Leader of Alqaeda in Iraq Possibly Slain

Justinian · #1 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 09:19 AM

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...01025/0/BLOG05

Yup. Someone might have got him. Reports indicate if he is dead, it's most likely the effort of other Muslim insurgents or militias. My gut feeling says there's a 60% chance he's still alive considering close calls of most wanted's wind up in the newspapers fairly frequently. None the less, every attempt at their death is always good news even they are more often speculation than truth.

DuH2 · #2 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Iraq probes reports of al-Masri's death
By ROBERT H. REID
Associated Press Writer
Reports That Al-Qaida in Iraq Leader Killed

BAGHDAD (AP) -- U.S. and Iraqi officials chased reports Tuesday that the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq was killed by rivals north of Baghdad. But U.S. authorities urged caution and warned that even if the claim were true, the death of the shadowy Abu Ayyub al-Masri would likely not spell the end of the terror movement in Iraq.

Reports of al-Masri's death first emerged from the Interior Ministry, which said the al-Qaida leader was gunned down by rivals in his movement Tuesday at a bridge near Lake Tharthar just north of Baghdad, where the U.S. military believes al-Qaida operates training camps.

Later, however, ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said al-Masri's death had not been confirmed. Another senior official, Maj. Gen. Hussein Kamal, told The Associated Press that "we are trying to investigate and confirm the report."

Other Iraqi officials said word of the purported death came from an informant and that efforts were under way to retrieve the body. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is sensitive.

An al-Qaida front organization denied that al-Masri, an Egyptian also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajer with a $1 million bounty on his head, had been killed. The Islamic State of Iraq said in a Web statement that al-Masri was "alive and still fighting the enemy of God."

But the statement, posted on an extremist Web site, offered no evidence to support the claim. Al-Masri assumed leadership of al-Qaida after his charismatic predecessor, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was killed in a U.S. airstrike last June.

Late Tuesday, the leader of a Sunni Arab group opposed to al-Qaida told Iraqi television that his fighters tracked down and killed al-Masri along with seven of his aides, two of them Saudis.

"Eyewitnesses confirmed his death and their corpses are still at the scene," said Abdul-Sattar al-Rishawi, head of the Anbar Salvation Council.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT

We shall see but it seems pretty likely he or someone nearly as important from al Qaeda in IRAQ is dead.

jsh1120 · #3 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 02:02 PM

Great! This will surely be the thing that tips the balance in Iraq. Just like killing al-Zarqawi largely eliminated the violence last June. And of course there was the capture of Saddam. And before that the deaths of his sons. I'm surprised there is anyone left fighting after such great victories.

Of course, the Iraqi Interior Ministry is not, shall we say, the most reliable source of news. These are, after all, the same folks who have claimed that sectarian killings in Baghdad are a myth.

But all in all it's just more evidence of "Mission Accomplished."

raytri · #4 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 02:02 PM

It's an unconfirmed report from the Iraqi government. I'll wait for confirmation, thanks; those guys are highly unreliable. Although the separate claim from the Sunni insurgent leader gives it some additional cred.

MannieD · #5 (**permalink**) 05-02-2007, 07:42 AM

Great news. AQ leader is dead. AQ in Iraq will now disband and the coalition forces can withdraw from Iraq leaving the Iraqis to fight amongst themselves because there will be no more outside influence. The Iraqi "war on terror" has been won!

merjoem32 · #6 (**permalink**) 05-02-2007, 07:46 AM

so that probably means that somebody else will replace him or take over for him.

stekim · #7 (**permalink**) 05-02-2007, 08:00 AM

Quote:

so that probably means that somebody else will replace him or take over for him.

Well, of course they will. No matter who you are, anywhere, once you die or stop doing what you are doing someone will jump right in and replace you.

proof-hunter · #8 (**permalink**) 05-04-2007, 07:48 AM

I would not down play all those achievements. for one, leaders of any type of group don't
come easy, and I mean good leaders with good tactical skills and planning.
for each that replace those we kill, the bucket will someday start to dry up.
what they will get is leaders with lousy tactical skills.

We already see this slowly happening, if you care to study how long these leaders last lately.

jsh1120 · #9 (**permalink**) 05-07-2007, 07:30 AM

Oops...well, once again it seems the "news" turned out not to be as advertised. I'm SO surprised.

ashleykennedy · #10 (**permalink**) 05-07-2007, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsh1120";p=&quot

Oops...well, once again it seems the "news" turned out not to be as advertised. I'm SO surprised.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/wo...d9a522&k=74747

How many times has he died?

When it gets to nine do we start to call him "The Cat"

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