TERRORISM: Unconfirmed report of Zarqawi capture

Accused terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been rumored to have been captured following a raid east of the city of Baghdad. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is among the coalitions most wanted men and is believed responsible for numerous beheadings and terrorist acts. Earlier the daily al-Sabah has indicated that an important terrorist had been captured in the Iraqi city of Diali during large scale security raids being conducted by Iraqi police. As of this report there have been no official confirmation of the report or if anyone was captured as a result of the raids.




This may turn out be just another rumor. The leaders of the terrorist group have been very difficult to track down. No doubt they follow elaborate security arrangements and have a loyal following as well. It is unclear if the capture of al-Zarqawi will slow the pace of attack ahead of the January Iraqi elections. No doubt it will help long term, but these terrorists and their groups have shown a remarkable ability to continue attacks even if their leadership is captured. I want to emphasize that this is a developing, unconfirmed story.


Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Zarqawi Associate nabbed in Minnesota
More Rumors of Zarqawi Capture
Zarqawi Issues New Threat to Iraqi PM

[edit on 5-1-2005 by Banshee]

the other thread on Zarqawi reported him captured in Buquaba, now its Diali. Just going to have to wait for an official report to come from the Pentagon or over in Iraq about this. There will be an official statement made within the next 4-24 hrs about this.

Zarqawi's goal in Iraq was revealed long ago in his intercepted letter to bin Laden. Zarqawi would like to plunge Iraq into a civil war. Civil war with the US stuck in the middle would provide al Qaeda and the jihadists exactly the breeding ground they are looking for no that Afghanistan has been taken from them.

Zarqawi's capture would be good news. I doubt that it would stop the operations of his al Qaeda in Iraq group. In the long run it will be beneficial to Iraq, but in the short term, leading up to the election, it would be an exteremly bad thing as the members of his group lash out.

If this is the time when he is finally captured, I would expect the government to withhold the information for as long as possible to try and maintain any semblance of stability in Iraq before their elections on the 30th.

Could this have something to do about it?

Key leader of al-Zarqawi network captured in Baghdad

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Multi-National Forces recently captured a senior member of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist network in northern Baghdad, according to a statement released Friday by Iraq's government.

Fadil Hussain Ahmed al-Kurdi, 26, was responsible for "facilitating communications between al Qaeda and the al-Zarqawi terror networks as well as coordinating the movement of terrorists in and out of Iraq," according to the statement.

Al-Kurdi -- an Iraqi Kurd also known as Abu Ubaydah al-Kurdi, or "Ridha," -- was picked up along with two others during a raid on a terrorist safe house, thanks to information from "courageous Iraqi citizens," the government said.

Talked?

A hebrew radio station said there have been no official reports about the arrest of Al-Zarqawi.

But they said the seizure of Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi has been reported by Iraqi Kurdistan radio, which at one time had been the first to announce the arrest of Saddam Hussein.

[edit on 4-1-2005 by Riwka]

I Just heard on Coast to Coast AM that the US is denying reports of his arrest.

You have to wonder if this is part of some false flag operation. Shake the bushes and see what flies out. He is at his most vulnerable when he is on the move.

Why would a Kurd be fighting for Zarqawi?

The Kurds have the most to gain out of a stable Iraq

Interesting read to add to the Zarqawi story:

The Legend of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi