January 12, 2009
Top Ansar al-Sunnah Terrorist Captured
Good news if it pans out. Ansar al-Sunnah (alt spelling: Ansar al-Sunna) was the chief rival of al Qaeda in Iraq for sheer brutality. Both groups were on the cutting edge of beheading hostages. While AQI focused on high profile foreigners, Ansar al-Sunna specialized in capturing truck drivers and other civilians and then brutally beheading them, with the occasional dozen or two off duty cops thrown in for good measure.
Not surprising, since both AQI and Ansar are both offshoots of Ansar al-Islam which once sheltered Abu Musab al-Zaraqawi in the long forgotten days when Saddam Hussein was in power. After Hussein fell, Zarqawi went out on his own and the rest, as they say, is history.
A side note here is that over the past year Ansar al-Sunnah began to call itself Ansar al-Islam once again. Significance? None that I can find, but worth noting nonetheless for those that follow the ins and outs of Salafi terror organization in Iraq.
Let's hope Tha'ir Kadhim Sraiwi gets what he deserves.
BBC:
Iraqi security forces say they have captured leading Sunni militant Tha'ir Kadhim Sraiwi.Mr Sraiwi is thought to be the leader of militant group Ansar al Sunna, believed to be behind a Baghdad market bombing in 2008 which killed 40 people.
Mr Sraiwi is also wanted for the killing of 17 off-duty policemen in 2006, authorities said.
On a related note MEMRI reports that several Iraqi politicians have been tied to Sraiwi.
By Rusty at January 12, 2009 06:45 PM | | l digg this
