Feb 15 2007

Al Qaeda Leader In Iraq Captured!

Published by at 11:45 pm under All General Discussions,Iraq

Wonder if the Dems will be demanding we release the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq as part of their surrender plans – now that we apparently wounded him.

THE leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, has been wounded by Iraqi troops in a clash north of Baghdad, Arab television stations quoted the Iraqi Interior Ministry as saying today.
A ministry spokesman, quoted in a report by Iraq’s state-run channel Al Iraqiya said Masri had escaped after troops stormed a base in Balad district.

“The spokesman did not say how the injured man was identified to be Abu Ayyub al-Masri,” Al Jazeera television said in a separate report.

The stations quoted the spokesman as saying an aide of Masri had been killed in the clash. Masri “fled in fright”, Al Iraqiya quoted him as saying.

A US military spokesman in Baghdad said he had no information on the reports.

It has been less than a week since coalition forces nabbed another aide to the al Qaeda leader, which not surprisingly helped zoom in on the man’s whereabouts. The noose is tightening, and no calls for retreat by the Democrats will save this man from justice.

4 responses so far

4 Responses to “Al Qaeda Leader In Iraq Captured!”

  1. lurker9876 says:
    February 16, 2007 at 8:09 am

    Let’s wait until this is confirmed. PJM just reported that Al-Masri is still at large.

  2. MerlinOS2 says:
    February 16, 2007 at 8:59 am

    Lurker

    I am with you on the caution. I am just starting my morning reading but I have not picked up a definitive capture scenario at this point.

    I would have to imagine if it were the case it would be more strongly presented. There would be little reason to do otherwise.

    If the sources I read are correct, this was an Iraqi police confrontation, non even an army defense force.

    I would gather from that the likelihood of a less than successful outcome of the confrontation could be the end result.

  3. MerlinOS2 says:
    February 16, 2007 at 9:05 am

    Now I am getting mixed signals. Some stories say Iraqi police some say their military.

    I will await further developments as they unfold.

  4. Soothsayer says:
    February 16, 2007 at 10:19 am

    Once again, its hard to tell just how accurate or inaccurate AJ’s posting may be:

    The U.S. military on Friday cast doubt on a report from the Iraqi government that al Qaeda in Iraq chief Abu Ayyub al-Masri was wounded in clashes with police.

    A senior U.S. official, who requested anonymity, told CNN that the U.S. military believes reports about the alleged incident Thursday are false.

    These reports mark the second time in six months that questions surrounding al-Masri’s status have surfaced. In October, the U.S. military reported the leader was dead, but later retracted the statement when it turned out to be false.