Cars Stolen in US used in Iraq Car-Bomb Attacks

www.smh.com.au...

The FBI's counterterrorism unit has launched a broad investigation of US-based theft rings after discovering some vehicles used in deadly car bombings in Iraq, including attacks that killed US troops and Iraqi civilians, were probably stolen in the United States, according to senior US Government officials.

The FBI's deputy assistant director for counterterrorism, Inspector John Lewis, said the investigation did not prove the vehicles were stolen specifically for car bombings in the Middle East, but there was evidence they were smuggled out of the US by organised criminal networks that included terrorists and insurgents.

Cracking the car-theft rings and tracing the cars could help identify insurgent leaders and shut down one of the means used to attack the US-led coalition and the Iraqi Government, the officials said.

Continued....

Are terrorists stealing cars in America, and bringing them all the way to Iraq to build car bombs, or is it maybe someone else taking cars from America to attack the Iraqis?

I bet none of the attacks on US soldiers were with these vehicles....

u be surprise where the vehicles go besides just Mexico and Europe. im surprise that u are surprise.

Terrorism specialists said they believed Iraqi insurgents preferred American stolen cars because they tended to be larger, blended in more easily with US convoys, and were harder to identify as stolen

whoever say that the terrorists are that stupid. never underestimate their abilitary to adapt and kill.

I find that quite strange.

Why would they do something like that?

Originally posted by Yossarian
I find that quite strange.

Why would they do something like that?

because if u have an American stolen SUV u can make it look like private contractor vehicle that American soldiers or Iraqi soldiers assume its one of their own. thats why the terrorists are taking them.

Ah I see. Clever.

Thanks.

I doubt its 'the' terrorists that are stealing them from the US and bringing them there for that purpose. More like they are purchasing them from criminal organizations the US, the 'other' terrorists, like the mafia, etc.


Apparently Deltaboy's done some guerilla warefare of his own!

Originally posted by Nygdan



Apparently Deltaboy's done some guerilla warefare of his own!

pfffft. its not like really hard to figure why the insurgents and terrorists want American cars and SUVs and bring it to Iraq. after all u seen private military contractors using mostly American made SUVs. the insurgents and terrorists cant get their hands on a Bradley or an Abrams so they pretty much just get the American civilian vehicles.

Maybe the US can infiltrate the taliban by driving around in Toyota Pickups. That seemed to be their 'military workhorse'

Originally posted by Nygdan
Maybe the US can infiltrate the taliban by driving around in Toyota Pickups. That seemed to be their 'military workhorse'

o yeah those "technicals"....nope the Taliban abandoned them for they just attract attention by Predator drones and aircraft as well as recon units near the Pakistan border. they use mules or horses to travel with their equipment instead of using vehicles. even the U.S. Marines decided to use them for the Humvees cant overcome the terrain that presented to them. should remember that Special Ops forces use the toyota pickups so wat u suggested was already adopted long time ago wen the Army Special forces were on the ground. they could get near the Taliban forces if the Taliban fighters aint sure if its frend or foe. after all the Taliban dont know everything that the American forces are using still, they may think we just use Humvees only or somthing. but after a couple of years in combat only the Taliban veterans know that U.S. Special forces use the Toyota pickups for they are better than the Humvees. so to infiltrate a Taliban controlled area is pretty much out of the question without backup.

Originally posted by deltaboy
its not like really hard to figure why the insurgents and terrorists want American cars and SUVs and bring it to Iraq.

I better get learning around here. Most of the topics on here I know nothing about and I feel so silly asking stupid questions all the time.

As a side hobby, I purchase vehicles from government auctions in order to fix up and give to family members or sell for profit.

I have been attending these auctions for about 15 years, and only since 2003 (I remember the exact auction I was at) has there suddenly been an increase in unusual foreign people coming and winning the bids. 99% of everyone at these auctions knows one another, and to this very day we have a nonstop flow of newcomers. When I have struck up conversation with some of them, I find most claim to be Russians sending the cars back home to their families. I can speak a little Russian and play stupid with these people and none of them have failed to respond to me in Russian when I asked if I could try speaking to them in Russian (I claim I am a student who studied the language and just want to see how I am doing). Now I am not a racist or nationalist type person, in fact the reason I can speak Russian is because I have several friends who are Russian, but I can't help but know that Russia is one of those nations that will sell hardware to just about any nation with money (T72 tanks seen in China, Iraq, etc.), and it would not surprise me if some of those cars ended up being used for nefarious purposes.

There is also a gentleman and his assistants who are now regulars (since about early 2004), they are Israeli and originally said they were buying cars to send back to family overseas. Now they run a legit-looking used auto lot where they sell most of the cars they win.

Just some interesting things that came to my mind when I read that post.

American cars stand out in Iraqi traffic. Most of the cars are Opels, Mercedes, BMWs, KIAs, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Nissans.

The "bragging" car is a Crown Victoria, with anything Buick coming in second. The big SUVs---Suburbans, Expeditions, Explorers---stand out like a sore thumb. They are immediately recognised as either contractor, or hajji, by coalition forces. If hajji, all guns will swing onto it, and follow it very carefully.

On a side note, I am always amazed from traveling abroad to relatively poor countries, the number of Mercedes on the streets are astounding. There are a good deal of new ones, but those people sure do love their old model Mercedes. It cracks me up, there are more Mercedes in poor countries than in the US.

[edit on 5-10-2005 by WestPoint23]

Originally posted by WestPoint23
There are a good deal of new ones, but those people sure do love their old model Mercedes. It cracks me up, there are more Mercedes in poor countries than in the US.

In the town I used to live in, all of the taxis were Mercedes. I asked a driver about it once and he said it was because they just go on and on. Some of them had more than 200,000 miles on them and still ran without a peep. I would assume that's why they're used in poorer countries aswell.

As for the US cars being used in car bombs, wasn't there supposed to be a lucrative market in importing american goods to iraq sprang up after the invasion? I heard that having an american car or american clothes was seen as something of a status symbol. Could it be that someone is stealing cars for export which are then being 're-stolen' in Iraq?

YYYYYYYUP !


heard about it.


But wait, there's more!

Originally posted by Army
The "bragging" car is a Crown Victoria

Man, somone needs to import some cadillacs and lincolns over there!

Does anyone know when they leave the US how they get to Iraq? i.e. ports of entry etc?

From the Article:

...there was evidence they were smuggled out of the US by organised criminal networks that included terrorists and insurgents.

Did the Author mean the CIA by that Definition?



Seriously,
I have read a News Article on the web few months ago (but I can't Find it anymore...) about two guys that made a Remotly Guided Cars, packed with Electronic Equipment, such as GPS, a couple of Computers for Guidance and the Car is fully manned by a Controller Far Away. Well, just fill it with Explosives, put a Dummy on the Frontseat and you have yourself a "Suicide Car Bomber".

Technology is Great isn't it?

"whoever say that the terrorists are that stupid. never underestimate their abilitary to adapt and kill."


So you are saying, they are able to get into the US undetected, steal a car, and get a stolen car across american customs, which is hard enough, and then get it across into Iraq, which is a warzone, and has even more US customs.

All this trouble, but they aren't smart enough to blow something up in america while they are there?????

Think man, think!