Iraq Qaeda group confirms top figure killed: Web

reuters ^ | Dec 22, 2007 | reuters

[mdittmar]

An al Qaeda-linked group in Iraq has confirmed the death of Abu Maysara, a top operative who the U.S. military said was killed in a clash last month, according to a recording posted on the Web on Saturday.

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State in Iraq, hailed Maysara as "a martyr who was a scholar and a mujahid (holy war fighter)", on the audio tape posted on Islamist Web sites.

The U.S. military said earlier in December that Maysara, a Syrian, was among nine senior al Qaeda members killed in November. It described him as an adviser to Baghdadi, also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri, and his slain predecessor Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Baghdadi called on insurgents to keep fighting during the current Eid al-Adha feast, when Muslims sacrifice animals.

"May God accept your sacrifice, and may they be the apostates of the Awakening Councils, who are servants of the Crusaders," Baghdadi said, referring to U.S.-backed neighborhood patrols who fight insurgents.

An increase in U.S. troops, more efficient Iraqi security forces and neighborhood patrols organized by mainly Sunni Arab tribes have been credited for a decline in violence and a fall in civilian and U.S. military casualties in the past two months.

The tape's authenticity could not be verified but was posted on a main Islamist Web site often used by insurgent groups and the speaker sounded like earlier recordings of Baghdadi.

While the Iraq wing of al Qaeda remains at the forefront of many groups fighting U.S. forces and the Shi'ite-led government supported by Washington, its fighters have faced growing opposition in the Sunni areas of Iraq where they operate. (Reporting by Firouz Sedarat; Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)

[mdittmar]

Guess rooters didn't want to believe it when the U.S. Military reported it,but now that they have the info from one of their sources,they can confirm it;)

[NonValueAdded]

Senator Jim Webb was the top AlQ guy? Oh ... it was a Web report. Nevermind. /Latella

[Dog]

Rooters knows this guy is only an actor....yet they keep reporting his proclamation's as gospel.

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State in Iraq

[SolidWood]

LOL! Spot on.

[kromike]

Allow all U.S. Dhimmocrats a moment to pause, face towards Mecca, and contemplate a silent prayer of sorrow for the loss of their comrade.

[Melinda]

Martyr? Oh please, when will you terrorists get over yourselves?

[tomnbeverly]

Damn they left out the part where they tracked him down while he was on a Top Secret Cell Phone Call from Harry Reid who was soliciting pointers for his Democrat Convention speech in August. No wonder them Rats want the Terrorist Surveilance programs stopped at all costs... hmmmm

[MNJohnnie]

It seems the only thing with a shorter life expectancy then a fruit fly these days is “a top Al Qeda Operative”.

[pawdoggie]

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State in Iraq, hailed Maysara as "a martyr who was a scholar and a mujahid (holy war fighter)", on the audio tape posted on Islamist Web sites.

Yes, a scholar in the same sense that Ted Bundy and Jeff Dahmer were "scholars" in the art of murder. I'm glad to see that AQI is still not heeding Bin Laden's call to ease up on the Iraqi Sunnis.

[pnh102]

Martyr? Oh please, when will you terrorists get over yourselves?

What can they do, our troops ensuring his trip to the other place have made it impossible for this scum to be called a "Great Warrior." ;)

[DoughtyOne]

Only one? Too bad.

[MNJohnnie]

Senator Jim Webb was is the top AlQ guy?

There fixed it for you

[Leo Carpathian]

Addressss of his replacement please!

[DoughtyOne]

Good question... I like it.

[Beckwith]

“Abu Omar al-Baghdadi” was long-ago outed as a figment of al Qaeda-in-Iraq’s imagination, a transparent attempt to give a home-grown flavor to the foreign-controlled AQI operation by claiming that the non-existent Baghdadi, supposedly an Iraqi, was AQI’s leader.

http://newsbusters.org/people/abu-omar-al-baghdadi

12/4/2007

[Bulldawg Fan]

Someone go point this out to Harry Reid. He may not like the news, but tough sh**.

[Jabba the Nutt]

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi is a fake. Al Qaeda wanted to put an Iraqi face on their terror, they invented this guy, who is played by an actor. BTW, how many weeks has Adam Gadahn been gone? Zawahiri puts out another audiotape with no Adam the American al Qaeda. I wonder, if ol’ Adam is trying to infiltrate the US or has this bad of future worm food assumed room temperature?

[jveritas]

Yes they have multiple threads on the largest terrorist forums mourning the death of this terrorist leader and others, and some delusional threads are titled “Here we accept the congratulations for the martydom of Abu Maysara”

[jveritas]

Correct. Abu Omar Al Baghdadi is fake in term of the title given to him as the “Prince (Emir) of Faithful” and the leader of the so called ‘islamic state in Iraq. He is in reality a spokesman for Al Qaeda and as you said Al Qaeda wanted to put an Iraqi face on their terrorist insurgency and they bestowed this fake tile on this actor nicknamed Abu Omar Al Baghdadi.