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Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/09/AR2008090901662.html
Petraeus: Al-Qaeda Aims to Keep a Foothold in Iraq
[Washington Post] Ernesto Londono and Amit R. Paley - Iraq remains "the central front" for al-Qaeda and other extremist organizations, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the departing commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, said in an interview Tuesday. He said al-Qaeda leaders remain keenly interested in keeping a foothold in Iraq because of its oil wealth and proximity to Gulf states where they have been shunned in recent years. He said that al-Qaeda in Iraq, a largely homegrown organization that U.S. officials believe is led by Arabs from other countries, had been severely weakened but could regain strength. He said recent intelligence reports suggest that Iranian-backed Shiite fighters who left the country in recent months to avoid a military confrontation with U.S. and Iraqi forces are considering returning to Iraq.