Sunday, September 03, 2006
Deputy al-Qaeda leader arrested
Insurgency
Iraqi forces have arrested the second most senior operative in al-Qaeda in Iraq, and the group now suffers from a "serious leadership crisis," according to Mouwaffak al-Rubaie, the national security adviser.
Hamed Jumaa Farid al-Saeedi, known as Abu Humam or Abu Rana, was arrested a few days ago, Mouwaffak al-Rubaie said, adding that his arrest also led to the capture or death of 11 other top al-Qaida in Iraq figures and nine lower-level members.
He was the second most important al-Qaida in Iraq leader after Abu Ayyub al-Masri, al-Rubaie said. Al-Masri succeeded Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike north of Baghdad on June 7.
COMMENT: al-Qaeda in Iraq operates in an assymetrical manner, it is unlikely that they have a hierarchy similar to Western militaries, and more probable that they operate in small splinter groups with a common objective. It is plausible that the group were prepared for such eventualities and had contingency plans in place. COMMENT ENDS.
Iraqi forces have arrested the second most senior operative in al-Qaeda in Iraq, and the group now suffers from a "serious leadership crisis," according to Mouwaffak al-Rubaie, the national security adviser.
Hamed Jumaa Farid al-Saeedi, known as Abu Humam or Abu Rana, was arrested a few days ago, Mouwaffak al-Rubaie said, adding that his arrest also led to the capture or death of 11 other top al-Qaida in Iraq figures and nine lower-level members.
He was the second most important al-Qaida in Iraq leader after Abu Ayyub al-Masri, al-Rubaie said. Al-Masri succeeded Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike north of Baghdad on June 7.
COMMENT: al-Qaeda in Iraq operates in an assymetrical manner, it is unlikely that they have a hierarchy similar to Western militaries, and more probable that they operate in small splinter groups with a common objective. It is plausible that the group were prepared for such eventualities and had contingency plans in place. COMMENT ENDS.
