Juan Cole - 11/27/05

Rubaie: US will Withdraw Completely from Some Areas
Muqtada offers National Pact

Al-Sharq al-Awsat: Muwaffaq al-Rubaie, national security adviser to the Iraqi government, said Saturday that "The American forces will soon turn over complete and total responsibility for security in a number of areas of the country to Iraqi forces." He said that a joint working committee was formed last summer toward that end. He expressed hope that there would be further turn-overs before the Dec. 15 elections, to deprive the guerrilla movement of its pretext for rejecting the political process, i.e. that it is unfolding under the shadow of foreign military occupation.

Al-Qaeda Plot Against Tourist Hotels in Morocco Busted Up
2 Suspects had fought in Iraq

Al-Zaman/ AFP: Moroccan security agencies said Saturday that they had foiled a attempt by al-Qaeda to attack buildings belonging to the government as well as hotels frequented by foreign tourists. Two of the plotters had Belgian citizenship but were of Moroccan heritage. They were Khalid Ouzigh and Muhammad Rida, and both of them had fought in Iraq against US forces there! Two others, Ibrahim Bin Shakroun and Muhammad Mazouz, had previously been held in the US detention center at Guantanamo.