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U.S.: Alleged terror plots involving Iraqi officers foiled
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two alleged terrorist plots involving Iraqi intelligence officers against U.S. interests have been thwarted in recent days, with several suspects arrested and evidence seized, the State Department said. "In recent days, we received information regarding specific terrorist plots in two countries involving Iraqi intelligence officers. In both cases, operatives were arrested and terrorist material confiscated," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Friday. Boucher said the United States has received information on "widespread terrorist plots against U.S. interests" involving Iraqi intelligence officers, and that they remain a threat. He said the United States has requested a number of countries expel suspected Iraqi intelligence officers, "based on the significant threat posed by their presence." The alleged plots were being carried out in two countries, Jordan and Yemen, administration officials said. On Sunday Jordan kicked out four Iraqi diplomats that the country claimed "made some activities that went beyond their diplomatic role." Jordan is also where a U.S. diplomat was shot to death last October, an attack believed to have been carried out by al Qaeda operatives. At least some of the plotters were arrested by local authorities, but U.S. officials would not be specific as to how many. One official with knowledge of U.S. operations said at least a handful were found with "terrorist materials on them." This official said that material did not include chemical or biological weapons, but rather standard explosive material. The plots were in the planning stages, another official said, noting the alleged intelligence agents "were not caught heading out the door" to carry out the terrorist attacks and "did not have their hand on a switch." But this official said the agents were "moving purposefully" toward executing the attacks. "The plot was significant and credible enough to cause us concern," one official said. The arrests also yielded information that other Iraqi "sleeper cells" are actively planning attacks against U.S. facilities in at least 10 other countries, officials said. Officials were reluctant to name those countries, since the investigations are continuing. But the officials did say one country is in Europe, one in east Asia and the remaining are in south Asia. The officials said there is no evidence the alleged Iraqi agents have links to al Qaeda. The officials described those arrested as "Iraqi intelligence service agents," and that they are not believed to be Iraqi diplomats. Officials stressed that the arrests were the result of ongoing U.S. and allied counterterrorism operations around the world that took on a new impetus after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Officials said the United States has contacted its embassies in all the countries in which the attacks are believed to be in the planning stages, and are currently reviewing their security situations. "We are taking additional steps as we see fit," one official said Another official said that "in conjunction with" the start of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Iraqi Intelligence Service has been "given primacy" in Iraqi diplomatic missions around the world. "They're in charge," said the official. Earlier this month, the State Department asked countries around the world to expel suspected Iraqi intelligence agents -- some with diplomatic credentials -- because they could pose a threat to U.S. installations and personnel. To date, the State Department said, 17 countries have expelled Iraqi diplomats. At the same time it made the request of other governments, the United States expelled two Iraqi diplomats at the United Nations and a correspondent for the Iraqi News Agency, saying they were conducting "activities outside the scope of their official functions" that were "harmful" to U.S. national security. -- CNN State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel, Producer Elise Labott and National Security Correspondent David Ensor contributed to this report.
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