Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Islamic State denies capture of leader
Insurgency
(SITE) Media reports on Sunday, March 4, cited Iraqi Interior Ministry officials as claiming the arrest of Muharib Mohammed Abdullah, believed to be Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, in a joint raid by Iraqi and U.S. soldiers in Duluiyah, in Salah al-Din governorate. The following day, conflicting reports indicated the arrest of between two and four accomplices of Baghdadi, as well as doubt regarding Baghdadi’s capture.
The Islamic State of Iraq issued a statement to jihadist forums on Tuesday, March 6, 2007, denying recent claims by the Iraqi Ministry of Interior that the Emir of the Believers, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, and those close to him were arrested by Iraqi security forces. This allegation, the group insists, is the latest in invented stories by the “infidel Maliki government”. The Islamic State assures that all leading officials and responsible people of the group are with their families, and if something did in fact happen to a leader, an official announcement would have been made. They remind that jihad is based on “doctrine and belief” and not on specific men, meaning that it will not cease even if a leader is killed or arrested.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, arrest, Duluiyah, Islamic State of Iraq, Ministry of Interior
