"With continued successes like this arrest, Iraqi security forces are
putting terrorists on notice — they can no longer seek refuge among the
law-abiding citizens of Iraq," U.S. military spokeswoman Maj. April Olsen
said.
The arrest was reported amid an Iraqi offensive against Al Qaida on the
eve of elections on March 7. At least 40 people were killed in Al
Qaida-directed bombings, grenade and mortar attacks in Baghdad, Diyala,
Faluja, Kirkuk and Mosul during Election Day.
"I think these are miserable and desperate attempts, which did not
affect the atmosphere of the elections," Iraqi security spokesman Maj. Gen.
Qassim Atta said.
Officials said the Al Qaida cell commander was captured in the northern
city of Suleimaniya on Feb. 24. They said the unidentified operative had
fled from Ramadi, where he was wanted for insurgency strikes in the Anbar
province.
Officials said the detainee was also identified as a commander for Al
Qaida in the cities of Baghdad and Mosul. They said he was also linked to
the Al Qaida-aligned Ansar Al Sunna.
Authorities have reported the arrest of numerous Al Qaida suspects on
the eve of the elections. On March 3, eight Islamic insurgency suspects were
captured in four security operations in central and northern Iraq.
The Al Qaida cells were said to have been conducting both criminal and
insurgency activities. Officials said Al Qaida has become increasingly
dependent on robberies and abductions to finance the insurgency against the
government of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki.
