BAGHDAD, Iraq - 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.
A photograph presented
to the media by Iraqi national security adviser Mouwaffak al-Rubaie,
showing Hamed Jumaa Farid al-Saeedi, known as Abu Humam or Abu Rana, the
second most senior figure in al-Qaida, during a press conference in
Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday Sept. 3, 2006.
[Reuters] |
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.
