Posted on 06/06/2005 4:39:03 PM PDT by WmShirerAdmirer
Updated: 2005-05-26 20:56
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The interior minister said Thursday his office believes insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was wounded, while an Internet statement claimed that Iraq's most feared terrorist group had appointed a deputy to fill in for the Jordanian.
Authorities also announced a new security operation to put a "strong and safe cordon around Baghdad." At least 10 Iraqis died in violence nationwide, including a child.
The latest statements concerning al-Zarqawi follow recent rumors and claims he had been wounded, possibly by a bullet in the lung, or perhaps even had died.
Interior Minister Bayan Jabr told reporters he has information that al-Zarqawi was, indeed, wounded, but that he wasn't sure how seriously.
"We are not sure whether he is dead or not, but we are sure that he is injured," Jabr said.
An Internet statement claimed the al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist group had appointed a temporary replacement for al-Zarqawi. The statement was quickly denied in another Web site claim that disputed Abu Hafs al-Gerni had taken over.
The authenticity of either Internet statement could not be verified, although the second ¡ª denying any deputy had been appointed ¡ª was posted in the name of the person who usually handles the group's Web site claims and announcements.
Wednesday's first statement identified al-Gerni as "deputy of the holy warriors," saying he was "known for carrying out the hardest operations, and our sheik would choose him and his group for the tough operations."
But the Web site statement signed in the name of al-Qaida in Iraq's so-called spokesman, Abu Maysara al-Iraqi, denied the group had appointed al-Gerni "or anyone by any other name."
Experts on Islamic militants told The Associated Press that al-Gerni is a Saudi who has been al-Zarqawi's military adviser and is the emir, or prince ¡ª as senior commanders are called ¡ª of the military committee of al-Qaida in Iraq.
Meanwhile, Jabr and Defense Minister Saadoun al-Duleimi also announced what they said was a security operation aimed at shifting the government position from defensive to offensive.
"Next week, we will have a strong and safe cordon around Baghdad like a bracelet that surrounds the hand. We will not allow anyone to cross this cordon," al-Duleimi said.
A car bomb exploded near an Iraqi police patrol at about 7:45 a.m. in northern Baghdad, killing five people ¡ª three officers and two other Iraqis ¡ª and wounding 17, according to police Lt. Haider Hussein and medic Naseer Hashim of Baghdad's Nour Hospital.
Separately, gunmen in a speeding car fired automatic weapons at a group of people walking to work in Baghdad's southern Risala neighborhood, killing four Iraqis, including a translator working for the U.S. military, said police Lt. Hussam Noori.
Iraqi security forces and Iraqis working with coalition forces have been repeatedly attacked by insurgents determined to bring down the country's U.S.-backed government.
More than 1,000 U.S. troops continued a sweep through Haditha, 140 miles northwest of Baghdad in the troubled Anbar province, for insurgents responsible for multiple attacks against coalition troops.
U.S. forces have killed at least 10 suspected militants, while one Marine died from wounds sustained while entering Haditha during Operation New Market's first few hours on Wednesday, the military announced.
A child was killed when a mortar landed on his family home Wednesday, the military added.
The offensive, the second on a road to Damascus in less than a month, was aimed at uprooting insurgents who have killed more than 620 people since a new Iraqi government was announced April 28.
Another Iraqi child was killed Thursday during clashes between U.S. forces and insurgents in northern city of Tal Afar, 93 miles east of the Syrian border.
Tal Afar has been the scene of clashes since two explosions late Monday killed at least 20 people. Iraqi security forces closed access to the town and residents have said U.S. forces backed by helicopters have since been clashing with insurgents.
Salih Haider Qado, director of Tal Afar hospital, said two children ¡ª one about a month old and another about a year old ¡ª were killed in fighting Wednesday, while four civilians were wounded.
It was unclear if the two incidents were related.
Last year, a nearly two-week siege of Tal Afar by U.S.-led forces targeted foreign fighters holed up in the city, which is astride a smuggling route to Syria.
Mosul police Brig. Saed Ahmed said six militants were also killed, 20 injured and 26 suspected insurgents arrested when militants clashed with U.S. and Iraqi troops Wednesday in the northern city.
ANOTHER PERTINENT ARTICLE, WHICH MAY HAVE NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY PULBISHED
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=8.0.171677412&par=0
IRAQ: AL ZARQAWI'S FAMILY SAID TO BE PREPARING EPITAPH Amman, 27 May (AKI) - The family of injured Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi - al-Qaeda's pointman in Iraq - is already preparing his obituary, the Saudi daily al-Watan said on Friday, quoting sources close to the family. Al-Zarqawi's close relatives, all of whom live in the Jordanian city of Zarqa, are reported to be in state of high tension over the conflicting reports circulating over his state of health, and are only waiting for officials to confirm his death before releasing the death notice.Jordanian security forces have surrounded the Ramzi quarter of Zarqa where al-Zarqawi's family lives, al-Watan said. Relatives have confirmed that al-Zarqawi's wife and four children fled to Iraq in secret six months ago.
On Thursday, Iraq's defence minister confirmed that al-Zarqawi had been injured, but would reveal no further details. This followed a message on Tuesday, which al-Qaeda posted to a website often used by the terror network, calling on Muslims to pray for al-Zarqawi, and saying he had fled to a neightbouring country after his injuries to his right lung.
Al-Zarqawi's group, Tawhid and Jihad, has been behind many of the deadliest bombing and hostage slayings - including decapitations - since the fall of Saddam Hussein two years ago. The US is offering a 25-milion dollar reward for his capture.
