In addition to C.S. Scott's impressive analysis of the new list at Securitywatchtower.com, the names below stuck out for various reasons.
18 - Maan Bashour, Lebanese Baathist. Has a long relationship with Saddam's regime. He recruits fighters in Lebanon to go to Iraq to support terrorist operations.
― When did Bashour begin recruiting fighters to go to Iraq? What terrorist groups is he affiliated with? What type of relationship did he have with Saddam’s regime? Is he still in contact with the Baathist element of the Iraqi insurgency?
19 - Isam Khudhir Abbas al-Dulaimi, $50,000 bounty. Former director in the intelligence agency, he supports the Muhammad Army insurgent group.
― The Muhammad Army insurgent group has coordinated attacks with al Qaeda in the past.
29. Abdul-Hadi al-Iraqi, “a top leader with al-Qaida in Iraq and the Mujahedeen Shura Council and originally comes from Nineveh province. He was a Major in Saddam Hussein's army but left to travel to Iraq to fight against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1990s. Newsweek had a feature on Abdul-Hadi, who is seen as a key liaison between Bin Laden and al Qaeda's leadership in Afghanistan, and the al Qaeda network formerly headed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq.” C.S. Scott, Securitywatchtower, 7-3-04
― It would be interesting to know how close al-Iraqi was with bin Laden during his time in Afghanistan and what types of contacts he maintained with Iraqi officials, including Saddam Hussein and his inner circle.
― al-Dulaimi is one of many links between al Qaeda and Iraqi intelligence. It would be worth looking into whether or not al-Dulaimi is one of those involved in the reported coordination between Ansar al Islam and IIS agents in 2002.
