Gibbons: Foreign terrorists hamper U.S. effort in Iraq

Benjamin Grove

Tuesday, July 15, 2003 | 9:23 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Terrorists from outside Iraq but operating in the nation are hampering efforts to restore order and endangering the lives of U.S. soldiers, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said.

Terrorists from nations such as Jordan, Yemen, Syria and Iran are a top concern of U.S. officials in charge of reconstruction in Iraq, said Gibbons, who spent three days last week in Jordan and Iraq on a fact-finding trip for the House Intelligence Committee.

Gibbons said there is no doubt that al-Qaida is operating in Iraq and that before the war there was a connection between al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein's Iraqi government. Critics have said President Bush made that claim with little to back it up.

The foreign terrorist operatives are an even bigger threat than guerrilla Saddam loyalists, Gibbons said.

"They know exactly where to place a shot on a soldier wearing a Kevlar helmet and a bulletproof vest," he said.

Troop morale remains relatively high despite the dangers, stress and above 100-degree heat, in which many soldiers suffer without air conditioning, said Gibbons, who met with U.S. commanders.

U.S. troops likely will be stationed in Iraq for perhaps five years or so to stabilize a democracy in Iraq, he said.

Gibbons and three of his colleagues met with David Kay, leader of the Defense Department Iraq Survey Group that is looking for weapons of mass destruction. Kay briefed the lawmakers on the painstaking process that includes door-to-door searches and sifting through piles of paperwork.

Gibbons, who had believed Saddam was probably dead shortly after major fighting in Iraq ceased, returned from Iraq saying he believes Saddam is likely alive.

The $25 million reward offered by the United States for Saddam's capture will likely play an "enormous role" in his capture, Gibbons said.

"I'm sure that at some point he will be found," Gibbons said.