(Ham/Ajd/Aki)
27-May-05 14:08
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-05/26/content_446046.htm
Mystery mounts over fate of al-Zarqawi (Agencies)China Daily Updated: 2005-05-26 19:51
The Internet and Baghdad streets are teeming with statements about terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. One says he's being treated outside Iraq for gunshot wounds to the lung. Another calls on Muslims to pray for him, indicating his condition may be dire.
Only one thing is sure none is confirmed.
The latest furor over al-Zarqawi began Tuesday when an Internet statement called on Muslims to pray for his life, followed by competing statements on his health and whereabouts.
The mystery deepened Wednesday after reports that two Arab doctors in another country were treating al-Zarqawi, chief of al-Qaida in Iraq and wanted for some of the deadliest attacks in the country.
None of the Internet postings and rumors have been confirmed, but the amount of speculation about the Jordanian-born militant is unusual both in size and scope.
``It makes me wonder if al-Zarqawi's injury is severe enough that they are afraid to lie about it, and are instead just trying to minimalize the impact,'' said Washington-based counterterrorism expert Evan Kohlmann. ``In other words, they 'steal the thunder' from the Western media ... a crude form of defusing a potential public relations disaster.''
It also could be a ploy to make al-Zarqawi more popular among Islamic zealots who follow him and his mentor, Osama bin Laden.
A return to the battlefield after being injured by US forces could make al-Zarqawi look like ``superman,'' Gen. Wafiq al-Samarie, the Iraqi presidential adviser for security affairs, speculated on Al-Jazeera TV.
The attention focused on his reputed injury indicates how crucial al-Zarqawi has become to Iraq's insurgency. He initially was regarded as a bin Laden rival until the al-Qaida leader anointed him his representative in Iraq last year.
Al-Zarqawi, who carries a $25 million (euro20 million) bounty like bin Laden, is believed to have personally executed foreign hostages and has shown no compunction in killing Muslims who don't adhere to his hard-line interpretation of Islam. He also encourages bloody attacks against anyone deemed a US collaborator.
Speculation over his condition heightened when an Internet statement said two Arab doctors in another country were treating him. After being posted on another Web site, it was denounced as being unauthorized and false.
The statement from someone identified only as al-Khalidi said the information came from ``brothers close to the holy warriors in Iraq.''
At the United Nations, Syria's Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad denied any Syrian involvement with al-Zarqawi.
``These are silly rumor made by enemies of Syria _ those who want to distort the image of Syria and its efforts to eliminate international terrorism,'' Mekdad said. ``This is meant to damage also the relations between Syria and Iraq, and the contribution of Syria to the Iraqi struggle against dictatorship.''
The spokesman for Iraq's largest Shiite political group said it had unconfirmed information that al-Zarqawi was dead.
``He was killed in western Iraq,'' said Haitham al-Husseini, an aide to Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. ``But we need more time to be able to confirm.''
Hani el-Sibaie, who runs a London-based Islamic affairs research center, said calls to pray for al-Zarqawi meant he was seriously ill. ``It is obvious that he is dying and his days are numbered,'' he said from London.
Recent US and Iraqi raids on hospitals in Baghdad and Ramadi, west of the capital, have fueled the rumors.
Marine Col. Stephen Davis, who is commanding an anti-insurgent offensive in the western Iraqi city of Haditha, told CNN that if reports al-Zarqawi was wounded or possibly dead were true, ``it probably will have some impact, although I suspect that impact may be shorter term.''
So me the body.
Send Zarkie a "blow-me-up" bouquet!
I hope he was gut shot and is getting septic right about now. He deserves every bit of pain coming his way before he goes to H*ll.
One more guy who knew Zarqawi in his younger days weighs in;
Zarqawi 'could be dying'
25/05/2005 13:11 - (SA) http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1710752,00.html
Cairo - An Egyptian militant living in London said he believes a statement purportedly from al-Qaeda saying that Iraq's top terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was injured is credible, according to reports on Wednesday in two London-based Pan-Arab dailies.
Hani Sebai, director of the Maqreze Islamic Centre in London, told al-Hayat newspaper that he believed the statement posted Tuesday on a website sympathetic to al-Qaeda to be "true and it resembles an obituary". He added that it could mean that "Zarqawi was martyred or is in the throes of death."
Sebai made similar remarks to Asharq al-Awsat, which also reported that Islamist websites are busy with people posting messages wishing the Jordanian who leads al-Qaeda operations in Iraq a swift recovery.
United States forces in Iraq have not confirmed or denied the reports of Zarqawi's injury. They did surround and search a hospital in Ramadi, 110km west of Baghdad, in mid-May following rumours that he had been treated there.
The US has put a $25m reward on Zarqawi's head. - Sapa-dpa
Again?!
I'm getting so I watch the Chicom news more---they are taking a lot more interest in following middle east events in recent months and frequently have more detail on stories the USMSM barely covers, if at all. I give Dish channel 265 (CCTV9 on the web) a look every day.
How many times can this clown die?
If Zarqawi was wounded it was probably only very slightly and this has all been a rouse to help grow his legend (or more than likely to simply try and throw off forces hunting him).
The fact is we may have to seriously start thinking about using some ugly tactics to get Zarqawi (along with UBL) and that is going after "family" until someone turns this guys over! - Obviously these would be undiscussed / black type Ops but the time for these actions has long since passed and should be seriously considered.
That UBL remains free is growing incredibly frustrating and to a point sickening.
He's dead, he's wounded, dead, wounded, dead, wounded....this is getting silly.
Last week he was dead. I guess he got better.
Oh! He's alive again, last night he died again.
China Times ?
Zarkie probably took lessons from Wiley Coyote. Now we need to make sure his packages from Acme arrive in a timely fashion, then he will be an annoyance rather than a threat.
Just one more thing we can add to the list of Religion of Peace contributions to the world. Remember, we are the civilized ones.
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