Al Baghdadi Says Iraqi Security Lied About His Arrest Yet Again

The leader of The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) Abu Omar al Baghdadi released a new audio statement today, proving that he was not in the custody of the Iraqi military as was claimed.

"Everyone was shocked at the lies of the rulers of the Baath party palaces in the green zone and they once again claimed that they arrested me in Baghdad," said the man, who sounded like al Baghdadi. "They even produced the photograph of a man who has been tortured. We don't know where they got this photograph from, nor who this man was," he added.

The Iraqi military spokesperson Major General Qassim Atta had announced on April 23rd that al Baghdadi was captured by the army in Rasafa after weeks of surveillance. The U.S. military said it could not confirm the news, but Atta held a press conference in Baghdad the next day, and presented a photograph of a man in his late thirties, claiming it was of al Baghdadi.

In 17-minute audiotape released by the group's media wing al Furqan, al Baghdadi seized the opportunity to stress on the deceitful ways of "rejectionist rulers" and urged Sunnis never to trust or believe them. He assured them of victory and urged fellow militants to pursue their offensive called "Harvest of the Goodness." He also appealed to Iraqi Sunnis to take part in jihad or provide support to the militants.