T&FF is clearly NOT that high (10%) all I'm saying is the number is high enough to make an impact on the insurgency.

The majority of the insurgency ARE Iraqis. FRE and IZR.

Your in Iraq, do you read reports on the ROLL UPS?

[Jedburgh]

My question is where do these people come from? I have heard stuff about "most of the insurgents are not Iraqis but are from other muslim countries all over the world".

This is one of the better open source reports out there: Iraq’s Evolving Insurgency (http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/051209_iraqiinsurg.pdf), dated 9 Dec 05.

I also highly recommend giving this paper a read: Third Generation Gangs Revisited: The Iraqi Insurgency (http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/research/theses/haussler05.pdf)

...if you run a search on this forum, you'll also find plenty of old discussions the topic.

[C3F]

This is one of the better open source reports out there: Iraq’s Evolving Insurgency (http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/051209_iraqiinsurg.pdf), dated 9 Dec 05.

I also highly recommend giving this paper a read: Third Generation Gangs Revisited: The Iraqi Insurgency (http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/research/theses/haussler05.pdf)

...if you run a search on this forum, you'll also find plenty of old discussions the topic.

Did you get my private message?

I'll bet there is an open source report on the number of estimated T&FF at Abu Gharib and other internment facilities throughout Iraq?

[C3F]

This is one of the better open source reports out there: Iraq’s Evolving Insurgency (http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/051209_iraqiinsurg.pdf), dated 9 Dec 05.

I also highly recommend giving this paper a read: Third Generation Gangs Revisited: The Iraqi Insurgency (http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/research/theses/haussler05.pdf)

...if you run a search on this forum, you'll also find plenty of old discussions the topic.

205 pages???? I can do the report in 10 pages or less!!!! These CENTERS for startegic study write this stuff intending to impress a specific audience to SELL more studies!

[wormie]

wombs, durr.

[Jedburgh]

205 pages???? I can do the report in 10 pages or less!!!! These CENTERS for startegic study write this stuff intending to impress a specific audience to SELL more studies!
You completely miss the nature of the CSIS report. Such reports are not meant to be concise INTSUMs.

The fairly detailed ExecSum is 17 pages. However, the main body of the report is intended to cover in detail the evolution of the insurgency in Iraq from May 03 to the present day, breaking down various aspects of it into separate sections. Yes, you could write an analytic snapshot of the current insurgent situation in less than ten pages - easily. However, I think you would find it extremely difficult to write an analytic paper detailing the evolutionary ebb and flow of the insurgency over the past 33 months in that space without losing a significant amount of critical detail.

[Argyll]

I would agree with study. As I said, compared to the ENTIRE Iraqi population, the percentage would appear low. Do the math however, what's 10% of 25 million? The number of T&FF is clearly NOT that high (10%) all I'm saying is the number is high enough to make an impact on the insurgency.

The majority of the insurgency ARE Iraqis. FRE and IZR.

Your in Iraq, do you read reports on the ROLL UPS?

No mate,what reports we get we have to beg borrow and solicit!!
Obviously Contractors don't get the classified MIL stuff,unless you work for BSC or DYN or CCC,under a DOS contract!

[Hukatus]

As we can see from the last months casaulty list http://icasualties.org/oif/prdDetails.aspx?hndRef=1-2006 most resistance still left these days are bitterd Iraqi sunni minoroty, still crying for their good old days under saddam's rule. Almost all deaths come from sunni populated Anbar province and Baghdad area. up in the north id kurdish areas it is relatively calm, as well in mainly shia populated south.

[RBIH_Troop]

My question is where do these people come from? I have heard stuff about "most of the insurgents are not Iraqis but are from other muslim countries all over the world".

No. Most are not Foreign fighters. The majority of the Insurgents are Sunni Iraqi. The foreign fighter's make up 3,000 fighters in a new's article. I would say that there is about 15,000 to 100,000 insurgent's in Iraq (Not Sure). Most Foreign fighter's end up in AQ in Iraq which is led by the Terror mastermind Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. The foreign fighter's usually end up being suicide Bomber's. Their plan is to become holy warror's and kick out coalition force's. AQ in Iraq is in small number's but kill's in High Number's. AQ in Iraq is also responsible for major terror attack's through Iraq and responsible for Beheading's of many foreigner's working inside iraq. Does that answer your question?

