Posted on 11/22/2005 4:20:22 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
A TOP US general said there was no reason to believe that al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was killed in a recent raid on the Iraqi city of Mosul.
Lieutenant General John Vines said, however, that US and Iraqi forces were "relentlessly" pursuing every lead indicating the presence of the Jordanian militant who is blamed for many bloody attacks in Iraq.
Media reports have said Zarqawi might have been among a group of insurgents killed in a battle in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Sunday.
Lt-Gen Vines told a US Defence Department press briefing from Baghdad that "there is a DNA database of some of his relatives that is able to be compared against some of those who were killed there".
"So my expectation is, if he had been in one of those houses that were part of the objective, we could confirm that.
"I have absolutely no reason to believe that he was one of those that were killed.
"... It is possible, but I have no reason to believe it."
Zarqawi has a $US25 million ($34.0 million) US bounty on his head and Lt-Gen Vines said: "We follow up relentlessly every possible lead, because Zarqawi has shown absolutely no remorse about killing his fellow Jordanians."
The general said: "He will attack mosques and assemblies. Certainly he will slaughter security forces of Iraq and the coalition if given the chance. So we follow up relentlessly every lead."
Keep trying, boys!!!!!
Just like Bin Laden, I believe Zarqawi is dead unless I see him holding a newspaper with the date shown in front of him.
But, more significantly, there have been no signs that he is alive.
".. Q If I could follow up, sir, just some housecleaning: There was this raid in Mosul Saturday. We've heard from officials all over the place that Zarqawi was not inside. One, can you just sum up if there was a thought that he was there? Two, do you have a way to determine whether he has been killed, once you have a raid, that possibly he is there?
GEN. VINES: I am told that there is a DNA database of some of his relatives that is able to be compared against the -- some of those who were killed there. So my expectation is, were -- if he had been in one of those houses that were part of the objective, we could confirm that. I have no -- absolutely no reason to believe that he was one of those that were killed, however. It is possible, but I have no reason to believe it. .."
The above is where umteen varients of the story originate. All of them boil down to whatever the DNA results show. In the next day or so there should have been enough time to get them.
bummer
Sorry, but that has no significance at all. He may be moving from 1 place to another and keeping low. He announces his arrivals by bombs or by murder. Moreso, he is a slave to his ego now. He NEEDS attention, 'specially after the Jordan protests of his bombings.
zarquawi is a coward's coward..he will bravely chop off an innocent man's head on a video tape..he has no problem arming idiots' with explosive devices to die for his cause..he just hasn't had the courage to die for his cause..if you want to find the coward..go to where the fighting is not..there you will find him with his knees knocking..and he does NOT have an explosive device around his cowardly body..
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.