"Terrorism" is set to intensify in Iraq over the next couple of months, U.S. top official Paul Bremer told a British daily on Monday, saying that "several hundreds" of professional "terrorists" had sneaked into Iraq.
"We're going to have increased attacks and increased terrorism because the terrorists can see the reconstruction dynamic (in Iraq) is moving in our direction," Bremer told The Times.
"Several hundreds" of professional "terrorists" had infiltrated Iraq from Sudan, Syria, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, the U.S. representative told the paper.
"It will be more of a problem in the months ahead unless the intelligence gets better."
With this in mind, Bremer said he was prepared to study the proposal by Iraq's interior minister for a "special force" made up of members of the various Kurdish and Shiite groups, but also - it was "not impossible" - former members of Saddam Hussein's intelligence service.
These members knew the terrain and they were much more able to spot foreign elements in Iraq than were the U.S.-British troops, Bremer added.
Bremer stressed however that the "terrorists" would not succeed in making the "coalition forces" leave before the formation of a new government in Iraq - The "consequences of us not succeeding here would be very grave. They are for the Iraqis fatal, perhaps for the Middle East almost as fatal." (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