[C3F]

No. Most are not Foreign fighters. The majority of the Insurgents are Sunni Iraqi. The foreign fighter's make up 3,000 fighters in a new's article. I would say that there is about 15,000 to 100,000 insurgent's in Iraq (Not Sure). Most Foreign fighter's end up in AQ in Iraq which is led by the Terror mastermind Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. The foreign fighter's usually end up being suicide Bomber's. Their plan is to become holy warror's and kick out coalition force's. AQ in Iraq is in small number's but kill's in High Number's. AQ in Iraq is also responsible for major terror attack's through Iraq and responsible for Beheading's of many foreigner's working inside iraq. Does that answer your question?


Your point about the smaller numbers of T&FF yet high casualties created by them is correct! Regardsless of the number of T&FF, to say that their presence does NOT make a difference would be totally INCORRECT (not that anybody said that but there seemed to be an initial implication of that in the beggining of this thread).

In my previous thread, I TOTALLY forgot to mention our "friends" from Saudi Arabia! They make up a huge part of the percentage!

[Omaha]

less than 10% are Foreigners......I'm sure you don't need a degree in mathmatics to figure out the rest?


Yeah, but the funding and support is the exact opposite. There is a money river comming from Iran, and I am sure Syria has got a hand or both in it as well.

[Jedburgh]

Yeah, but the funding and support is the exact opposite. There is a money river comming from Iran, and I am sure Syria has got a hand or both in it as well.
Iran provides no direct funding to the Sunni insurgents or to Zarqawi's bunch of foreigners. Most of Iran's influence is directed at the Shi'a factions that are now part of the current Iraqi government. However, as a means of keeping all their options open, they also provide a modicum of funding to Sadr's group - which has reportedly shared some of its assistance with elements among the Sunni insurgents.

Getting to real funding sources, it is estimated that there is at least 500 million dollars of cash unaccounted for that belonged to the former Iraqi regime. Much of that had been held in Syria, then withdrawn during the initial campaign in 03. To date, Syria has been completely uncooperative in responding to requests to track down the dispersed funds.

That amount still fails to take into acount any cash that may be held by Saddam Hussein’s surviving family members and the gang of former regime officials living in Damascus and the Deir-ez-Zor area in eastern Syria. There is an Iraqi Ba’athist enclave near Damascus in the upper-class Mezzeh district, where a network of second-level Ba’athist leaders continue to liaise with key elements of an estimated 250,000 Iraqis living in Syria. Make your own guesstimates regarding that situation.

There are also individuals scattered throughout the region - in Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain - who the US has named as specially designated global terrorists, responsible for funneling large sums of cash to Zarqawi's bunch and other Salafist terrorists operating in Iraq.

Yet another factor, sometimes seemingly insignificant individuals are important in financial terms - especially Saudis. The average Saudi "volunteer" for Iraq - although he may be untrained - will bring between 5 to 15 thousand dollars. Enough to support himself and provide for his "brothers" for a while.

Money is a significant weapon in this war. Efforts have being going on for a while to dry up the sources - it ain't easy, because it requires operational synchronization with so many other factors in the overall campaign. But its getting there.

[C3F]

Iran provides no direct funding to the Sunni insurgents or to Zarqawi's bunch of foreigners. Most of Iran's influence is directed at the Shi'a factions that are now part of the current Iraqi government. However, as a means of keeping all their options open, they also provide a modicum of funding to Sadr's group - which has reportedly shared some of its assistance with elements among the Sunni insurgents.

Getting to real funding sources, it is estimated that there is at least 500 million dollars of cash unaccounted for that belonged to the former Iraqi regime. Much of that had been held in Syria, then withdrawn during the initial campaign in 03. To date, Syria has been completely uncooperative in responding to requests to track down the dispersed funds.

That amount still fails to take into acount any cash that may be held by Saddam Hussein’s surviving family members and the gang of former regime officials living in Damascus and the Deir-ez-Zor area in eastern Syria. There is an Iraqi Ba’athist enclave near Damascus in the upper-class Mezzeh district, where a network of second-level Ba’athist leaders continue to liaise with key elements of an estimated 250,000 Iraqis living in Syria. Make your own guesstimates regarding that situation.

There are also individuals scattered throughout the region - in Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain - who the US has named as specially designated global terrorists, responsible for funneling large sums of cash to Zarqawi's bunch and other Salafist terrorists operating in Iraq.

Yet another factor, sometimes seemingly insignificant individuals are important in financial terms - especially Saudis. The average Saudi "volunteer" for Iraq - although he may be untrained - will bring between 5 to 15 thousand dollars. Enough to support himself and provide for his "brothers" for a while.

Money is a significant weapon in this war. Efforts have being going on for a while to dry up the sources - it ain't easy, because it requires operational synchronization with so many other factors in the overall campaign. But its getting there.


Now THATS a good open source post! Thanks JED.