Bush: Bin Laden Aide Is Caught in Iraq

AP ^ | NADIA ABOU EL-MAGD, Associated Press Writer

[Flightdeck]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The minister in charge of Iraqi police said Monday that al-Qaida was probably behind some suicide bombings in Iraq (news - web sites), and President Bush (news - web sites) praised the capture of a senior member of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s network.

"There is a presence of al-Qaida in this country. We've announced that directly and indirectly," Interior Minister Nouri Badran said.

"A lot of the suicide attacks have the fingerprints of the crimes committed by al-Qaida," he added. Asked if al-Qaida is operating in Iraq, he said: "Yes, it is."

But he provided no evidence to back his claim. There was no immediate comment from U.S. military commanders.

During a visit to Little Rock, Ark., on Monday, Bush said Hassan Ghul was captured in Iraq last week.

"He was a killer. He was moving money and messages around South Asia and the Middle East to other al-Qaida leaders. He was a part of this network of haters that we're dismantling," Bush said.

Iraq has witnessed a number of devastating suicide vehicle attacks since the ouster of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime in April - attacks aimed at both coalition forces and their Iraqi allies.

A few non-Iraqi Arab and foreign fighters have been detained or killed in Iraq since the fall of Baghdad, but coalition forces have been reluctant to clearly say if they were part of or directly linked to al-Qaida.

[You Dirty Rats]

But -- But -- But there's no link between Al Qaida and Iraq! The 'Rats said so!

[bmwcyle]

A story for libs to ignore.

[sociotard]

Sweeeeeeeeeeet.

But wait, thats impossible! Iraq never harbored terrorists.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

AP has the news!

[george wythe]

Al-Qaeda figures moving to Iraq is a good development. It's like putting sugar at the bottom of the kitchen sink, waiting for all the ants to congregate, and then flushing them down the drain.

The al-Qaeda losers go to Iraq to fight Americans, but they will end up at either Gitmo or paradise with 72 hairy bubbas.

[mcg1969]

Clark: Damnit, how are we supposed to be focusing our efforts hunting down and dismantling the Al Qaeda network if we're expending our resources catching Al Qaeda operatives in Iraq?

[ArGee]

Howard Dean announced today that the story of the arrested Al Queida leader in Iraq was a phony staged by the White House to help John Kerry upset Dean in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary. Speaking directly with reporters, Dean said, "They guy they arrested was a photographer taking pictures of the desert through a red lense filter to trick the American People into thinking that they were from Mars. George W. Bush hasn't done a thing in Iraq to help America or anybody else AIIGGGGHHHHAAAUUUUGGGAAAAHHHHHH!"

Shalom.

[Russ]

"he provided no evidence to back his claim"

Oh, so the capture of an aide to Bin Laden doesn't count as evidence al Qaida is in Iraq? Well, I don't expect to see this story on CNN anytime soon.

[Solson]

This was announced last week. Why is this news now??

[theDentist]

AP has the news!

Annotated Press? Bet they'll claim the Al-Quaida caught arrived "after" the invasion, not before.

[theDentist]

AP has the news!

Annotated Press? Bet they'll claim the Al-Quaida caught arrived "after" the invasion, not before.

[theDentist]

Just finished the interrogation (and probably new arrests resulting from it).

[Salvey]

Bush said Hassan Ghul was captured in Iraq last week.

How about his brother, Vafan Ghul?

[RetiredArmy]

He was a part of this network of haters that we're dismantling," Bush said.

Who is Bush talking about here? Kennedy? Dean? Mr. Heintz? McAuliffee? Who? Oh, one of those "Religion of Peace" guys. Ok. Now I understand. My bad.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

AP is not trustworthy, imho.

I'd wait for verification.

....and share it with war critics. (^:

[Solson]

Or his sister, Flauchofsee Ghul.

[LibWhacker]

How do we know he is a member of al Qaeda? Do we have him on videotape taking the al Qaeda oath? And if so, do we know for a fact he never terminated his membership? </'Rat Mode>

[From The Deer Stand]

Member of Al Quaeda = a Weapon of mass destruction!

[MeekOneGOP]

Good post ! Yay !!

Bush: Bin Laden Aide Is Caught in Iraq