Posted on 09/26/2006 2:46:09 PM PDT by WmShirerAdmirer
BAGHDAD (Agencies): British forces said they killed Omar al-Farouq, a top terrorist leader, Monday, identified by Iraqi officials as an al-Qaida leader who had escaped from a U.S. prison in Afghanistan and returned to Iraq.
Al-Farouq, was one of four al-Qaida suspects who broke out of the prison in Bagram, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan, in July 2005.
It was an embarrassing incident for the U.S. military, and Pentagon waited until November to confirm that the man had escaped. The delay in releasing his name upset Indonesia, who hadarrested Al-Farouq in 2002 and then turned him over to the United States - who then shipped him to Afghanistan.
Al-Farouq was killed in a pre-dawn raid by 250 British troops from the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment on his home in Basra, 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad, British forcesspokesman Maj. Charlie Burbridge said.
Meanwhile, Mira Agustina, Al-Farouq's wife, said she was not yet convinced by the report about her husband's death although she was shocked when she was informed about it early Tuesday.
Speaking to the press in her house in Cisalada village, Bogor regency, she was accompanied by her children with Al-Farouq: Gholia, a second grade student of elementary school and Al Hanum, a kindergarten student.
Mira as quoted by Antara news agency as saying that, she would consult her lawyer before carrying out any step to respond to the news of her husband's death.
Al-Farouq was killed after he opened fire on British soldiers entering his home, Burbridge said.
"We had information that a terrorist of considerable significance was hiding in Basra, as a result of that information we conducted an operation in an attempt to arrest him," Burbridge told The Associated Press by telephone from southern Iraq.
"During the attempted arrest Omar Farouq was killed, which is regrettable because we wanted to arrest him."
He said he could not comment on whether it was the same man who led Al-Qaida's Southeast Asia operations, citing British policy not allowing him to link an individual to a specific organization.
But a Basra police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said it was the same man, adding Al-Farouq was known to be an expert in bomb making. The officer said al-Farouq was going by the name Mahmoud Ahmed while living in Basra, adding that he entered Iraq three months ago.
Earlier, Basra police Lt. Col. Kareem al-Zubaidi identified the man killed as Mahmoud Ahmed, saying he returned two weeks ago after reportedly fighting U.S. troops in Afghanistan. There was no explanation for the differing accounts on the date of his arrival.(**)
It's just going from bad to worse for the Dems.
Damn, I thought it said Al-Franken had been killed in Iraq.
The Rats have indeed had a very, very bad week.
To everything...there is a season...
His season for dying just arrived!
"During the attempted arrest Omar Farouq was killed, which is regrettable because we wanted to arrest him."
How very unfortunate indeed... (why is that unfortunate?)
Amazing how the terrorists are gravitating toward Iraq.
It is like a roach motel.
May he rot in hell with the other Jihadist animals.
Calling all Jihadist
Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.
"How very unfortunate indeed... (why is that unfortunate?)"
Because coalition forces preferred to utilize alternative interrogation methods with him.
Another one bites the dust.
Because nobody was able to put his grapes in a vice and get him to tell us where the rest of his goathumpers are hiding, then squeeze them flat anyway.
Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.
Feed his body to pigs, and deliver the excrement to the wife for burial.
Mark
Al Farouq = Saudi name?
Great news.
I smile at hearing of his name in the Obit Column.
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