Al Qaida 'prime minister' of 'Islamic state of Iraq' captured
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Free Headline Alerts
BAGHDAD — A senior Al Qaida commander has been captured in Iraq.
The Iraqi Defense Ministry reported the arrest of the chief of the Al Qaida-aligned Islamic State of Iraq. The commander and two of his lieutenants were reportedly located in the Diyala province.
The ministry identified the Al Qaida commander as Khaldoun Abudllah Al Dhalaki. Al Dhalaki was the so-called prime minister of Islamic State of Iraq, which has sought to convert Iraq into an Islamic caliphate.
No other details were given by the Defense Ministry. In early May, the Interior Ministry asserted that Al Qaida network chief Abu Ayoub Al Masri was captured in Mosul. Two days later, the assertion was retracted.
Still, officials said they were intensifying efforts to identify and track major insurgents. Iraqi police have disclosed the identity of Islamic State of Iraq chief, Abu Omar Al Baghdadi.
Police said Al Baghdadi's real name is Hamid Daoud Mohammed Khalil Al Zawi, a former officer in Saddam Hussein's General Security Directorate. Officials said Al Zawi, 50, shuttles between Baghdad and Mosul and hides in Kurdish areas. The U.S. military was said to be investigating the claim.
On May 12, the U.S. military reported the destruction of an Al Qaida training base south of Baghdad. The military said F-16 multi-role fighters destroyed the underground base in Arab Jabour.