Free Republic

U.S.-Born al Qaeda Arrest News Found False Detained Taliban Militant's Identify Verified, Ending Confusion Over Reports of Adam Gadahn's Detention in Pakistan (CBS) An "important Taliban militant" was arrested today in Pakistan. But that is where the confusion started. Earlier it was reported by Pakistani media that intelligence agents had arrested Adam Gadahn, the American-born spokesman for al Qaeda, in an operation in the southern city of Karachi. It was further reported by the Associated Press and Reuters that Gadahn had been arrested, sourcing security officials. CBS News was told by sources in the Pakistan government that it was Gadahn,...

A U.S. official confirmed that a Monday drone strike in Pakistan killed al Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al-Libi, the most serious blow to the battered terror network since the death of its leader Osama bin Laden. Al-Libi's death, which came on the third consecutive day of CIA drone strikes in the Pakistani tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, is a serious knock to what remains of al Qaeda's Pakistan-based core leadership.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — An American Qaeda operative was arrested in the sprawling southern city of Karachi in recent days by Pakistani security officials, Pakistani officials said Sunday. American and Pakistani officials said the man arrested was Abu Yahya Mujahdeen Al-Adam, who was described as having been born in Pennsylvania and who was thought to be affiliated with the operations division of Al Qaeda, commanding fighters in Afghanistan. Little else was known about him, American officials said, and it was not immediately clear that American officials were involved in the arrest. Initial reports seemed to have confused the American with Adam...

(CNN) -- SNIPPET: "The charge centers around a one-way ticket that authorities allege Abdel Hameed Shehadeh purchased from Queens, New York, to Islamabad, Pakistan. Shehadeh originally told investigators that the purpose of his trip was to visit an Islamic university and attend a friend's engagement party. But he later admitted to FBI agents in Hawaii that he bought the ticket in order to join a fighting group such as the Taliban, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in New York Monday."

"Abu Yahya al-Libi’s Long, Lonely Journey" SNIPPET: "On 29 April 2010, Abu Yahya al-Libi penned a statement entitled, “Jihad and the Battle of Dubious Claims.” Released in early June, this essay is nothing if not one of his seminal works." SNIPPET: "I’m just not seeing how this essay is going to be rousing jihadists to action any time soon. I see in his writing a man that has been continuously reading, thinking and talking about the steep hill that global jihadist movement must trudge. But I also see a man who is growing frustrated with what he believes to be...

SNIPPET: "KARACHI: Pakistani security agents denied on Monday that an American al Qaeda spokesman wanted in the United States for treason had been arrested, saying there had been confusion over the identity of a detained suspect." SNIPPET: "Some Pakistani officials had said on Sunday that Adam Gadahn, a California-born convert to Islam with a $1 million US bounty on his head, had been arrested on the outskirts of the city of Karachi. But a senior government official and two security agents said on Monday the suspected al Qaeda operative picked up in Karachi was not Gadahn. “Our initial impression was...

SNIPPET: "KARACHI: Pakistani security forces along with help of US intelligence arrested Abu Yahya Mujahdeen Al- Adam, who is a close associate of Osama Bin Laden. Abu Yahya was arrested on Sunday from an area surrounding the super highway, on the outskirts of Karachi." SNIPPET: "Pennsylvania-born Abu Yahya is a US citizen and assumed to be a commander of foreign militants fighting in Afghanistan against the US. He was living with Osama Bin Ladin after 9/11 attacks in New York. His name is included in the top ten wanted on the CIA list. - DawnNews."

Hi everyone – apologies for the hiatus. I’ve been underwater lately with work and hitting the media circuit so the blog drew the short end of the stick. I’m back in the saddle and have some exciting things in the pipeline that should break soon. While you wait, here’s a long-overdue round-up of my recent antics:

http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/200498.php January 18, 2010 "Help Out An Ahki on Jihadtube" SNIPPET: "One might think that after a while JihadTube would realize that we call a flag like this."

The US Department of State has issued multi-million dollar rewards for two senior Taliban leaders and an al Qaeda leader and propagandist. Up to $5 million dollars has been offered "for information leading to the location and/or capture" of Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud or Taliban and al Qaeda ally Sirajuddin Haqqani. A $1 million bounty has been offered for information leading to the capture or conviction of al Qaeda propagandist and ideologue Abu Yahya al Libi.

SNIPPET: "New Abu Yahya al-Libi video released on 6 OCT – I havent had a chance to blog for awhile so I thought I’d go through the transcript line-by-line, pulling out anything that I find of note, and then annotate as I go through it. One quick note: Abu Yahya is no longer wearing his pinky ring, the one that he’s been wearing since late 2005 – this is the first video that I havent seen it (although it may just be at the shop getting cleaned) – here’s a screen cap:" SNIPPET: "Wow, could I be any more right...

SNIPPET: "But this is the only answer I can give, because the terms of the question are out of date. If you're asking whether the United States has defeated al Qaeda, you also have to ask: Which al Qaeda are we talking about? The senior leaders operating somewhere in the tribal areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan? The al Qaeda franchises around the world, most notably in Iraq, Algeria, and Yemen? Or the global ideological following, sparked by al Qaeda, calling itself al Qaeda, but not technically affiliated with al Qaeda? If you ask about winning, you have to also ask...

Just so we’re all on the same page, Abu Yahya al-Libi has an older brother. His name is `Abd al-Wahhab Qayid (Abu Idris). Remember, Abu Yahya al-Libi’s name is Hasan Qaid (transliterated differently in popular media). What makes this story significant, is that Abu Idris is one of the imprisoned senior leaders of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) who recently renounced armed violence. And there’s the rub. The guy poised to take over al-Qaida has an older brother who is a senior member of the group that Abu Yahya used to be a member of who is now renouncing...

The Abu Yahya Show Just in case you havent been to the forums lately, here’s what you see when you log on: