February 07, 2006

Top Al Qaeda Arrest, Zarqawi in Iran?

News that a top al Qaeda lieutenant was captured in Iraq, with the related news that Abu Musam al Zarqawi may be in Iran.

Hat tip to Reliapundit for sending this link:

The brief report on Iraqiya television yesterday identified the suspect as Mohammed Rabei, also known as Abu Dhar, and said he was No 4 in the al-Qaida. It gave no further details. Meanwhile, a senior Iraqi security officer said the Iraqi government has been receiving information that al-Zarqawi may have moved to neighboring Iran after hot pursuit by US and Iraqi forces in western Iraq.

The officer said Iraq's intelligence services have received information that the Jordanian-born terrorist was spotted a few weeks ago in areas close to the Himreen Mountains, 120 kilometres south of Kirkuk and near the border with Iran. "We are dealing with this information carefully but intelligence services are working on the assumption that he has been planning to move to Iran after being besieged in the areas where he was operating inside Iraq," said the officer, who declined to be identified further because of the sensitivity of the investigation.

Since Zarqawi has declared jihad on Shias in Iraq, it would be a little difficult to believe the Mullahs of Iran had welcomed him into that country. If he is there, it is probably without the consent of the Iranian regime. Then again, common enemies often lead to strange alliances.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:13 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 That would be my guess - sitting in Iran with a dozen cell phones and computers and Iranian security forces protecting him.

Posted by: goesh at February 07, 2006 09:33 AM (vX0fY)

2 If we were in hot pursuit of him in Western Iraq, there is no way he would have gone East, through the whole country, to cross the border into Iran. It makes no sense whatsoever. He would have gone to Syria... or even better... his home country Jordan where he no doubt still has friends.

Posted by: Ariya at February 07, 2006 11:22 AM (uxW3N)

3 Ariya, there are regular flights between Iran and Syria. He could have supper in Damascus and breakfast in Tehran on a daily basis. Hell, he's probably doing a madrassah tour in Pakistan to drum up some recruits.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 07, 2006 02:42 PM (0yYS2)

4 Ariya: He has a double death sentence in Jordan (they'll kill him twice?) I doubt he is looking to go back there.

Posted by: dave at February 07, 2006 06:25 PM (CcXvt)

5 You've missed the obvious. The pressure against the Mullah Manhattan project is building. Any action taken against that project by the West will trigger an Iranian response IN Iraq. And who better to direct that response than the Z-Man himself. So of course Z-Man is in Iran right now. He is involved in some high level discussions about their options, about their tactics, targets, cooperation with Al Sadr's boys in the Shiite south. And then again, it's time for him to have a sit down with Osama himself, who is, rest assured, comfortable in a condo outside Tehran. Don't buy any of this nonsense that Osama bin dirtball is wandering from cave to cave in the Northwest Frontier, or that he is slipping from mud hut to mud hut in the dead of the night. He's quite comfortable in Iran, with his family, and his many female companions.

Posted by: Dan at February 07, 2006 11:22 PM (GAtBS)

6 Dan, I don't believe he's in a cave either. He's somewhere not too far from a hospital for health reasons. Someone is making him comfortable in their home.

Posted by: Oyster at February 08, 2006 06:51 AM (YudAC)

7 I guess there is one nice thing about working for Al Qaeda. Promotions come very quickly. Of course, you don't last very long afterwards.

Posted by: Sgt Beavis at February 08, 2006 08:14 AM (kEEbN)

8 I agree with Dan.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 08, 2006 02:45 PM (0yYS2)

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