The U.S. Quietly Slashes the Reward Posted for the Leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq

US News ^ | May 12, 2008 | By Anna Mulrine, Kevin Whitelaw

[Dog]

The U.S. government has quietly withdrawn a $5 million reward it was offering for the killing or capture of Abu Ayyub al-Masri, named by Pentagon officials as the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

[Dog]

What happened here... that we don't know about yet.

[wastedyears]

Maybe a JDAM

I love JDAMs

[Dog]

Al-Masri had been one of America's most wanted figures in Iraq ever since his identity was revealed in 2006. But U.S. News has learned that the bounty for him was reduced and that he was unceremoniously dropped in late February from the State Department's Rewards for Justice Program, which offers cash payments for information that leads to the capture or killing of wanted terrorists.

Currently, the bounty for the Egyptian militant stands at $100,000, a more modest payout that is now covered by the separate—and decidedly lower profile—Department of Defense Rewards Program

What the hell?

[Bahbah]

Maybe they’re trying to insult him by saying he’s just not worth that much.

[ricks_place]

Why should the State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program pay top dollar for a two bit thug!?! Abu Ayyub al-Masri is shop worn and ugly to boot.

[ArmstedFragg]

Probably trying to reduce the number of times Iraqi officials falsely report they’ve caught him. After the third time, it’s getting old.

[bigfootbob]

There was a report last week that the Iraqi Army had captured this guy. These reports don’t pass the smell test. Something tells me this guy has assumed room temperature as a famous raconteur says.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Because we are confident now we’ll get the prick. Geez, the U.S. News acts like this is some big deal.

I hate the LameStream Media....they all pretty much suck.

[yldstrk]

Is he dead?

[therut]

He’s dead Jim.

[Daus]

One scenario is that the guy listed never really was the actual leader, just some stooge out there to take the fall. He was the Uncle Jr. to some other Tony Soprano. We might have just figured that out.

[fungoking]

Jim, he’s dead. Only so many ways Bones could say that line.

[Hunton Peck]

“Do I understand this correctly? I’m being MARKED DOWN? . . . I’ve had a bounty put on my head by K-Mart!”

[FreeAtlanta]

Blue light special.

[TADSLOS]

You can’t sell a product that’s been discontinued.

[mathluv]

maybe the dims in congress.

[death2tyrants]

Perhaps they have tapped into his communication network.

[RoadDogg]

Its the same thing they did with Zarqawi. Remember the blooper reel? Publically humilated the chump, and look what happened a month later.... ;)