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No. 2 al-Qaida leader in Iraq arrested

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coolkatz321

Senior member
Story

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi and coalition forces have arrested the second most senior figure in al-Qaida in
Iraq, Iraq's national security adviser announced on Sunday, saying the group now suffered from a "serious leadership crisis."
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Hamed Jumaa Farid al-Saeedi, known as Abu Humam or Abu Rana, was captured north of Baghdad a few days ago "along with another group of his aides and followers," Mouwafak al-Rubaie said.

He was the second most important al-Qaida in Iraq leader after Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who took over the group after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed by a U.S. air strike north of Baghdad on June 7, al-Rubaie said.

"We believe that al-Qaida in Iraq suffers from a serious leadership crisis. Our troops have dealt fatal and painful blows to this organization," the security adviser said.

Al-Saeedi was "directly responsible" for Haitham Sabah Shaker Mohammed al-Badri, the alleged mastermind of the February bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, al-Rubaie added without elaborating.

The bombing inflamed tensions between Shiite and Sunni Muslims and triggered reprisal attacks that have killed hundreds of Iraqis and continue to this day. Al-Badri remains at large.

"Al-Saeedi carried out al-Qaida's policies in Iraq and the orders of the slain al-Zarqawi to incite sectarian violence in the country, through attempting to start a civil war between Shiites and Sunnis ? but their wishes did not materialize," al-Rubaie added.

A senior coalition official told The Associated Press that coalition forces were involved in al-Saeedi's arrest, although the official would not characterize what role they played.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because announcements were being made by Iraqi authorities, said al-Saeedi had been arrested along with three other individuals southwest of Baqouba.

Al-Saeedi "claims to be responsible for more attacks than he can remember" and has been involved in the insurgency almost from its beginning three years ago, the official said.

The U.S.-led coalition has announced numerous arrests of terrorists following the death of al-Zarqawi that officials claim have thrown al-Qaida in Iraq into disarray.

But rampant sectarian violence and other attacks have continued. At least 16 Iraqis and two U.S. soldiers were killed Sunday in bomb attacks and shootings nationwide.

Al-Rubaie said al-Saeedi was arrested "along with another group of his aides and followers," and that after his arrest, he gave information that led to the capture or death of 11 other top al-Qaida in Iraq figures and nine lower-level members.

The security adviser said those arrested included non-Iraqi Arabs, but he would not give any further information for security reasons.

Al-Rubaie said that according to Iraqi authorities' information, al-Qaida in Iraq was being financed from both within the country and from abroad, "but the major finance is coming from outside Iraq."

Al-Saeedi was arrested as he was hiding in a residential building, the security adviser said, accusing the terror suspect of trying to use "children and women as human shields," al-Rubaie said, adding that no casualties occurred during the arrest.

After his arrest, al-Saeedi said al-Qaida in Iraq was cooperating with supporters of former Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein "in the fields of exchanging information and logistic support," the security adviser said.

After al-Zarqawi was killed, authorities obtained information indicating that al-Saeedi had been operating in northern Salahuddin province, then moved on to operate outside Baqouba, the same area where al-Zarqawi was killed, al-Rubaie said.

Al-Saeedi "supervised terrorist groups that kidnapped people for ransom, and killed policemen after they received their salaries in order to finance terrorist operations," the security adviser said. "He used to order terrorist operations using mortars and roadside bombs, which led to the killing of several troops and innocent civilians."

He said al-Saeedi also supervised the creation of death squads and ordered assassinations, bombings, kidnappings and attacks on Iraqi police and army checkpoints.

Al-Saeedi's capture "will affect al-Qaida in Iraq and its operations against our people, especially those aimed at inciting sectarian strife," al-Rubaie said.

Tensions, meanwhile, brewed in the north, after Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani on Friday ordered the Iraqi national flag to be replaced with the Kurdish one in his northern autonomous region.

The move has troubled Sunni Arabs, who fear Kurds are pushing for secession under the nation's new federal system.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's office issued said Sunday that the national flag "is the only one which must be hoisted on each bit of Iraq's land."

A spokesman for the Kurdistan government defended his government's decision.

"We consider that this flag represents the ideology of the Baath Party" of Saddam Hussein, Khalid Saleh said. "And this regime has collapsed."

In other developments, reported by police on Sunday:

? An overnight mortar attack east of the capital killed six people, including two children, and wounded 15.

? A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol in eastern Baghdad killed two policemen and a civilian and wounded three policemen.

? Gunmen killed two policemen in a civilian car and wounded a third in Baqouba.

