Al-Qaeda's man in Iraq still an enigma

IRAQ WARS

Pentagon can't confirm arrest of Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader
The Pentagon on Thursday was unable to confirm reports of the capture of the head of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, a spokesman said. "I can't confirm it at this point, we are still trying to confirm it," said US Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman, noting that past reports of Al-Qaeda leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi's capture have proven erroneous. "This would be a significant capture if the report is true," Whitman said. Baghdad's security spokesman Major General Qassim Atta told AFP Thursday that Baghdadi was arrested by Iraqi forces thanks to "an intelligence tipoff." Baghdadi is said to be the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, a self-styled umbrella organization for Al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgent groups fighting US and Iraqi forces that has pledged loyalty to Osama bin Laden. But the Pentagon has said in the past that the fronting of Baghdadi as the leader of Iraq's Al-Qaeda operation is part of an elaborate ruse to put an Iraqi face on an organization that has always been led by foreign fighters. The US military maintains that the real leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq is Abu Hamza al-Muhajir -- better known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri -- a veteran Egyptian militant named Al-Qaeda chief in June 2006 following the death of his better-known Jordanian predecessor Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a US air raid. Even so, Whitman said, Baghdadi's capture, if true, would be "very good news." "We think this is a significant Al-Qaeda leader and if the report is true that would be very good news," he said. "Baghdadi has been believed to be a key leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq for some time," the spokesman said.

by Staff Writers
Baghdad (AFP) April 23, 2009
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the supposed leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq now said to be in Baghdad's custody, is a figure so shadowy that many, including the US military, have doubted he even exists.

"According to our intelligence he is Abu Omar al-Baghdadi," Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said about the man arrested in the capital on Thursday and identified by the army as the head of Osama bin Laden's Iraq franchise.

"But we have to check very carefully because there have been a lot of Abu Omar al-Baghdadis," he added of several past claims of Baghdadi's arrest or untimely demise.

There are no known pictures of the elusive Iraqi jihadist and the US military has in the past said he was a fictional character created to put an Iraqi face on a group that has always been led by foreigners.

But Baghdad security spokesman Qassim Atta said Thursday that Baghdadi had been arrested by Iraqi security forces acting on a tipoff and would be revealed to the world on television after his interrogation.

The announcement came as bombings in Baghdad and the Diyala province killed more than 70 people on the deadliest day in Iraq in 14 months, a brutal indication that the arrest had not slowed the violence plaguing the country.

Within the virtual world of extremist Internet propaganda, Baghdadi is the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella organisation for Al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgent groups fighting US and Iraqi forces.

Dabbagh told AFP Baghdadi's real name is Ahmed Abed Ahmed and that he is a 40-year-old former Iraqi army officer.

US Defence Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said that while the Pentagon had not yet confirmed whether Baghdadi had been captured, his arrest would be significant.

"We think this is a significant Al-Qaeda leader and if the report is true that would be very good news," he said. "Baghdadi has been believed to be a key leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq for some time."

But American commanders had previously said he was a "cyber invention," and in July 2007 a US military spokesman said the voice on audiotapes released in Baghdadi's name was provided by an actor.

Baghdadi's name first came to the fore in October 2006, when Al-Qaeda announced in an Internet statement the founding of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq, a virtual caliphate which was supposed to unite Sunni insurgents.

On the model of Afghanistan's former Taliban regime, the group would be led by an Emir al-Muminin or "Commander of the Faithful," and the appointment went to a person called Abu Omar al-Baghdadi -- "Omar's Father from Baghdad".

Previously, he had been said to run the legal department of another supposed insurgent coalition, empowered to issue fatwas or rulings based on Islamic Sharia law deciding, for example, the fate of Al-Qaeda hostages.

In May 2007, Iraqi officials declared that Baghdadi had been killed, but their US allies soon stole the thunder, revealing that the dead man was only the Islamic State's "information minister," Muharib Abdelatif al-Juburi.

For US commanders, the real leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq is Abu Hamza al-Muhajir -- better known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri or "Ayyub's Father the Egyptian" -- who is "minister of war" in the self-styled caliphate.

He was said to have replaced the Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was slain in a US air raid in June 2006.

Since Baghdadi took over his so-called caliphate, several audio tapes have been issued in his name and he has been addressed as the leader of Al-Qaeda's Iraqi operation by Osama bin Laden himself.

Most outside experts agree with the Americans that Mujahir is still the leading Al-Qaeda figure in Iraq, but the Baghdadi mystery continues.

"Abu Omar exists physically, and is without a doubt an Iraqi," said Middle East expert Jean-Pierre Filiu from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris.

"But his identity means very little, as his anonymity helps protect him and boost his presence in cyberspace. The power within Al-Qaeda in Iraq is in the hands of non-Iraqis."

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us Digg Reddit

YahooMyWeb Google Facebook

Related Links
Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

IRAQ WARS

US Senate confirms Hill as Iraq ambassador

Washington (AFP) April 21, 2009
The US Senate on Tuesday easily confirmed veteran diplomat Christopher Hill to be ambassador to Baghdad after weeks of bitter debate over his handling of the six-country nuclear talks with North Korea.

SUPERPOWERS Fourth-Generation War Rots The State From Within: Part Four China parades naval might Global Grudge Match: Obama Versus Osama Japan PM's war shrine offering angers China	NUKEWARS UN slaps sanctions on NKorean firms over missile NKorea won't return to nuke talks yet: Russian minister US, Russia begin talks on new START treaty Russia prepared to 'significantly' cut nuclear arsenal: general
MISSILE NEWS Japan products found on NKorea missile kit vessel: report USAF Awards Raytheon Contract For Laser-Guided Maverick Missile Raytheon Standard Missile-2 Destroys Target Indian tests cruise missile: official	MISSILE DEFENSE Missile Defense Proponents Change The Debate Part Two Russia accuses US on missile shield BMD Strategies: Multilayered Ballistic Missile Defense Systems Part 2 and 3 Israel wants to buy US rocket intercept system
AEROSPACE Air China says yet to receive state aid despite request Virgin to report greenhouse gases to Climate Registry As revenue drops, Cathay asks staff to take leave China Eastern Airlines reports huge loss in 2008	UAV NEWS Boeing Demonstrates Command And Control Of ScanEagle From Wedgetail Raven UAS Achieves 30-Hour Persistent Surveillance Russia Defense Watch: UAVs from Israel Pakistan highlights 'gap' with US over drone attacks
IRAQ WARS A new idea for Baghdad security: anti-terrorist trees It will take Iraq time to put down extremists: Petraeus Iraq says Qaeda boss captured as dozens killed Al-Qaeda's man in Iraq still an enigma	MILTECH Seven nations still shunning chemical weapons pact Pentagon agency at source of harsh interrogation techniques: probe PDR Validates Maturity Of Future Combat Systems Common Controller Northrop Grumman Upgrades Ship Navigation Radars With Enhanced Naval Display Features

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement