No Good Deed Goes Unpunished, Part 67C
The assassination attempt on Iraq's deputy prime minister now looks like an inside job, and the perpetrator had already been suspected of being a security risk. However, since both men are Sunnis and related to each other, the erstwhile assassin never got searched before blowing himself up within feet of the politician:
The suicide attack against Iraq's Sunni deputy prime minister is now seen as an inside job carried out by a member of his own security detail — a distant relative who had been arrested as an insurgent, freed at the official's request, then hired as a bodyguard, a senior security official and an aide to the victim told The Associated Press on Sunday.The assassination attempt, at least the third major security breach involving a top politician in four months, prompted Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to order a government-wide security shake up, including plans to hire a foreign company to guard the Green Zone building where parliament meets, the security official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with reporters.
A suicide attacker came within feet of Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zubaie and exploded his vest during a Friday prayer service in the private mosque attached to al-Zubaie home. The Sunni official was seriously wounded and nine people were killed.
The senior security official as well as a key aide to al-Zubaie said Wahab al-Saadi, the distant relative accused of involvement in the attack, was the only person at the prayer service who has not been accounted for.
They said al-Saadi's car, which was parked outside the al-Zubaie compound, exploded within minutes of the suicide attack.
The assassin had served as al-Zubaie's bodyguard for a while, but had recently been removed from that assignment for being a troublemaker. No one has an explanation of what that specifically meant, but it apparently didn't rise to a level where Iraqi security would check him for explosives when he traveled with Zubaie. They never bothered to check his car, either, which looks like it was intended to serve as a backup plan in case the suicide vest didn't work.
In fact, Saadi wouldn't have kept his job if Zubaie hadn't interceded on his behalf. Saadi got arrested for suspicion of involvement in the insurgencies, but Zubaie sprung him from jail. After he did that, Zubaie insisted that Saadi join his security detail. Had Zubaie allowed Iraqi security forces to do their jobs rather than worry more about his family connections, he wouldn't be coming out of surgery today.
No one is certain what happened to Saadi. For the moment, they believe him to be the suicide bomber, although he apparently had help getting a second person close to Zubaie. Saadi could still be alive and on the run.
Let's hope that Zubaie has learned his lesson and doesn't try to spring him again, if the Iraqis get their hands on him again.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on March 25, 2007 5:34 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (1)
Comments (4)
Posted by Carol_Herman![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/nav-commenters.gif)
| March 25, 2007 7:21 PM
The biggest tent worry we actually have, comes from the saudis. The ones living in Saudi Arabia; who fund the whole terrorist apparatus around the globe.
Bush is their Realtor.
And, James Baker is INSIDE the White House, applying all the pressure he can.
That's why Israel is facing pressures, now, to "create" a sunni/palestinian terrorist state.
WHILE MOST ARABS KNOW THE TRUTH! They go into their tents to laugh at our gullibility.
While ALL good militaries need hell holes in order to learn how to work and function.
What Iraq is to our emerging military might, is the fact that we have decades of "learning" to do. So far? We do it on the ground. Not my favorite way.
I'd prefer FROM THE AIR. With a great deal of damage. And, let the arabs on the ground figure out how to live with their rubble. They're not scientists. they're not gonna be building mecca's to tourism.
But so far? It's pretty iffy, if we've got the situation "contained." NOT A BAD TRAINING GROUND, THOUGH. Please don't lose sight of what it takes to train troops well!
During WW1, it was BEASTIAL. Not now. Though, again, we'd be better off during what we need to do from the air. (Halutz was right. Olmert way wrong. And, the idiot Amir Peretz, with the floozy, Livni, just showing you what goes wrong when weak politicians get elected.)
Is this a disaster?
WHY?
We've got a weak politician in the White House.
And, Israel's got real garbage throughout their Knesset.
But it's still a learning curve!
You want to use linear analysis to figure out what the future brings. Sorry. You can't do it.
That's why FIRST, for instance, crimes have to take place, for good detectives to WORK BACKWARDS. To figure out what went wrong.
Bush? Easy. Guy's got no spine. And, less smarts. James Baker is baack. Which also means poppy doesn't trust his son. And, for some reason the spoiled brats within the bush household, are angry enough to tear at Israel.
Ain't gonna "halp" them.
Someday? When Bush exits he will be dealt the blows he deserves for incompetence. And, maybe? We're gonna get out of the habit of thinking in terms of dynasties; when it comes to electing presidents?
At least Bush is leaving lots of room for the next fella to really grow!
I'm not hopeful, yet. That our military can begin to use its arsenal. Because? Bush can't convince the American poeple he's anything but spineless, now.
It's the reason things are belching up like they are.
Hitler's dead. The saudis aren't even close to getting what they want, now.
And, we have to hope for the best.
Yeah. I feel bad for the navy guys in a rubber boat, who got picked off so easily. What was the captain doing? Did he get surprised? Did his career, for instance, just tank?
You think you're seeing everything. But I doubt it.
Posted by ed_in_cda![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/nav-commenters.gif)
| March 25, 2007 9:16 PM
Why don't suicide bombers have annual conventions? They could brag about their exploits, network with like-minded persons and then cap it off with a live demonstration.
I'll bet some of them are so stupid they would actually be enthusiastic about the concept.
Posted by unclesmrgol![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/nav-commenters.gif)
| March 25, 2007 11:03 PM
The bomber blew himself up in one of his own mosques and tried to harm and kill his own people? This guy was truly a nutcase -- on a par with Pelosi and Murtha.
Posted by Adjoran![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/nav-commenters.gif)
| March 26, 2007 1:28 AM
How dumb could the guy be to hire someone arrested for insurgency? Now, if it was his WIFE's distant cousin, I could understand it . . .
Another confirmation of the old observation that "You just can't help some people."