? A car bomb also killed three people in Baqouba.

? A civilian was gunned down and killed in a drive-by shooting in Amarah, 200 miles southeast of Baghdad.

? A suicide car bomb struck a police patrol in the northern city of Mosul, killing two policemen and wounding five people.

___

Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Rebecca Santana and Rawya Rageh in Baghdad contributed to this report.Text
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At this point I think it will have no impact at all. Iraq is a disaster anyway...
 
"Al-Saeedi was arrested as he was hiding in a residential building, the security adviser said, accusing the terror suspect of trying to use "children and women as human shields," al-Rubaie said, adding that no casualties occurred during the arrest. "


Despicable.

 
"They" also can listen in on regular and cell phones, read license plates from space and see in the dark and into infra-red. There is no restrictions outside the U.S. as to how the "Great Satan" may proceed to monitor, track and arrest subjects.

IF this guy is who "They" say he is, you can bet your undershorts he's a bad-guy. As to what effect his arrest will have? Who knows?
 
Yea! the six thousand, seven hunderd and seventy-third # 2.

It's like their version of American Idol or Survivor.
 
Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Wow you'd think Al Qaeda would be running out of NO. 2's we've caught or killed so many of them.
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Not true-it's the number 3 guy that we are always getting.
 
Originally posted by: coolkatz321
He was the second most important al-Qaida in Iraq leader after Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who took over the group after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed by a U.S. air strike north of Baghdad on June 7, al-Rubaie said.
Click to expand...

Abu Ayyub al-Masri? Isn't that the guy that's supposed to have been in an Egyptian jail for the last seven years?

Meh...There's too much disinformation and lies being spread by both sides now a days. Can't trust either of them to tell the truth.
 
I feel sorry for the guy in charge of printing the Al-Qaida organizational charts.

Sooner or later the #3 guy is going to say "nah, I am not ready for a promotion yet, pick someone else."
 
Yet another #2. Oh, the unlimited mileage the administration gets out of them. But it really Hertz to be stuck on this number. I've got reservations.
 

Mission Accomplished. Absolute complete failure.


Iraqi soccer star abducted; 35 bullet-riddled bodies found By REBECCA SANTANA, Associated Press Writer, 15 minutes ago, Monday, Sept, 4, 2006.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A popular Iraqi soccer star was kidnapped and 35 bullet-riddled bodies were found in Iraq on Monday, a day after Iraqi officials touted the capture of al-Qaida in Iraq's No. 2 leader as a move to reduce violence in the country.

The U.S. military announced the deaths of five more American troops, including a soldier who was killed by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad on Monday.

A roadside bomb also killed two British soldiers and seriously wounded a third in Ad Dayr, north of the southern city of Basra, British military spokesman Maj. Charlie Burbridge said.

Authorities found 33 bodies of people who had been shot to death, all showing signs of torture, dumped around several neighborhoods in Baghdad, police said. The bodies, all of men, were blindfolded and their feet and hands were tied.

In Kut, 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, police found another two bodies dumped on a highway. Both had been shot in the head and chest, said Maamoun Ajil al-Robaiei from the morgue at Kut hospital.

Elsewhere in the capital, Ghanim Ghudayer, 22, considered one of the best players in Baghdad's Air Force Club, was abducted Sunday evening by unknown assailants, some who were wearing military uniforms, police said.

The head of the Air Force Club, Samir Kadhim, said the player, who also was on Iraq's Olympic team, had planned to leave for Syria in two or three days to join a new team there. Iraqi sports officials and athletes have frequently faced threats, kidnappings and killings.

At least two people also were killed and six were wounded in and around Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, in shootings and bomb attacks.

The violence came a day after Iraq's national security adviser announced the capture of al-Qaida in Iraq deputy Hamed Jumaa Farid al-Saeedi, also known as Abu Humam or Abu Rana, saying the arrest has left the terror group facing a "serious leadership crisis."

"Our troops have dealt fatal and painful blows to this organization," Mouwafak al-Rubaie said Sunday.

The Iraqi Defense Ministry also announced on Monday that 15 people believed to have been involved in insurgent activities were killed over the last 24 hours by Iraqi army units.

Al-Rubaie accused al-Saeedi, who he said was arrested a few days ago, of supervising the creation of death squads and ordering assassinations, bombings, kidnappings and attacks on Iraqi police and army checkpoints.

While it may be too soon to say what the effect will be of al-Saeedi's capture, sectarian violence and other attacks have continued after the arrests or killing of other high-ranking figures, including ousted leader Saddam Hussein.

Not much is known about al-Saeedi, but al-Rubaie said he was the second most important al-Qaida in Iraq leader after Abu Ayyub al-Masri. Al-Masri is believed to have taken over the group after a U.S. air strike killed al-Zarqawi in June.

Al-Rubaie said al-Saeedi was "directly responsible" for the man whom authorities have accused of leading the Feb. 22 bombing against the Shiite shrine in Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad. The attack inflamed tensions between Shiite and Sunni Muslims and triggered reprisal attacks that have killed hundreds of Iraqis.

A senior coalition official told The Associated Press that coalition forces were involved in al-Saeedi's arrest, but would not give details on what role they played.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because announcements were being made by Iraqi authorities, said al-Saeedi had been arrested near Baqouba. The official said al-Saeedi has been involved in the insurgency almost from its infancy three years ago.

Al-Rubaie said al-Saeedi gave information that led to the capture or death of 11 other top al-Qaida in Iraq figures and nine lower-level members.

The national security adviser also said the operation to arrest al-Saeedi "is a great military lesson that shows that our security forces have become very competent."

But disagreements continued in the handover of the country's armed forces command from the U.S.-led coalition to Iraq, with the Defense Ministry saying a ceremony to mark the transition had been postponed indefinitely.

The highly anticipated ceremony, which was to have marked the formal transfer of control of Iraq's armed forces to the government, had been scheduled for Saturday but was called off at the last minute.

The two sides still need "to complete some legal and protocol procedures that will lead to a complete understanding between the Iraqi government and the multinational troops," the Defense Ministry said.

Handing over control from the coalition to Iraqi authorities is a key part of any eventual drawdown of U.S. troops in the country.

by a roadside bomb north of Baghad, while a second soldier died of non-combat related injuries, the military said.

It also said a roadside bomb killed a soldier near Mosul, and two American Marines were killed in the volatile Anbar province on Sunday.

In other violence, according to police:

? Two suicide bombers slammed into a checkpoint on the outskirts of Baghdad, killing an Iraqi soldier and wounding eight.

? Gunmen killed Maj. Gen. Mohammad Thumeil, who served in former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's military, in Ramadi, 70 miles northwest of the capital.

? Gunmen clashed with Iraqi forces for about seven hours in Musayyib, 40 miles south of Baghdad, leaving one Iraqi soldier dead and about 100 gunmen arrested.

An American soldier was killed Monday
 
Originally posted by: maluckey
As to what effect his arrest will have? Who knows?
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I'm going to guess more of the same

Mr al-Fayez identified the gunman as Nabil Ahmad, a Jordanian in his late 30s and a resident of the industrial town of Zarqa, on the eastern outskirts of the capital, saying initial leads suggested he acted on his own.

Zarqa is the impoverished hometown of slain al-Qaeda frontman Abu Musab al-Zarqaw
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'Terrorist' opens fire on tourists

 
Isn't that kind of the idea?
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That is the entire point...if you look at the evolution of militant Islam, the leaders of this movement have managed to keep themselves safely out of the line of fire...relying on the willingness of others to "die for Allah." They have always remained one step away from the death and violence they create.

The strategy we are attempting to promote is one of fear within these groups...that their own people may be snitches to coalition forces...and that coalition forces have managed to infilitrate their networks...as others have said, sure we keep catching the #2 guy...but eventually, Al Quaida will find itself running out of people willing to raise their hand as designated "leaders of the jihad." This cycle of distrust and betrayal will hopefully one day lead us to Bin Laden.

We are attempting to create an implosion from within, much as the FBI did to the mafia in the 70s.
 
Originally posted by: Starbuck1975
Isn't that kind of the idea?
Click to expand...
That is the entire point...if you look at the evolution of militant Islam, the leaders of this movement have managed to keep themselves safely out of the line of fire...relying on the willingness of others to "die for Allah." They have always remained one step away from the death and violence they create.

The strategy we are attempting to promote is one of fear within these groups...that their own people may be snitches to coalition forces...and that coalition forces have managed to infilitrate their networks...as others have said, sure we keep catching the #2 guy...but eventually, Al Quaida will find itself running out of people willing to raise their hand as designated "leaders of the jihad." This cycle of distrust and betrayal will hopefully one day lead us to Bin Laden.

We are attempting to create an implosion from within, much as the FBI did to the mafia in the 70s.
Click to expand...

That may be a good idea, but I'm not convinced that's what we're doing. I won't deny that leaders are getting arrested and that other good things are happening in Iraq, but the idea that it's part of some overall strategy doesn't make a lot of sense to me. After all, NO ONE in the Bush administration has ever said anything to that effect, and you have to believe that they would be milking that for all it was worth if it was their idea or their plan.

