Operation Hotel California: Success despite Internal Failures
July 10 2002, a daring and dangerous mission was undertaken in order to confirm and also combat terror groups that were suspected being in partnerships with Saddam Hussein prior to the 200 Invasion. During this mission the Northern Iraq Liaison Element (NILE) were assisted by members of the 10th Special Forces group in order to combat a terror group in Iraq as well as determine what their connection was to Saddam and if they were making weapons of mass destruction. (Dale 2008, pg.40) The NILE element executed this mission with little to no assistance from outside sources and most of their assistance came from Kurds, leading to a mission success in determining what the activities …show more content…
(Tucker & Faddis 2009, pg. 11) The Khurmal chemical facility was a location that was supposedly where the Ansar Al-Islam terror organization and Al-Qaeda (who fled the 2001 battlefield and found refuge in the northern province of Iraq). This came from the intent from President George W. Bush to hunt down terrorists as well as any country that was providing safe havens to them. (Zenko 2009, pg.616)This was the Bush national security policy post 9/11 with good reason, to prevent another attack on United States interests both domestically and internationally. (Freedman 2004, pg.18) While Infiltrating the Northern Iraq/ Kurdistan province what the NILE team had discovered was that the Ansar Al-Islam and Al-Qaeda camp in Khurmal had, was senior leadership for both groups as well as chemical and biological weapons. (Tucker & Faddis 2009, pg. 21-23) The connection between Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda was attempted to be made by Washington in the early days of 2001, giving more of a forward drive for the war to commence. While many biases had plagued the initial National Intelligence Estimate, the connection that was sought out was never definitively made albeit the NILE team did discover Al-Qaeda. (Gormley 2004, pg.
July 10 2002, a daring and dangerous mission was undertaken in order to confirm and also combat terror groups that were suspected being in partnerships with Saddam Hussein prior to the 200 Invasion. During this mission the Northern Iraq Liaison Element (NILE) were assisted by members of the 10th Special Forces group in order to combat a terror group in Iraq as well as determine what their connection was to Saddam and if they were making weapons of mass destruction. (Dale 2008, pg.40) The NILE element executed this mission with little to no assistance from outside sources and most of their assistance came from Kurds, leading to a mission success in determining what the activities …show more content…
(Tucker & Faddis 2009, pg. 11) The Khurmal chemical facility was a location that was supposedly where the Ansar Al-Islam terror organization and Al-Qaeda (who fled the 2001 battlefield and found refuge in the northern province of Iraq). This came from the intent from President George W. Bush to hunt down terrorists as well as any country that was providing safe havens to them. (Zenko 2009, pg.616)This was the Bush national security policy post 9/11 with good reason, to prevent another attack on United States interests both domestically and internationally. (Freedman 2004, pg.18) While Infiltrating the Northern Iraq/ Kurdistan province what the NILE team had discovered was that the Ansar Al-Islam and Al-Qaeda camp in Khurmal had, was senior leadership for both groups as well as chemical and biological weapons. (Tucker & Faddis 2009, pg. 21-23) The connection between Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda was attempted to be made by Washington in the early days of 2001, giving more of a forward drive for the war to commence. While many biases had plagued the initial National Intelligence Estimate, the connection that was sought out was never definitively made albeit the NILE team did discover Al-Qaeda. (Gormley 2004, pg.