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June 09, 2008
U.S. Military Captured Arms Dealer Who Is Also Commander of an Assassination Squad
U.S. Military: Leader of Basra 'Assassination Squad' Captured in Iraq Raid
BAGHDAD
U.S. soldiers in Baghdad captured an Iraqi arms dealer and "assassination squad" leader responsible for trafficking Shiite extremists in and out of neighboring Iran for training, the military said Sunday.
The arrest came as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was visiting Iran and was expected to raise with its leaders the long-time U.S. allegations that Tehran arms, trains and funds Shiite Muslim militiamen inside Iraq. Tehran denies the charges.
The Iraqi prime minister, himself a Shiite, is struggling to keep Washington happy while reassuring Iran, the largest Shiite nation, that a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security agreement would not make his country an American launching pad for attacks on Iran.
The U.S. arrest campaign against Shiite militiamen with alleged ties to Iran was likely to be on the agenda for al-Maliki's talks with Iranian officials.
U.S. soldiers, acting on intelligence from other Shiite militiamen already in custody, captured the Basra-based "special groups" leader late Saturday at a hideout in eastern Baghdad, according to a military statement.
"The wanted man is alleged to be a commander of an assassination squad in Basra, an arms dealer with connections to Iran and a document counterfeiter," the statement said.
He also arranges transportation of criminals into Iran for training, and then back into Iraq, it said. One of the leader's aides was also arrested without incident.
The U.S. military uses the term "special groups" to describe Shiite fighters defying a cease-fire order from anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose militiamen fought American and Iraqi forces for seven weeks until a May truce.
Meanwhile, the military said in another statement that it captured six more suspected Sunni extremists Sunday in the northern city of Mosul, including an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq leader and another man who is a wiring expert in charge of a bombing cell there.
Two women were injured when American soldiers "breached the door of a target building" during the arrest raid, the statement said. Both were treated at the scene and then transported to an Iraqi hospital, it said.
Mosul is believed to be one of the last urban strongholds of al-Qaida in Iraq, and U.S. and Iraqi forces have battled with militants there in recent months.
Violence continued Sunday in Baghdad, where four new police recruits were killed in an attack on the National Police headquarters on the city's west side, where a blast went off near a gate where recruits were gathering, police said.
Another 22 people were wounded in the attack. Police gave conflicting reports about whether the attack used mortars or a roadside bomb.
A mortar shell landed just outside Baghdad's Green Zone midmorning, killing three employees and wounding seven others, police said. The mortar was apparently targeting the Defense Ministry, which is inside the U.S.-guarded diplomatic zone, but fell short, they said.
Mortar and rocket attacks were once a daily occurrence in the Green Zone in central Baghdad, but have fallen off in recent weeks.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Three cheers for our troops!
For those who hoped to see the US fail in Iraq, much hinged on the Iranians and their support for their proxies, the Mahdi militia. Fortunately, coalition forces are cutting them down and removing their potential to threaten the elected government of Iraq. These are sad times for Liberals and all of those who wanted the US to fail in Iraq .
....Thank you Darth for the link and information this is great news!
Posted by Wild Thing at June 9, 2008 01:48 AM
Comments
I am one of your favorite MISSING links? Only 97 up here WT! A dry heat?
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at June 9, 2008 04:10 AM
Why are we not surprised that an arms dealer is also an assassin for Al-Qaeda? I thought there weren't any Al-Qaeda in Iraq!!!
Posted by: Lynn at June 9, 2008 05:28 AM
It is getting very dangerous now for the terrorists. Their infrastructure is falling apart as their supporters leave them. Our guys are using intel to tear al Queda and the militias apart. The bad guys are on the ropes.
The MSM ignores this as they are in essence a supporter of the bad guys. The MSM is also losing. I saw a survey that stated that 2/3 of Americans think the MSM is biased. Maybe the MSM will have to withdraw to caves also, heh heh!
Posted by: TomR at June 9, 2008 12:23 PM
Darth, hahaha so cute.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 9, 2008 06:22 PM
Lynn, LMAO yes accfording to Nancy Pelosi there are no Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
hahahahaa
Good one Lynn.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 9, 2008 06:24 PM
Tom oh wow that is GREAT news. heh heh I love news like that about the media. tah dah!
Thanks Tom!
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 9, 2008 06:25 PM
The only hope al Qaeda and Iran have is that Barack Obama becomes President next January.
Posted by: Les at June 9, 2008 06:54 PM
