3
POPSAl-Qaeda Iraq leader 'arrested' This is wait-and-see since he was said to have been killed last year, I think. The word "detained" is troubling, indicating that there might be a chance for his release; but maybe the BBC was being polite & diplomatic. He had a $5m bounty on his head. Even if he has been captured an amazing *escape* is always possible.
2
POPSUPDATE: Al Qaeda in Iraq: al-Masri Captured: US Military Yet To Comment "The police raided this house and arrested him. During the primary investigation, he confessed that he is Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. Now a broader investigation of him is being conducted," he said to Iraqiya. If confirmed, the arrest would represent a major blow to Al Qaeda in Iraq, which has been on the run for the past year following a shift in alliances by Sunni tribesmen in western Anbar province, and elsewhere, and an influx of thousands of U.S. troops. "The commander of Ninevah military operations informed me that Iraqi troops captured Abu Hamza al-Muhajir the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq," al-Askari told The Associated Press by telephone. He did not have any further details nor did he say when the Al Qaeda leader was arrested. According to unconfirmed reports he was caught Thursday evening in the Tayran area in central Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad.