BAGHDAD, July 18, 2007
U.S.: Key Al Qaeda In Iraq Figure Caught
Military Claims Man Known As Abu Shahid Is Most Senior Iraqi Within Insurgent Group
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Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, also known as Abu Shahid, was captured in Mosul on July 4, according to a U.S. military spokesman. (Getty Images/Ali Al-Saadi)
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Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, also known as Abu Shahid, was captured in Mosul on July 4, said Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a military spokesman.
"Al-Mashhadani is believed to be the most senior Iraqi in the al Qaeda in Iraq network," Bergner said. He said al-Mashhadani was a close associate of Abu Ayub al-Masri, the Egyptian-born head of al Qaeda in Iraq.
Bergner said al-Mashhadani served as an intermediary between al-Masri and Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri.
"In fact, communication between the senior al Qaeda leadership and al-Masri frequently went through al-Mashhadani," Bergner said. He added: "There is a clear connection between al Qaeda in Iraq and al Qaeda senior leadership outside Iraq."
The degree of control and supervision between bin Laden's inner circle and the Iraq branch has been the subject of debate, with some private analysts believing the foreign-based leadership plays a minor role in day to day operations.
Some have suggested that linking al Qaeda in Iraq to bin Laden is simply an attempt to justify the Iraq war as an extension of the global conflict that began with the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
But the U.S. military has insisted that there are links between the local al Qaeda group and the bin Laden clique and has released captured letters from time to time, suggesting the foreign-based leaders provide at least broad direction.
Pointing to the foreign influence in al Qaeda also undermines support for the organization among nationalistically minded Iraqis, including some in insurgent groups that have broken with al Qaeda.
Bergner said that al-Mashhadani and al-Masri "co-founded a virtual organization in cyberspace called the Islamic State of Iraq in 2006."
"The Islamic State of Iraq is the latest efforts by al Qaeda to market itself and its goal of imposing a Taliban-like state on the Iraqi people," Bergner said.
In Web postings, the Islamic State of Iraq has identified its leader as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, with al-Masri as minister of war. There are no known photos of al-Baghdadi.
Bergner said al-Mashhadani had told interrogators that al-Baghdadi is a "fictional role" created by al-Masri and that an actor is used for audio recordings of speeches posted on the Web.
"In his words, the Islamic State of Iraq is a front organization that masks the foreign influence and leadership within al Qaeda in Iraq in an attempt to put an Iraqi face on the leadership of al Qaeda in Iraq," Bergner said.
For several months some Arabic language Web sites had identified al-Baghdadi as "Khaled al-Mashhadani" or "Abu Zayd al-Mashhadani."
Bergner said al-Mashhadani had told interrogators that al Qaeda leaders outside the country "continue to provide directions, they continue to provide a focus for operations, they continue to flow foreign fighters into Iraq."
He said al-Mashhadani was a leader of the militant Ansar al-Sunnah group before joining al Qaeda in Iraq 2½ years ago. Al-Mashhadani served as the al Qaeda media chief for Baghdad and then was appointed the media chief for the whole country.
Al Qaeda in Iraq was proclaimed in 2004 by Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who led a group called Tawhid and Jihad, responsible for the beheading of several foreign hostages, whose final moments were captured on videotapes provided to Arab television stations.
Al-Zarqawi posted Web statements declaring his allegiance to bin Laden and began using the name of al Qaeda in Iraq. Al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Diyala province in June 2006 and was replaced by al-Masri.
In other developments:
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Add a Comment See all 167 Comments
- Where is his network? Was he just wandering around all by his lonesome? This is an absurd story or testimony to incompetence. Nothing was accomplished in this capture--or any of the other alleged captures and kills of number twos and number threes of the alleged al Qaeda in Iraq. In fact, according to the Pentagon story board, al Qaeda is growing by leaps and bounds. (If one buys the lie that all the insurgent attacks are really 'al Qaeda.')
The Washington Regime is nothing but a pack of loathsome, lying swine. Troops Home Now!! Down with the Usurpers!! - Reply to this comment
- SIGN THE PETITIONS!!!
help end fascist nazi terrorislam apartheid
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http://www.dhimmi.com/action_campus.htm
http://www.dhimmi.com/action_community.htm - Reply to this comment
- Don't worry, you guys have no credibility here-the only ones who agree with your anti-american, pro-muslim diatribes are other muslims and lunatic leftists who hold the same views. The rest of us see through your bs.
Posted by ban_islam at 03:16 AM : Jul 19, 2007
Awwwwwww, but you still love us! Come here and give us a big sloppy wet kiss!
LOL! - Reply to this comment
- Time for you to show some support for our troops, Adolf.Posted by mcdazz
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What 'support for the troops have you shown'? Bring them home so the smelly inferior ragheads can claim victory in iraq over a superpower?
I've shown my support and you still haven't clued in-sorry I can't spell it out for you since you're too stupid to get it. It seems Al Qaeda didn't prepare you well enough to banter in the English language, kinda like those muslim terrorists who just wanted to know how to fly a plane, but not land it. lol Anyways, I'd have this battle of wits with you but you're obviously unarmed.
And your cheerleader randalDS was trained by the same 'English for Dummy-terrorist' course, so I'll just let you pansies go back to suking each other's tiny co.cks and defending your fragile egos on this message board.
Don't worry, you guys have no credibility here-the only ones who agree with your anti-american, pro-muslim diatribes are other muslims and lunatic leftists who hold the same views. The rest of us see through your bs. - Reply to this comment
- ZEITGEISTmovie.com, ZEITGEISTmovie.com, ZEITGEISTmovie.com, every skeptical and every republican should watch it, of course Democrats should not be excluded. It's skin scolding.
Thanks fascistusa for this posting.
-With all this I'll never be able to sleep without having the American People remove this tyrant spokesperson whom I called from the beginning the George Walking-Liar Bush.
Again ZEITGEISTmovie.com juste copy/paste in your URL. - Reply to this comment
- RandalDS wrote:
"Oh and mcdazz I didn't mean to interrupt your fun. You can go back to kicking the cr*ap out of mouthy little POS now. Kick his nuts a few time for me....oooppppps....I forgot...Bush supporters have no balls or they'd be in Iraq themselves. Never mind.
Have fun!"
Go for it, I say.
Anyway, I always feel guilty when I pick on Republicans/neocons.
I was always told to be nice to people with "special needs". - Reply to this comment
- Oh and mcdazz I didn't mean to interrupt your fun. You can go back to kicking the cr*ap out of mouthy little POS now. Kick his nuts a few time for me....oooppppps....I forgot...Bush supporters have no balls or they'd be in Iraq themselves. Never mind.
Have fun!
;-) - Reply to this comment
- Since you hate america and love terrorists so much, why don't you strap on a bomb and martyr yourself for your imaginary demon-god and claim your 72 virgins? Touche.
Posted by ban_islam at 10:56 PM : Jul 18, 2007
You can't say touche' unless someone scores a point on you and you wish to compliment them. Saying touche' when you think you've scored a point is not proper and is not done. Of course after reading many of your posts I can see why you feel the need to say it here, since you're obviously never going to get anyone to compliment you for scoring any points. Because you haven't yet. - Reply to this comment
- ban_islam wrote:
"You know what's funny? I don't need to explicitly state my support for my troops since its implicit in my defense of the West and my disdain for Islam.
In the same way you don't need to explicitly state your support for Islamofascism because its implicit in your defense of muslims and hate for americans."
Wow - you really are so pathetic that you believe that anyone who doesn't follow your chosen path (ie being an ignorant, dim witted, piece of excrement, Republican neocon) is automatically a muslim.
Still, I'd expect nothing better from someone without an ounce of freewill or intelligence.
Did you even finish 8th grade level? 7th? 6th? Or did the KKK pull you out earlier and turn you into their b!tch?
Regardless, like I said - you are a troll with nothing better to do.
And still, you fail to show your support for our troops.
Time for you to show some support for our troops, Adolf. - Reply to this comment
- Why don't you support our troops? Why won't you answer the question? Posted by mcdazz
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You know what's funny? I don't need to explicitly state my support for my troops since its implicit in my defense of the West and my disdain for Islam.
In the same way you don't need to explicitly state your support for Islamofascism because its implicit in your defense of muslims and hate for americans.
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So, everyone who doesn't agree with you or Bush "Hates America" ?? Posted by j-whitman
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That's how it'd appear to a pea-brain like you since your mind can't handle discussions above an 8th grade level. - Reply to this comment
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