But even then, I'm not really convinced we're getting the right people. The way terrorist organizations work is not like how the mafia operates, what we've seen so far is that as soon as we take out some leader, another guy takes his place. We've taken out how many of them without peace seeming to be any closer? The REAL people we should be going after are the people financing their operations, otherwise they are just a bunch of poor, dumb, angry people. And yet for some reason we're not doing that...
 
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: Starbuck1975
Isn't that kind of the idea?
Click to expand...
That is the entire point...if you look at the evolution of militant Islam, the leaders of this movement have managed to keep themselves safely out of the line of fire...relying on the willingness of others to "die for Allah." They have always remained one step away from the death and violence they create.

The strategy we are attempting to promote is one of fear within these groups...that their own people may be snitches to coalition forces...and that coalition forces have managed to infilitrate their networks...as others have said, sure we keep catching the #2 guy...but eventually, Al Quaida will find itself running out of people willing to raise their hand as designated "leaders of the jihad." This cycle of distrust and betrayal will hopefully one day lead us to Bin Laden.

We are attempting to create an implosion from within, much as the FBI did to the mafia in the 70s.
Click to expand...

That may be a good idea, but I'm not convinced that's what we're doing. I won't deny that leaders are getting arrested and that other good things are happening in Iraq, but the idea that it's part of some overall strategy doesn't make a lot of sense to me. After all, NO ONE in the Bush administration has ever said anything to that effect, and you have to believe that they would be milking that for all it was worth if it was their idea or their plan.
Click to expand...

The admin has shown on many occasions the hierarchy of AQ and who they have taken out. I think it is and has been quite obvious they have been targetting the leadership of the organization since 2001.

But even then, I'm not really convinced we're getting the right people. The way terrorist organizations work is not like how the mafia operates, what we've seen so far is that as soon as we take out some leader, another guy takes his place. We've taken out how many of them without peace seeming to be any closer? The REAL people we should be going after are the people financing their operations, otherwise they are just a bunch of poor, dumb, angry people. And yet for some reason we're not doing that...
Click to expand...

The Mafia worked the same way fundamentally, eventually you take out enough talent and the replacements lower the bar and the organization crumbles from within. It may not happen tomorrow, next month or even next year. But eventually the pool of talent will run thin.

Financing is another big thing we need to work on. I think targetting the grunts on the ground is not a good idea but will continue to happen as we engage them.
 
Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Wow you'd think Al Qaeda would be running out of NO. 2's we've caught or killed so many of them.
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Yeah, it's hard to get really excited over this when seemingly drop a #2 ever day.
 
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: Starbuck1975
Isn't that kind of the idea?
Click to expand...
That is the entire point...if you look at the evolution of militant Islam, the leaders of this movement have managed to keep themselves safely out of the line of fire...relying on the willingness of others to "die for Allah." They have always remained one step away from the death and violence they create.

The strategy we are attempting to promote is one of fear within these groups...that their own people may be snitches to coalition forces...and that coalition forces have managed to infilitrate their networks...as others have said, sure we keep catching the #2 guy...but eventually, Al Quaida will find itself running out of people willing to raise their hand as designated "leaders of the jihad." This cycle of distrust and betrayal will hopefully one day lead us to Bin Laden.

We are attempting to create an implosion from within, much as the FBI did to the mafia in the 70s.
Click to expand...

That may be a good idea, but I'm not convinced that's what we're doing. I won't deny that leaders are getting arrested and that other good things are happening in Iraq, but the idea that it's part of some overall strategy doesn't make a lot of sense to me. After all, NO ONE in the Bush administration has ever said anything to that effect, and you have to believe that they would be milking that for all it was worth if it was their idea or their plan.
Click to expand...

The admin has shown on many occasions the hierarchy of AQ and who they have taken out. I think it is and has been quite obvious they have been targetting the leadership of the organization since 2001.
Click to expand...

I freely admit that those guys seem to be getting taken out, I'm just saying I'm not so sure it's part of some big plan for beating those organizations...the topic only seems to come up when we bag one, nobody is talking about it the rest of the time. Makes me think it's just good use of an opportunity.
But even then, I'm not really convinced we're getting the right people. The way terrorist organizations work is not like how the mafia operates, what we've seen so far is that as soon as we take out some leader, another guy takes his place. We've taken out how many of them without peace seeming to be any closer? The REAL people we should be going after are the people financing their operations, otherwise they are just a bunch of poor, dumb, angry people. And yet for some reason we're not doing that...
Click to expand...

