Top Zarqawi aide captured in Mosul

[gilliam]

Zarqawi’s ‘Most Trusted Operations Agent’ Captured in Iraq

Top Zarqawi aide captured in Iraq’s Mosul: US

LGF tells us…

That US and Iraqi forces have captured a top aide of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Mosul.

"…Mohammed Khalaf Shakar, also known as Abu Talha, is “Zarqawi’s most trusted operations agent in all of Iraq,” a military statement said Thursday.

“This is a major defeat for the Al-Qaeda’s terrorist organisation in Iraq. Zarqawi’s leader in Mosul is out of business,” said US Air Force Brigadier General Donald Alston…"

​

 

[gilliam]

Albu Talha was head of Zarqawi’s operations in Mosul. Apparently we have all of his officers now…according to the following article from January…we had the other 3 in custody then. DCMilitary.com

africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=mideast&item=050616134115.kbru27c7.php

Top Zarqawi aide captured in Iraq’s Mosul: US

Al-Qaeda frontman Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s most-trusted operations man has been captured in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul, the US military said Thursday.

Mohammed Khalaf Shakar, also known as Abu Talha, is “Zarqawi’s most trusted operations agent in all of Iraq,” said a military statement.

He surrendered to US and Iraqi forces on Tuesday without a fight in “a quiet neighbourhood in Mosul” after they were led to his whereabouts by “multiple intelligence sources.”

“According to former Talha associates, Talha never stayed more than one night at any one residence, and always wore a suicide vest, saying he would never surrender,” the statement added.

 

[gilliam]

Nailed:

us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050616/i/r1812673118.jpg?x=324&y=345&sig=v0KkoW46hzAbfguseuoDcA–

An image handed out by the Coalition Press Information Centre shows Mohammed Khalif Shaiker, whose capture was announced June 16, 2005 is seen in this handout. U.S. forces have detained Shaiker, a senior associate of Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a U.S. general in Iraq said on Thursday, calling the arrest a major blow to the insurgency in the northern city of Mosul. Shaiker, also known as Abu Talha or the emir of Mosul, was captured on Tuesday in a quiet neighbourhood of Iraq’s third largest city, the U.S. military spokesman said. He said Shaiker had put up little resistance, but gave few other details about the circumstances of his arrest. QUALITY FROM SOURCE REUTERS/Handout

The “emir” of Mosul, indeed. Not unlike the “king of New York” in “Escape from New York.” Rantburg has more here and here.

Permalink By TigerHawk at 6/16/2005 03:47:00 PM

**Centcom’s New Iraq Scorecard **. If a guy is on it he is a very bad man.

 

[Fitz]

So, just out of curiosity, will he be sent to Guantanomo?

 

[Lisa_N]

Reports that he surrendered without incident certainly make a mockery of his claims he’d never be taken alive. Yep another one of those courageous Islamists who kill little children…

Lisa N