Abu Musab al-Zarqawi reportedly arrested in Iraq

ITAR-TASS ^ | 01/04/05

[TexKat]

DUBAI, January 4 (Itar-Tass) - Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, whom the US occupation authorities declared to be the "target number one" in Iraq, has been arrested in the city of Baakuba, the Emirate newspaper al-Bayane reported on Tuesday referring to Kurdish sources. Al-Zarqawi, leader of the terrorist group Al-Tawhid Wa'al-Jihad, was recently appointed the director of the Al-Qaeda organisation in Iraq.

The newspaper's correspondent in Baghdad points out that a report on the seizure of the terrorist, on whom the US put a bounty of 10 million dollars, was also reported by Iraqi Kurdistan radio, which at one time had been the first to announce the arrest of Saddam Hussein.

There have been no official reports about the arrest of the terrorist. Al-Zarqawi, 38, a Jordanian, whose real name is Ahmad al-Khalayleh, aims to turn Iraq into a "new Afghanistan". According to Arab press data, Al-Tawhid Wa'al-Jihad group has divided Iraq into several emirates. The group's independent subdivisions at a strength of 50 to 500 militants operate in the cities of Al-Falluja, Al-Qaim, Diala, and Samarra.

The personnel of the group is on the whole 1,500-strong and includes Iraqis and citizens of Arab and Islamic countries. There are demolition experts and missilemen among them.

The group has depots of weapons and explosives in various parts of the country. It intends to frustrate the upcoming parliamentary elections that are scheduled for the end of this month. Al-Tawhid Wa'al-Jihad threatens to do away with Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and members of the interim government.

[expatguy]

Got Al Jazeera on here and calling a friend at Russian Embassy now. 2:19 PM here.

[Dinsdale]

IF this is true the only sources that will have it for the first few days will be mostly interested in warning his confederates.

[InfraRed]

We know that a key leader of his network was captured on December 31, so this is not exactly implausible.

Precisely. Per CNN...

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.

A bin Laden capture may not be far behind...

[Howlin]

Is this true?

What do you mean, no way I am in bed yet? LOL

[ProudVet77]

I think what you are seeing is that Google can't keep all their servers with the same content. I've tried it on a 32 server webfarm and it was tough enough, I suspect they have close to 500 servers. Each time you refresh the google news search you go to a different server at their end so you get different results sometimes.
However, your observation of the 31 Dec date is interesting, I've seen it too. But I've also seen wrong timestamps on Google before.

[Salvation]

My mistake -- it was on the bloggers forum.

[bonfire]

You were pinged and you didn't get here until now!! Sheesh, do you have a LIFE or something???? :)

[Howlin]

Tell me! What do you think?

[MJY1288]

NOPE, Osama bin Laden has become the Muslim version of the "Wizard of Oz"....... A Wuss hiding behind a curtain

[MJY1288]

Hopefully in a bodybag

[Howlin]

I was cleaning out my COOKIES!

[Salvation]

LOL!

[thoughtomator]

Or "self-inflicted" blunt force trauma.

[andie74]

If that al-Kurdi character sings, then both captures might indeed be imminent. It was my thinking as well.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Hard to find any better news these days. I sure hope they have him in custody and not someone else. Let the interrogation begin.

[Charles Henrickson]

"Off with his head! OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!!"

[danamco]

I wish the confirmation was from something other than TASS but hey, they've got to be more accurate than Dan Rather.



Danny is in Indonesia trying to repair his rotten legacy!!!

[bonfire]

"I was cleaning out my COOKIES!"


Now you've made me hungry.............

[mazack]

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=37548

Found another source, maybe it is true!