July 14, 2005

Al Qaeda Arrest in Iraq Linked to Murder of Egyptian Ambassador

Good news from Iraq. It looks like we may have got the man responsible for the murder of Egyptian Ambassador Ihab al-Sherif. That's two al Qaeda cell leaders caught in the last week. Off with their heads!

AP:

The U.S. military on Thursday announced the capture of two key members of Iraq's most-feared terror group, including one suspected in the kidnap-slaying of an Egyptian envoy and attacks on senior diplomats from Pakistan and Bahrain.

Khamis Farhan Khalaf Abd al-Fahdawi, known as Abu Seba, was arrested last Saturday following operations in the Ramadi area west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said in a statement.

He was accused of involvement in the abduction and killing of Egypt's top envoy in Iraq and attacks on Pakistani and Bahraini diplomats earlier this month.

"Seba served as a senior lieutenant of al-Qaida in Iraq, and is suspected in attacks against diplomats of Bahrain, Pakistan and the recent murder of Egyptian envoy, Ihab Salah al Din Ahmad al-Sherif," the U.S. statement said. "Al-Qaida ordered the attacks against Arab diplomats in an effort to reduce support for the government of Iraq according to a military spokesman."

Another al-Qaida in Iraq lieutenant, Abdullah Ibrahim Mohammed Hassan al Shadad, or Abu Abdul Aziz, was captured Sunday, the command said. It said Abu Abdul Aziz was a top lieutenant of al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and served as operations officer for the group.

The statement said Abu Abdul Aziz was cooperating with coalition forces.

Hat tip: YBP

By Rusty Shackleford, Ph.D. at 10:53 AM | |