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(TS//SI) Major Insurgent in Iraq Captured, Thanks to Tight SIGINT
Collaboration
FROM:
(S) Chief, Iraq Issues Branch (S2E22)
Run Date: 08/23/2006
(TS//SI) A major insurgent figure in Iraq,
, was captured by U.S. forces
in June 2006, following the "ground-up" development of his group's communications. A number
of elements -- NSA-Washington, NSA-Georgia, Cryptologic Support Team (CST) elements and
U.S. Marines -- worked together closely to ensure that
was captured. Here's how the
story unfolded:
(TS//SI) NSA-W Team Focuses on the 1920 Revolutionary Brigade
(TS//SI) The Iraq and Arabian Peninsula (S2E2) Sunni/Counterinsurgency Team at NSA-W
identifies selected mujahedin cells. Based on HUMINT, in 2005 the Team began tracking the
1920 Revolutionary Brigade*, which is suspected of having ties with al-Qa'eda in Iraq. This
nationalist insurgent group is comprised mostly of members of the Saddam Husain regime, to
include intelligence officers, military members, and Ba'ath Party members. Development work
led by NSA-W's Counterinsurgency Team uncovered the organizational structure for the
Revolutionary Brigade in the volatile, western al-Anbar Province and revealed the identities of
two major figures, brothers
(TS//SI) NSA-Georgia SIGINT Points to
(TS//SI) NSA-W handed over the target to its counterparts in Georgia in early 2006. Interest in
activities was piqued in January, when NSA-G reported that he was claiming
involvement in improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in Fallujah and Baghdad. Although the
context of
claims suggested he was either bragging or joking, the fact that his
brother,
had already been identified as an insurgent leader was
sufficient to warrant further monitoring. Subsequent SIGINT indicated
probable
involvement in both weapons trafficking and mortar attacks.
(TS//SI) Marines Target
nd His Brother
(TS//SI) In Spring 2006, NSA-W resumed monitoring of the Brigades, when NSA-G was obliged
to drop monitoring in favor of higher priority targets. After reacquiring the target, NSA-W
reported
lamenting the deaths of five colleagues who had
apparently died in early April when several IEDs exploded prematurely. Close monitoring
through April and May provided an almost daily synopsis of the group's activities. Utilizing both
tippers and traditional reporting, NSA-W notified the Marine 1st Radio Battalion analysts in alAnbar Province, in addition to CIA Headquarters, of the brothers' activities. Acting on this
information, the Marines drew up target packages on the brothers, tasking their communications
for local coverage.
(TS//SI) SIGINT Tipper Leads to Easy Arrest
(TS//SI) Monitoring by the Marines in June indicated
intentions to travel to alBasrah. Subsequent monitoring by NSA-W verified that
planned to visit an associate
jailed at the U.S.-controlled Camp Bucca detention facility in al-Basrah. NSA-W tipped the
Marines to this information, who, in turn, notified U.S. forces at the camp.
signed
into the camp on 15 June, using his real name (see photo.) After visiting his associate, who
turned out to be another brother,
was arrested by U.S. forces without conflict, in an
operation described by a senior U.S. Marine as "the way it's supposed to work."
(S)
signing into the Camp Bucca detention facility prior to his arrest.
(TS//SI) The successful apprehension of this insurgent figure highlights the highly effective
results that close collaboration between national and tactical SIGINT offers our war-fighters in
Iraq.
POC:
*Note: (U//FOUO) The 1920 Revolutionary Brigade takes its name from the Iraqi revolt against
British occupation in the 1920's.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108