Posted on 10/03/2008 5:04:03 PM PDT by mdittmar
BAGHDAD – The legacy leader of one of al-Qaeda in Iraq’s Baghdad networks who was the mastermind behind some of the city’s recent bombings was killed by Coalition forces Friday.
Mahir Ahmad Mahmud Judu’ al-Zubaydi, also known as Abu Assad or Abu Rami, is believed to be the AQI “emir” of the Rusafa neighborhood of Baghdad. He exercised a degree of control over terrorist operations in other districts as well.
Coalition forces were led to a building in Baghdad’s Adhamiya neighborhood Friday after intelligence reports indicated Abu Rami was there. Upon arriving at the building, Coalition forces surrounded it and called for the occupants to surrender. During the callout, forces were engaged by small arms fire coming from the building. In response to this hostile act, and acting in self defense, Coalition forces returned fire, killing Abu Rami and a female.
“Sadly, here again is a case where AQI has put innocent lives in danger in order to protect themselves and shield their terrorist efforts,” said Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman.
Coalition forces evacuated several children from the building before performing a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance inside the residence. When the house caught fire after the detonation, forces called for assistance from the local fire department, and as a safety precaution, began evacuating surrounding buildings.
In his position, Abu Rami allegedly masterminded numerous car bombings. A Baghdad bombing cell in his network is assessed to be responsible for separate car bomb and suicide bomber attacks in Baghdad Oct. 2, which killed eight people and wounded more than 30 others.
Abu Rami was reportedly also responsible for multiple car bombings and mortar attacks in Sadr City in 2006 and 2007, including one car bombing on Nov. 25, 2006, which killed more than 200 people.
In addition to car bombings, Abu Rami was assessed to be a planner and participant in multiple kidnappings and videotaped executions. In a video recording from June 2006, Abu Rami is seen shooting one of four Russian diplomats.
Abu Rami allegedly had ties to AQI senior leaders in Baghdad and the Northern Belt around the city. He is reportedly responsible for attacks in Baghdad, Salah ad-Din and Diyala provinces.
Originally a member of Ansar al-Islam, Abu Rami joined AQI in 2004 and became the military “emir” of the Rusafa district in 2007 before taking over responsibility for all terrorist operations there this year. Suspected members of the network already in custody say Abu Rami was focused on car bombings and suicide bombings and personally selected the targets. He allegedly ordered and directed a car-bombing attack May 1 that killed one American Soldier and wounded three Soldiers and three Iraqi civilians. Detainee reporting puts him at the scene of the crime.
Intelligence reports indicate that Abu Rami advocated going after civilian targets and inflicting casualties on the Iraqi population.
While the terrorist group has been marginalized by its attacks on Iraqi civilians, detainees in custody report that Baghdad’s AQI membership has been severely curbed by many men joining Sons of Iraq groups. They say AQI is unable to effectively recruit new members because of the perception the terrorist group is failing.
“Abu Rami did nothing for the people of Iraq except fill their cemeteries with innocent victims,” Admiral Driscoll said. “His removal from the AQI network will send shockwaves through Baghdad’s terrorist bombing networks. Its ability to conduct grizzly attacks against Iraqi civilians and Coalition and Iraqi forces has been severely crippled by this precision operation.”
-30-
More bad news for Obama and Biden. In fact, Joe is sad. Very sad.
Ever notice how the MSM always calls our enemy’s leaders “Masterminds”? But all of our U.S. leaders are bumbling dolts? So why is it the U.S. that always kills the Masterminds? Can it be they really aren’t masters of the mind at all? The MSM should really do some investigative reporting on this critical issue.
One of the vehicles involved got a flat tire, thus we are still “losing” this “unpopular” war.
Dead jihadi BUMP
To be fair this article is from our troops, not the media.
also:
U.S.-led forces in Iraq say they killed Qaeda leader
reuters | Fri Oct 3, 2008 5:29pm EDT
Posted on 10/03/2008 5:32:21 PM PDT by Perdogg
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2097106/posts
Yess! I love happy endings.
That, and enemy units are "elite" troops. 'Course, they usually get wiped out in short shrift, also cf. "terrain, weather, indigenous freedom fighters", all those terms are used as if our troops never encountered anything difficult.
I love to lock horns with metrosexuals over this stuff, I like their panties to get in a wad, it's hilarious. Most have never given of their time (beyond 5 mins) to anything other than themselves.
Your right, a mastermind is not someone who is dumb enough to do something to bring upon themselves the rath of the mightiest military establishment of alltime, it is that person who is able to coordinate the demise of criminals and terrorists such as Sadaam Hussein and many of the Al Queda leaders who have acheived martyrdom. I say continue to make martyrs, it is a good profession for our troops.
Mahir Ahmad Mahmud Judu’ al-Zubaydi, also known as Abu Assad or Abu Rami, or dead-man-walking, or target practice, or dead cat bounce, or Am-I-Dead_Yet?, or . . . .
This great achievement should be TRUMPETED by McCain, along with the many, many achievements of the Bush Administration, including a highly successful program to combat AIDS in Africa.
There have been huge successes during the eight-years of the Bush Administration - starting with the protection of the U. S. from terrorist attack - and they should damn well be brought out.
Man...I wish I was still in the Army.
I tell folks I miss a lot of the people and none of the politics.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.