Iraqi Security Forces: al-Qaeda leader detained (The leader of the Islamic State in Iraq Captured)

DPA ^ | 4 March 2007

[jmc1969]

A suspected leader of the group Islamic State in Iraq, which has ties to the al-Qaeda terrorist network, was detained in northern Iraq on Sunday, Iraqi security forces reported. Muharib Mohammed Abdullah, aka Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, was arrested in a joint raid by Iraqi and US soldiers in the city of Duluiya.

"This is a great success for the Iraqi security forces, comparable to the killing of Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi," the Salaheddin provincial administration in the town of Tikrit said in a statement.

Abdullah is a former legal expert from the city of Balad, north of Baghdad.

The Islamic State in Iraq organization claimed responsibility Saturday for the murder of 18 policemen.

Al-Zarqawi, the former leader of the al-Qaeda terrorist network in Iraq, was killed in the summer of 2006 by a US airstrike.

[jrooney]

The article does not expressly state it, but is this the terrorist leader that replaced Zarqawi? If so, this is huge.

[jmc1969]

For those that haven't paid attention to Iraq. The Islamic State in Iraq is the main coalition of al-Qaeda and Saddamists insurgent groups that al-Qaeda created last year. They announced that all of Western Iraq was in their control and they made Baghdadi leader of the Islamic State of Iraq as they called it.

This was an extremely big fish, in some ways bigger then Masri.

[jrooney]

Thanks for clarifying that. Great post BTW.

[jmc1969]

Read post 3

Baghdadi was above al-Masri the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. Baghdadi was the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq which is a coalition of insurgent groups including al-Qaeda, the Islamic Army in Iraq, Ansar al-Sunna, and dozens of other smaller Islamic Extremist groups.

[jmc1969]

Sorry, I posted too soon.

[carolinalivin]

highly bumpable

[jrooney]

I did, thanks. This is awesome! God bless our brave troops and the Iraqi's that are fighting for their freedom.

[csvset]

I hope he squeals like a pig and spills everything he knows.

May JDAMs and Hellfires rain down on his followers.

[jmc1969]

Ping

[bobby.223]

tie his terrorist ass to a tree and take a blow torch to 'em. he WILL squeal.

[Cap Huff]

I hope this gets confirmed. And a capture may lead to many more.

[jmc1969]

This would certainly be a huge blow to the insurgency.

---

A Battle to Succeed Zarqawi

There is Abu Abdullah Rasheed al Bagdadi. In March 2006, Zarqawi established the Shura Council of Mujahedeen in Iraq to oversee the operations of different groups. The move was in reaction to pressure to put an Iraqi face on the insurgency. ("Al Baghdadi" implies he is from Baghdad.) At the beginning, five groups were represented on the council, including Al Qaeda in Iraq. The number of groups has expanded to nine, says Abu Bara. The groups are all Islamic hardline fundamentalist fighters with names like Brigade of Abu Bakr the Salafi and Battalion of the Foreigners. At the time it was formed, Zarqawi named Abu Abdullah Rasheed al Baghdadi (who had until then been known as Abu Hamza al Baghdadi) to head the council, technically putting al Baghdadi in a rank above Zarqawi. This could mean that the new head of Al-Qaeda in Iraq may be expected to defer to the head of the council on strategic goals, setting the two on a potential collision course for power and influence.

The death of Zarqawi, says Al-Qaeda in Iraq commander Abu Bara, will not change the role of the "Arab" (non-Iraqi) fighters in what remains of Zarqawi's group. "The organization is not ready to give up on the Arab mujhideen whatever the cause," he says. Also, says Abu Bara, the financing from other Arab states will continue to come in for Al-Qaeda in Iraq because, though Zarqawi was the head of the organization, he was not in charge of the finances. That fundraising mechanism, therefore, continues to function. On Saturday, many Islamic resistance websites posted a condolence letter about the death of Zarqawi from the Shura Council of Mujahedeen in Iraq. The bottom of the letter was signed: Abu Abdullah Rasheed al Baghdadi.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1203202,00.html

[GSlob]

To what extent was he a titular head, vs. the functional one?

[navyguy]

This is roughly the equivalent of capturing the leader of the Viet Cong in 'Nam. Its a very important score for us.

Therefore the media will ignore it.

On the upside, we get to see what his pain threshold is.

[petercooper]

bttt

[Jet Jaguar]

BTTT

[jmc1969]

He was certainly the symbolic head Zarqawi and later al-Masri wanted people to see for the insurgency. As for his actual operational power, it was certainly vast, but at the end of the day I think operationally Zarqawi and al Masri were calling the shots.

But, in this war symbolism and PR is just as important as anything else. Getting the President of the Islamic State of Iraq at this point in time would totally discredit the organization and could lead to it breaking up.

[traderrob6]

This is a big deal. Can't seem to locate a photo of this guy though.

[jmc1969]

The US military has the picture, I am not sure if they released it or not to the press.