"The loss of yet another senior Special Groups leader places additional
stress on the criminal Special Groups network," Maj. Trey Rutherford,
executive officer for the 2nd Bn., 325th Abn. Inf. Regt., said.
"The network's armament caches are being discovered and destroyed,"
Rutherford said. "Even more importantly, the Special Groups element is being
recognized by locals for what it is — a criminal force focused on
instilling fear, for monetary profit, in the people they claim to protect."
The Special Groups was first detected in 2007 as the Mahdi Army became
splintered into rival factions. Since August 2007, the Mahdi Army has
honored a ceasefire against the U.S.-led coalition, a decision that raised
the profile of the Special Groups.
Officials said the unidentified Special Groups leader was captured after
he left Sadr City, the teeming Shi'ite area that serves as the headquarters
for Iranian-sponsored militias. They said the suspect has been a key
facilitator in the procurement and movement of weapons in northeast Baghdad.
He was also said to have been involved in the abduction, torture and death
of Iraqis.
The coalition and Iraq have been receiving increasing cooperation from
Shi'ites in identifying and capturing operatives from the Special Groups.
Officials said the organization has been mostly engaged in intimidating
Shi'ite businessmen.
"The network is cornered in Sadr City, and every member of the criminal
group who sets foot outside is being captured rapidly," Rutherford said.
