At one point, U.S. officials expressed doubts whether Al Baghdadi was a real person rather than a composite. They said captured Al Qaida agents had been unable to disclose Al Baghdadi's identity.

The capture of Al Baghdadi on April 23 in eastern Baghdad capped two months of Al Qaida-aligned strikes in central and northern Iraq. At least 78 people were reported to have been killed in Baghdad and Diyala on April 23 in what marked the bloodiest day in Iraq in 2009.

The U.S. military has not confirmed the capture of Al Baghdadi. Over the last two years, Iraq announced the capture of several Al Qaida commanders, only to retract the claims days later.

"I can't confirm the capture of a senior Al Qaida member or that it was Baghdadi," Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "I certainly hope that it's true. It would be very good news."

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