[chottala.com] Saudi Covert Action in Iraq? More Cash Action

Saudi Covert Action in Iraq? More Cash Action

A Covert action program can be defined as a multi-layered operation, usually performed by a defence or intelligence organisation, which is planned and executed to conceal the identity of the sponsoring country, person or agency or permit plausible denial by them.

Cleared works by ex CIA officers have provided most of the information on covert action. Judging by William J. Daugherty's book Executive Secrets, (2004) most programs are fairly mundane, for example financial subsidies for "pro-democracy" or "regime change" information campaigns etc, rather than being of the "lethal action" violent overthrow type.

It could be that Saudi Arabia's chief covert action specialist Prince Turki al-Faisal (see below) who returned to Saudi Arabia 8 months ago, is quietly leading a Saudi covert action campaign in Iraq. The campaign may centre on Saudi money routed through US agencies to counter al Qaeda insurgents and Shiite domination. The results may now be more evident.

Nawaf Obaid, a noted former security adviser to the Saudi Embassy Washington, stated in an article in the Washington Post November 29, 2006 that:

"...the Saudi leadership is preparing to substantially revise its Iraq policy.

[Saudi] Options now include providing Sunni military leaders (primarily ex-Baathist members of the former Iraqi officer corps, who make up the backbone of the insurgency) with the same types of assistance -- funding, arms and logistical support -- that Iran has been giving to Shiite armed groups for years."

Obaid was later sacked for writing the article. Openly fighting fellow Muslims is not the Saudi way. Quietly providing money for "worthy causes" eg. for insurgents to fight Shiites may now be the Saudi way. Money is far more deniable than weapons or otheer aid - particularly if the US financial/banking surveillance system is on your side.

Prince Turki's Covert Action Past

A previous Saudi covert action program was conducted in the 1980s on a large scale to fund and arm Afghan insurgents and foreign jihadists. According to Steve Coll's Ghost Wars this system worked by Saudi funding matching US funding dollar for dollar and relying on the CIA and Pakistan's ISI to decide what to do with it. Total funding was in the $billions over the course of the war. The aim was to fight and expel occupying Soviet forces in Afghanistan. Many of the foreign jihadists were led by Osama bin Laden and formed the core of what would become al Qaeda in the 1990s. The film Charlie Wilson's War outlines some of this activity.

The Saudi contribution was under the close leadership of Prince Turki al-Faisal (then head of Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah or General Intelligence Directorate (GID)) . After 18 years heading GID Prince Turki was appointed Saudi Ambassador to Britain and later Ambassador to the US.

On December 12, 2006 Prince Turki abruptly resigned his post as Saudi Ambassador to the US. The reasons are unclear, however, if the Saudis want to enhance any covert action program in Iraq (as Obaid mentioned before being sacked) or against Iran they will need the covert action expert (Prince Turki) at home.

On March 29 2007 Prince Turki was reported as again being active in one of his ongoing interests - Board Chairman of King Faisal Research and Islamic Studies Centre. The Centre is obviously vast and well funded yet as former head of Saudi intelligence and former Saudi Ambassador to the US Prince Turki is seemingly over-qualified to be a university president or Vive-Chancellor. However it may provide him with excellent COVER to (without suspicion) meet Muslim scholars and leaders, travel anywhere in the Muslim world and dispense money to needy Iraqi religious and educational institutions and charities etc and perhaps fund the newly prominent Sunni "tribal" fighters.

If the Saudi's do have a covert program in Iraq it is likely to be non-confrontational, loosely structured and informal. Very different from Western or Russian examples. It may not necessarily be a GID activity. The GID was Prince Turki's personal feifdom for almost 20 years - as is the Saudi custom. If he has reconstituted many of the Saudi money distribution practices and personal networks that went into the 1980's anti Soviet insurgency Prince Turki is serving Saudi interests well. If this it not under the GID umbrella it is more deniable.

The Saudi program may only become more formalised when it interfaces with US covert programs in Iraq.

It is difficult to be certain that the Saudi's are working with the US. However if the progam in 1980's Afghanistan is anything to go by:

- the Saudis, perhaps through Prince Turki, may be handing over sums of money to the US (say CIA or DIA).

- This money would then be disbursed to the Sunni (so-called) "tribal chiefs" as an inducement and a means to fight al Qaeda in Iraq. News reports that show these tribal fighters working in cooperation with US forces suggests that for the tribes not only a change of heart, but money, may be talking.

- This program may have been arranged by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates (ex CIA and a covert action strategist) who may well have been in touch with Prince Turki since the 1980's, when both were intelligence chiefs.

The underlying reason for a Saudi money to US program may be the US asking the Saudi's "if you bare some of the financial burden of the insurgency we won't pull out quickly and leave you exposed to a Shiite dominated Iraq and Iran". Hence Saudi self interest and US coercive encouragement dovetail.

Pete

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