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Thursday, July 29, 2004

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  "I can confirm that 90 percent of those who carried out suicide operations are not Iraqis," al-Naqib said. "I believe that Iraqis' noncompliance with terrorists have made them a target."

The Iraqi government has previously announced the capture of foreign fighters here and urged neighboring countries to do more to help prevent infiltration of militants who cross into the war-ravaged country to fight U.S.-led coalition forces.

"Police have recently arrested 270 terrorists, mostly nationals of neighboring countries, such as Syria," al-Naqib said. "I wonder whose interest is it to target national Iraqi elements and civilians?"

Syria has long denied claims it is allowing fighters to enter Iraq, but has also said it is unable to thoroughly police its 360-mile border with Iraq. The infiltration issue has soured Syrian-U.S. relations, leading to American trade sanctions against Damascus.

Iran, a Shiite Muslim country with close ties to neighboring Iraq's majority Shiite population, is believed to have used money, not guns, to influence Iraq while avoiding a direct confrontation with longtime rival America.

U.S. officials had long blamed foreign fighters of playing a role in Iraq's 15-month-old insurgency, but recently the military has said the fighters are mainly loyalists of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Iranian officials have said they would try to stop zealots from crossing its 900-mile border with Iran, Iraq's longest border. Iran's supreme leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has refused to give a green light to one group, Devotees for Martyrdom, that is eager to fight in Iraq.

Al-Naqib will provide Iranian officials with evidence of their citizens' involvement in Iraq during a meeting of neighboring security officials in Tehran next month.

On July 12, Iraqi Human Rights Minister Bakhtiyar Amin said his government had 99 foreign fighters in detention, including 26 Syrians, 14 Saudis, 14 Iranians, 12 Egyptians, nine Sudanese, five Palestinians, five Yemenis, five Jordanians, five Tunisians, one Lebanese, one Moroccan, one Turk and one Afghan.

Al-Naqib said he was uncertain if Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, whose Tawhid and Jihad group has claimed blame for numerous bloody attacks, was in Iraq.

"Al-Zarqawi is behind a number of major operations, especially suicide, but his presence in Iraq is doubtful," he said.

Al-Naqib said his government had intelligence suggesting Saddam had met with al-Zarqawi and cooperated with his group. Al-Naqib did not elaborate. U.S. officials have previously said Saddam's government aided al-Zarqawi.

© 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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