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Key Terror Leader Captured in Iraq; Security Focus in Baghdad Expands
American Forces Press Service ^ | Donna Miles

Posted on 09/14/2006 5:02:03 PM PDT by SandRat

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2006 – Iraqi and coalition forces captured a key al Qaeda operative and some 70 more terror suspects in Iraq during a series of 25 raids in and around Baghdad Sept. 12, a senior Multinational Force Iraq spokesman told reporters in Baghdad today. The raids netted a personal associate of Abu Ayyoub al-Masri, Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said. Masri took control of al Qaeda in Iraq after a U.S.-led air strike killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in early June.

While not revealing the detainee’s name, Caldwell called him “the leader of assassination, kidnapping and IED (improvised explosive device) cells in Baghdad.” He “is known to have directly participated in numerous terrorist acts” and to have contributed to sectarian violence throughout the city, Caldwell said.

In addition, the detainee played a key operational role in terrorist activities leading up to and during operations in Fallujah in November 2004, he said.

The Sept. 12 raids, which also netted dozens of other terror suspects and multiple weapons caches, is part of an ongoing effort to help secure Baghdad during Operation Together Forward, Caldwell told reporters.

Iraqi and coalition forces have been focusing on five specific neighborhoods that were experiencing the most sectarian violence. During the past two weeks, more than 150 focused operations resulted in 66 terrorists killed and 830 terror suspects detained, Caldwell said.

The focus expanded today into the Shaab and Ur neighborhoods, he said.

This approach appears to be working in the focus areas, where violence is down, Caldwell said.

However, he acknowledged that violence in other parts of Baghdad experienced a “spike” yesterday and noted that terrorist death squads “are clearly targeting civilians outside the focus areas.”

“Overall, Baghdad’s level of sectarian violence has been reduced,” he said, “but remains above the levels of violence we saw before the Golden Mosque bombing in Samarra in late February.”

Iraqi and coalition forces are working together to help bring these levels down, particularly with Ramadan just 10 days away. “As we approach Ramadan, we know there is generally an increase in violence, and the government of Iraq has ongoing plans to address this,” Caldwell said.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: baghdad; captured; expands; focus; iraq; islamofascist; key; leader; scumbag; security; terror

1 posted on 09/14/2006 5:02:05 PM PDT by SandRat
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To: 91B; HiJinx; Spiff; MJY1288; xzins; Calpernia; clintonh8r; TEXOKIE; windchime; Grampa Dave; ...

A Real No Spin ZONE Report


2 posted on 09/14/2006 5:02:39 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: SandRat

This success will be buried.

It will not make "THE MSM DEAD FAILURE REPORT". Where soldiers only have news value if they DIE or someone thinks they "SCREW UP".


3 posted on 09/14/2006 5:04:58 PM PDT by new yorker 77 (FAKE POLLS DO NOT TRANSLATE INTO REAL VOTERS!)
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To: new yorker 77
Who cares. We are the "New Media"! The Old media/DBM will be lapping our dust before long.
4 posted on 09/14/2006 5:09:33 PM PDT by rodguy911 (Support The New media, Ticket the Drive-bys, --America-The land of the Free because of the Brave-)
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To: rodguy911

Just hang him.


5 posted on 09/14/2006 5:10:40 PM PDT by jocko12
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To: SandRat

If the big excremist was captured only on Sept 12, then wasn't they a bit too early with the announcement of his capture? Even if he immediately started singing, and was as important as is claimed, still it would probably take a bit longer than 3 days to squeeze all the info, to evaluate and to act on it.


6 posted on 09/14/2006 5:22:07 PM PDT by GSlob
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To: jocko12

"Just hang him."- by the appendages. Do not use drop - lower gently, and use a somewhat elastic broad ribbon instead of a rope, so it would not cut in.


7 posted on 09/14/2006 5:24:26 PM PDT by GSlob
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To: GSlob

The Chili Peppers can break a muslim in no time!


8 posted on 09/14/2006 5:24:51 PM PDT by Wristpin ("The Yankees announce plan to buy every player in Baseball....")
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To: jocko12

Gotta water board him a little to get some intel first.


9 posted on 09/14/2006 5:26:22 PM PDT by rodguy911 (Support The New media, Ticket the Drive-bys, --America-The land of the Free because of the Brave-)
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To: SandRat

This marks the 10,000th key al Qaeda operative to be captured/killed.


10 posted on 09/14/2006 5:48:25 PM PDT by cydcharisse
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To: GSlob
Even if he immediately started singing, and was as important as is claimed, still it would probably take a bit longer than 3 days to squeeze all the info, to evaluate and to act on it.

If the Task Force (ahem) gentlemen are involved with this, the questioning starts on the way to jail. Any information they get is acted upon immediately. There is no "run this up the chain", they are the chain. I've seen information come across and troops/aircraft launched within 45 minutes for another take-down. If the bird is singing real good, we may end up with 3-4 days of heavy flying (helicopters) to get all the troops to the take-down sites. It's a domino effect. When the last domino falls we may get a day or two break, then it'll start all over again. We may bag up to 40 - 50 AIF in a week that way.

-Traveler

11 posted on 09/14/2006 7:01:58 PM PDT by Traveler59 (Truth is a journey, not a destination.)
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To: jocko12

"Just hang him."

Make it public and over a pig trough!


12 posted on 09/14/2006 7:10:58 PM PDT by Prost1 (Fair and Unbiased as always!)
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To: cydcharisse

Tey're that BOP A Gopher game at the County Fair.


13 posted on 09/14/2006 9:56:40 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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