Leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq Arrested in Mosul
Quote:
BAGHDAD — The leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, was arrested in the northern city of Mosul, the Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman said Thursday.
Spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said the arrest of al-Masri, also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, was confirmed to him by the Iraqi commander of the province. There was no immediate confirmation or comment from U.S. forces on the arrest.
The U.S. military in Baghdad said "we are currently checking with Iraqi authorities to confirm the accuracy of this information."
Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said that Mosul police "arrested one of Al Qaeda's leaders at midnight and during the primary investigations he admitted that he is Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir."
News of the arrest was also reported by Iraqi state television and Arab satellite TV stations.
The state channel, Iraqiya, said that Minister of Interior Jawad al-Bolani would reward Mosul police for the capture.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khalaf told the station by phone that a source close to the al-Qaida leader informed Mosul police that al-Masri would be at a house in the city's Wadi Hajar area at midnight Wednesday.
"The police raided this house and arrested him. During the primary investigation, he confessed that he is Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. Now a broader investigation of him is being conducted," he said to Iraqiya.
If confirmed, the arrest would represent a major blow to Al Qaeda in Iraq, which has been on the run for the past year following a shift in alliances by Sunni tribesmen in western Anbar province, and elsewhere, and an influx of thousands of U.S. troops.
The U.S. military considers the organization its number one enemy in Iraq.
"The commander of Ninevah military operations informed me that Iraqi troops captured Abu Hamza al-Muhajir the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq," al-Askari told The Associated Press by telephone.
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Good news indeed...
And may I point out that, unlike 99% of captured terrorists, this guy KNOWS things...he has financial information, weapons information, organizational information, names of commanders, and a I few other things...
This guy is a PRIME candidate to be waterboarded...
NOT for revenge...NOT for punishment...NOT to SEE if he knows things...
Strictly due to the fact that we KNOW he knows things which will ultimately save American lives...
05-08-2008, 05:51 PM
Leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq Arrested in Mosul
And from what most of the experts say it doesn't provide good info. But don't worry. I am sure they'll get what they need. This POTUS has people so confused as to what he might do the guy is probably blabbing his head off so to speak.
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