Posted on 04/06/2006 10:06:48 AM PDT by april15Bendovr
US catches top Zarqawi aide in Iraq
US military catches top Zarqawi aide in Iraq by J
BAGHDAD: The US military announced on Thursday it had captured a top Al-Qaeda linked operative who was the key suspect in the kidnapping of Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena last year.
Separately, the Iraqi authorities also announced arrests of three other "terrorists", two of whom were caught disguised as women.
The US military said a massive manhunt by Iraqi and US forces led to the arrest last month of Mohammed Hilal Hammad Ubaydi, also known as Abu Ayman, a former aide to the intelligence chief under Saddam Hussein. It said he had "strong ties" to Al-Qaeda's Iraq frontman, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and was the leader of the Secret Islamic Army, a militant outfit operating in the Babel province south of Baghdad.
He was caught on March 7 in Al-Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad, but his arrest was not immediately announced pending a DNA test, which "confirmed this is Abu Ayman," the military said.
The military said he was the prime suspect in the kidnapping of Sgrena and was also behind a series of assassination attempts on Iraqi government and security officials.
The Sgrena kidnapping last year drew worldwide attention when US soldiers shot dead an Italian agent shepherding her to safety after she was freed. Insurgents seized Sgrena from outside a Baghdad mosque on February 4, 2005 and numerous uncorroborated claims emerged for her kidnapping.
But later in a video, on which "Mujahedeen Without Borders" was digitally stamped, she was seen pleading with Italy to end the US-led occupation of Iraq. After a month in captivity Sgrena was released amid allegations that Italy had paid a hefty ransom to secure her freedom.
However, while on her way to the Baghdad airport she and the Italian agents escorting her came under fire from US soldiers at a checkpoint. One agent was killed and two others wounded.
On Thursday the US military also charged that Ayman has killed a number of other hostages in Iraq and set off some of the deadliest roadside bombs against US-led and Iraqi forces since the fall of Saddam in April 2003.
"Ayman's capture will not only disrupt some of these attacks, but he will also provide valuable information leading to the capture of other terrorists he has worked with in the past," the military said. It said information on Ayman was provided by his aide Abu Qatada, a Syrian national, who was arrested in December in Baghdad. The military did not provide any other details on Qatada.
Ayman is one of the top aides of Zarqawi arrested by US forces in recent times. In March the military had arrested 61 rebels linked to Zarqawi terror network near the former rebel bastion town of Fallujah, in western Iraq. Jordanian-born Zarqawi is Iraq's most-wanted man with a 25-million dollar US bounty on his head. The feared Islamist militant is accused of masterminding a large part of the Iraqi insurgency including some of its most gruesome attacks and hostage beheadings.
Only to those not following even the most basic details.
Let's see - the basic details would be "top aide captured". That's pretty basic, isn't it?
"Muhammed Hila Hammad Ubaydi led the Secret Islamic Army in the north of Babil province, the military said in a statement e- mailed from the Iraqi capital. He served as Chief of Staff of Intelligence during Saddam Hussein's regime."
WORST...JOB....EVER
He's in there.
The worst job in Iraq would be either number 2 or an aide.
Imagine this conversation:
There is good news for you Ahab - you are now the number 2 of the movement.
No thank you - I am fine where I am.
He is the 2 of hearts in the Deck of playing cards
Yes, that is basic. If you read further, you'll see exactly who he is and why it's a very good catch.
It is very good news for people in Iraq.
Maybe not so important to the folks back home sweating over things like who gets kicked off of the next episode of "Survivor," perhaps.
No photo available on the 2 of hearts.
This is becoming funny.
Probably when one is caught, someone else is promoted. I kind of doubt Zarqawi has a Family Medical/Capture Leave Act that requires him to keep the job open for six months or whatever! ;-)
I've never watched Survivor.
Of course it's always good news when another terrorist is caught. But to keep calling all of them "top aides" gets where it doesn't mean much any more.
Lucky they aren't in France! He could never fire a top aide. LOL
This guy has more "aids" than Central Africa!
People don't understand the value of this catch.
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