BAGHDAD — The U.S. military has captured a senior Al Qaida leader
said to have been responsible for the killing of hundreds of civilians in
Iraq.
The military said the unidentified Al Qaida commander was captured
during a U.S. raid in the northern city of Mosul on Dec. 14. In a statement
on Wednesday, the military said five other insurgents were arrested, Middle East Newsline reported.
"As the Military Emir of Mosul in 2005, he was personally responsible
for hundreds of civilian deaths, to include women and children," the
statement said. "He housed foreign fighters to be used in suicide bombing
attacks against the coalition and the Iraqi people."
Officials said the Al Qaida operative left Mosul in late 2005 and became
the commander of Karkh in Baghdad. They said the operative coordinated
vehicle-borne improvised explosives device attacks and abductions in Baghdad
as well as sought to shoot down a U.S. helicopter in May 2006.
"After a few months he fled Baghdad due to coalition forces closing in
on him," the statement said. "Just prior to his capture, he was attempting
to organize what is left of the Al Qaida in Iraq network in Mosul after
numerous terrorists were captured by coalition forces."
The statement said the capture of the Al Qaida leader would disrupt the
influx of foreign fighters. The military said the detention would also
advance the coalition effort to capture Al Qaida commander Abu Ayyub Al
Masri.
The U.S. military and the Iraqi government have reported significant
gains against Al Qaida. In December, Iraqi National Security Adviser
Mouwafak Al Rubaie said 60 percent of the Al Qaida network leadership in
Iraq has been captured or killed.
On Wednesday, the No. 2 in Al Qaida, Ayman Zawahiri, warned that only
his organization could ensure an orderly U.S. exit from Iraq.
"I want to tell the Republicans and the Democrats together," Zawahiri
said in a video statement broadcast on the Qatar-based A-Jazeera. "You are
trying to negotiate with some parties to secure your withdrawal, but these
parties won't find you an exit and your attempts will yield nothing but
failure."
"It seems that you will go through a painful journey of failed
negotiations until you will be forced to return to negotiate with the real
powers," Zawahiri added.
