The military arrested Abdul Hadi Al Iraqi as he sought to enter Iraq
from neighboring Iran. Officials said Al Iraqi was captured in late 2006,
transferred to the United States and has been interrogated at the U.S. Navy
base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
"Abd Al Hadi was trying to return to his native country, Iraq, to manage
Al Qaida's affairs and possibly focus on operations outside Iraq against
Western targets," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said on April 27.
[In Baghdad, the U.S. military announced the capture of at least 17
suspected Al Qaida insurgents throughout Iraq, Middle East Newsline reported. The military said on Saturday
that most of the operatives were captured outside of Baghdad.]
Born in Mosul, Al Iraqi was identified as one of the most senior
operatives in Al Qaida. He was said to have been responsible for major
operations, and helped direct Al Qaida policy in such countries as
Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Pakistan.
Whitman said Al Iraqi, 45, met Al Qaida operatives in Iran. He said the
CIA obtained custody of Al Iraqi and transferred him to the Pentagon.
"Abd Al Hadi Al Iraqi was one of Al Qaida's highest-ranking and
experienced senior operatives at the time of his detention," a Pentagon
statement said.
Officials said Al Iraqi began his career with Al Qaida in his native
Iraq. But over the last few years, he has been shuttling throughout South
Asia and Iran as Iraq became a key element in Al Qaida's strategy.
"We do definitely see [Iraqi] links to the greater Al Qaida network,"
U.S. military commander in Iraq Lt. Gen. David Petraeus said.
Whitman said Al Iraqi sought to assassinate Pakistani President Pervez
Musharraf. The Pentagon spokesman said the Iraqi operative also planned
attacks on U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon said Al Iraqi was an Al Qaida commander in Afghanistan in
the late 1990s. After the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, he organized strikes
against U.S. forces from neighboring Pakistan.
"Abd Al Hadi associated with leaders of extremist groups allied with Al
Qaida in Afghanistan and Pakistan, including the Taliban," the Pentagon
said. "Abd Al Hadi worked directly with the Taliban to determine
responsibility and lines of communication between Taliban and Al Qaida
leaders in Afghanistan, specifically with regard to the targeting of U.S.
Forces."
