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Leadership crisis for Al-Qaeda

Julian Borger

Militant was responsible for attacks on Shias aimed at provoking civil war

WASHINGTON: The Iraqi Government on Sunday claimed to have dealt ``fatal blows'' to the Al-Qaeda operation in Iraq with the capture of its deputy commander, Hamed Jumaa Farid al-Saedi, and the arrest or killing of 11 other leading Al-Qaeda jihadists.

Mr Saedi's arrest was announced by National Security Adviser Mouwaffak al-Rubaie, who said the Al-Qaeda militant was responsible for attacks on Shia Iraqis aimed at provoking a civil war, including the bombing of a shrine in Samarra in February, and the organisation of death squads.

Mr Rubaie said that after his arrest, Mr Saedi provided information that led to the capture or killing of 11 other leading figures from the group, whom Mr Rubaie did not identify.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq is affiliated to Osama bin Laden's jihadist network, and was founded by a Jordanian militant, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a U.S. air strike in June. Mr Rubaie said Mr Saedi had been operating out of the same area and was seized at a house in the course of ``a very precise'' Iraqi military operation.

Mr Rubaie said: ``Al-Saedi carried out Al-Qaeda'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 Shias and Sunnis but their wishes did not materialise. We believe that Al-Qaeda in Iraq suffers from a serious leadership crisis. Our troops have dealt fatal and painful blows to this organisation,'' he said.

Despite the recent successes in targeting the group's leadership in Iraq, U.S. military leaders are increasingly pessimistic. In its quarterly report to Congress, the Pentagon said Iraqi casualties had increased by 50 per cent in the past three months. —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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