The Mafia worked the same way fundamentally, eventually you take out enough talent and the replacements lower the bar and the organization crumbles from within. It may not happen tomorrow, next month or even next year. But eventually the pool of talent will run thin.

Financing is another big thing we need to work on. I think targetting the grunts on the ground is not a good idea but will continue to happen as we engage them.
Click to expand...

The problem with taking out the pool of talent is that, unlike the Mafia, our actions are doing a lot for recruitment...there seems to be a good chance we're refilling the pool faster than we're emptying it. Granted, the new recruits won't all be bin Laden material, but I still think that's a fundamental issue we haven't addressed very well (if at all).

Targetting the grunts is only useful in the extent that it keeps the gears turning, we're never going to kill enough front-line terrorists to make very much of an impact, but it IS a necessary part of the conflict. As for the money, I think we can at least agree on that.
 
Originally posted by: Rainsford
The problem with taking out the pool of talent is that, unlike the Mafia, our actions are doing a lot for recruitment...there seems to be a good chance we're refilling the pool faster than we're emptying it. Granted, the new recruits won't all be bin Laden material, but I still think that's a fundamental issue we haven't addressed very well (if at all).

Targetting the grunts is only useful in the extent that it keeps the gears turning, we're never going to kill enough front-line terrorists to make very much of an impact, but it IS a necessary part of the conflict. As for the money, I think we can at least agree on that.
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I think you are forgetting a lesson from history. During World War 2 Germany produced more tanks and aircraft and had more men in uniform during 1944 than during any other year during the war, but they still lost territory.
That was because the men who were entering the army and especially the air force were not being trained as well and far more importantly their leaders were dying off due to battles.

A similar thing is happening now in war on terror. They may be recruiting as fast as we are killing them, but the new recruits will be no where near as good as the ones we are killing. This is especially important in the skilled positions, such as leadership and bomb building. The Israelis know this well, that is why they are constantly going after bomb making factories in Gaza and the West Bank, the people with the skills to make bombs are more important to Hamas and in lesser supply than leadership and willing suicide bombers.

If we keep killing off their leaders and new recruits eventually the "resistance" army will collapse, as the German army did in 1945. At that point we will still have to deal with hundreds, if not thousands, of crazies running around with guns, but their ability to achieve any real goal will disappear.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_tank_production_during_World_War_II
http://www.feldgrau.com/stats.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WW2_aircraft_production
 
I think the problem with this theory is that the Germans were winning huge and then they were clearly losing twice as huge; ergo the production levels were moot. In the current fight, the resistance was never winning, now they are winning... that gives you a sheet load of confidence. Totally different dynamic. Momentum is huge.

One more thing; was this #2 guy the four of Diamonds or the seven of Clubs. I need to reshuffle my deck.
 
"can't wait to see how that idiot Bush spins this..."

-takes one to know one, that''s pretty cold to call your own president an idiot. have some pride in the country. not everyday we see someone who is willing to get up on the stand, compared to how many people enjoy trash talking but refuses to find a solution, let alone take action of a possible resolving solution. if you could be president right now, what would you do in order to not be a president where the word idiot would not apply to you?

call me names if you want, say that he did this and that. it's not going to change anything about how people enjoy name calling. when I was in high school, it was perhaps the only habbit so many students could find doing if they couldn't fix their minds to getting over someone they disliked. so instead of trying to hold themselves together, they'd blurt out so many things that most of it started not making sense to anybody, and actually backwashed themselves into looking stupid.

problem: you're name calling

solution: fix the tounge or forever hold your peace when someone decides to punish you for the habbit.
 
Originally posted by: fire400
"can't wait to see how that idiot Bush spins this..."

-takes one to know one, that''s pretty cold to call your own president an idiot. have some pride in the country. not everyday we see someone who is willing to get up on the stand, compared to how many people enjoy trash talking but refuses to find a solution, let alone take action of a possible resolving solution. if you could be president right now, what would you do in order to not be a president where the word idiot would not apply to you?

call me names if you want, say that he did this and that. it's not going to change anything about how people enjoy name calling. when I was in high school, it was perhaps the only habbit so many students could find doing if they couldn't fix their minds to getting over someone they disliked. so instead of trying to hold themselves together, they'd blurt out so many things that most of it started not making sense to anybody, and actually backwashed themselves into looking stupid.

problem: you're name calling

solution: fix the tounge or forever hold your peace when someone decides to punish you for the habbit.
Click to expand...

Well, I could call him "competant" or "capable", but I would be lying.
 
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