http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ_AL_QAIDA?SITE=CODER&SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-09-03-07-16-32
Sep 3, 7:16 AM EDT
No. 2 al-Qaida leader in Iraq arrested
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press Writer
AP Photo/KARIM KADIM
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Iraqi forces have arrested the second most senior
operative in al-Qaida in Iraq, and the group now suffers from a "serious
leadership crisis," the national security adviser said Sunday.
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.
"We believe that al-Qaida in Iraq suffers from a serious leadership crisis. Our
troops have dealt fatal and painful blows to this organization," the security
adviser said.
Al-Saeedi was "directly responsible" for the person who carried out the bombing
of a Shiite shrine in Samarra in February, al-Rubaie added. The bombing
inflamed tensions between Shiite and Sunni Muslims and triggered reprisal
attacks that continue still.
"Al-Saeedi carried out al-Qaida's policies in Iraq and the orders of the slain
al-Zarqawi to incite sectarian violence in the country, through attempting to
start a civil war between Shiites and Sunnis - but their wishes did not
materialize," al-Rubaie added.
After his arrest, al-Saeedi gave up information that led to the arrest or death
of 11 top al-Qaida in Iraq figures and nine lower-level members, he added. He
would not reveal the identities of the others, or where al-Saeedi was captured,
for security reasons.
After al-Zarqawi was killed, authorities obtained information about al-Saeedi
indicating he had been operating in Salahuddin province, al-Rubaie said. He
later moved south to northern Baghdad and had been operating outside Baqouba,
the same area where al-Zarqawi was killed.
Al-Saeedi had been hiding in a residential building, the security adviser said.
"He wanted to use children and women as human shields during the arrest, which
is why the operation was based on a very precise military plan to preserve the
lives of women and children in the building," al-Rubaie said, adding that there
were no casualties during the arrest.
"Hamed al-Saeedi supervised terrorist groups that kidnapped people for ransom,
and killed policemen after they received their salaries in order to finance
terrorist operations," the security adviser said. "He used to order terrorist
operations using mortars and roadside bombs, which led to the killing of
several troops and innocent civilians."
He said al-Saeedi also supervised the creation of death squads and ordered
assassinations, bombings, kidnappings and attacks on Iraqi police and army
checkpoints.
"The operations were brutal and merciless," he said.
Al-Saeedi's capture "will affect al-Qaida in Iraq and its operations against
our people, especially those aimed at inciting sectarian strife," al-Rubaie
said.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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