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Iraq-Jordan
Al-zarqawi Has Been Arrested ?
2005-01-04
Not the most reliable of sources. The Accordion Lady will be sleeping in until we get more...

Same story, more details:
Dubai, January 4. KAZINFORM. - Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, whom the US occupation authorities declared to be the "target number one" in Iraq, has been arrested in the city of Baakuba, the Emirate newspaper al-Bayane reported on Tuesday referring to Kurdish sources. Al-Zarqawi, leader of the terrorist group Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, was recently appointed the director of the Al-Qaeda organisation in Iraq, Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass. The newspaper's correspondent in Baghdad points out that a report on the seizure of the terrorist, on whom the US put a bounty of 10 million dollars, was also reported by Iraqi Kurdistan radio, which at one time had been the first to announce the arrest of Saddam Hussein. There have been no official reports about the arrest of the terrorist.

Al-Zarqawi, 38, a Jordanian, whose real name is Ahmad al-Khalayleh, aims to turn Iraq into a "new Afghanistan". According to Arab press data, Al-Tawhid Wa'al-Jihad group has divided Iraq into several emirates. The group's independent subdivisions at a strength of 50 to 500 militants operate in the cities of Al-Falluja, Al-Qaim, Diala, and Samarra. The personnel of the group is on the whole 1,500-strong and includes Iraqis and citizens of Arab and Islamic countries. There are demolition experts and missilemen among them.
That's a reasonable estimate of their groups numbers, about what I'd expect.
The group has depots of weapons and explosives in various parts of the country. It intends to frustrate the upcoming parliamentary elections that are scheduled for the end of this month. Al-Tawhid Wa'al-Jihad threatens to do away with Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and members of the interim government.

Still holding...
Local Kurdish media: Al-Zarqawi was arrested
04/01/2005 KurdishMedia.com
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, whom the US occupation authorities declared to be the "target number one" in Iraq, has been arrested in the city of Baakuba, reported local Kurdish media. Al-Zarqawi, leader of the radical Islamic group Al-Tawhid Wa'al-Jihad, whom the US put a bounty of US$10 million, was recently appointed the director of the Al-Qaeda organisation in Iraq. KurdishMedia.com could not verify the report.
From Drudge...
UPDATE //
Tue Jan 04 2005 11:18:47 ET

U.S. military and intelligence sources are denying print and broadcast reports that terrorist Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi has been arrested in Iraq, MSNBC reported Tuesday.

MSNBC said senior U.S. military and intelligence sources told it the reports are not true. A newspaper in the United Arab Emirates, al-Bayane, reported in its Tuesday edition that the Jordanian-born terrorist had been arrested in Baqouba, Iraq. Iraqi Kurdistan radio also reported the arrest of al-Zarqawi.

The U.S. military in December said al-Zarqawi likely is in the Baghdad area.
Posted by:BrerRabbit

#69  Ohhh your name is Zar-alqawi our mistake you're free to go. Sorry about that whole anal sedative and black panty thing.
Posted by: JP   2005-01-04 10:23:19 PM  

#68  Relax, once Zarqawi is under US custody for three weeks, the freaky liberals will send him a cute teddy bear and furnish him with a lawyer (i.e., if the head doesn't fit, you must acquit)
Posted by: Captain America   2005-01-04 10:21:02 PM  

#67  Interesting that it's the Kurds who are supposedly his captors.

Am I alone in wondering whether Allawi is working for the ba'athists?
Posted by: lex   2005-01-04 9:53:36 PM  

#66  #58 Tell the Kurds if they deliver him they can keep his balls.

Yum! Deep-fried Rocky Mountain Euphrates River Oysters!
Posted by: SC88   2005-01-04 9:17:16 PM  

#65  You know, black panties are too good for him. I *like* black, hate to see it misused.

I say, put him in pink and lavender.
Posted by: true nuff   2005-01-04 9:12:01 PM  

#64  If he is caught, I will gladly pay $10,000 for his balls (to hang over my fire place), after the US gets through with him!!
Posted by: smn   2005-01-04 8:57:37 PM  

#63  No anal seditives for him.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2005-01-04 8:15:02 PM  

#62  I suspect we'd let the Kurds take him as part of our proper prisoner treatment and reduction program referred to in another post. After they complete their home style interrogation, they can find him mortally wounded in combat.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2005-01-04 7:55:03 PM  

#61  LOL Tu! Ima hopin they gotn parts n peeces too Mucky
Posted by: Frank G   2005-01-04 7:46:41 PM  

#60  Any word on whether the Ghost Jet is warming up?
"Meow meow meow meow... meow meow meow meow..."
Posted by: tu3031   2005-01-04 7:42:43 PM  

#59  Gosh,can we get some pictures? Of the raspberry jam that was this nut job.

I prefer the Kurds take him alive. The middle eastern guys still seem to like to bugger information out of people.but i am afraid this one would like it too much.

Actually we will know it is true when Dan Rather snivels about how the Kurds got him and we couldn't adn how it was Rummies fault the Kurds beat us to him.

what do the blogs say about this?
Posted by: SOG475   2005-01-04 7:38:51 PM  

#58  Tell the Kurds if they deliver him they can keep his balls.
Posted by: True German Ally   2005-01-04 7:31:12 PM  

#57  goddamit. ima didnt wanna hear peeces. was hoper theren a litle sufferin go with that.

>:(
Posted by: muck4doo   2005-01-04 7:22:20 PM  

#56  Only when we hear the phrase "We should have captured him sooner" will we know for sure that we got him.
Posted by: Slitle Flaique4733   2005-01-04 7:02:45 PM  

#55  Still, just seeing "Zarqawi" and "body parts" in the same sentence is kinda heartwarming!
Posted by: Justrand   2005-01-04 6:58:10 PM  

#54  I suppose it's possible that the Kurds got him alive then did the damage with their bare hands.
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2005-01-04 6:36:32 PM  

#53  dang...i wuz a hoping that that they would torture him for a few months, first.
Posted by: anymouse   2005-01-04 6:32:12 PM  

#52  OK,
No capture, as per announcement earlier today. Unconfirmed but word from Iraq is that body parts are being tested against Zarq's DNA. Kurds brought in the scraps after making the kill with a direct hit from either an RPG or a 40mm grenade.
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2005-01-04 6:25:34 PM  

#51  Preliminary woo hoo.
Posted by: Seafarious   2005-01-04 6:13:33 PM  

#50  Is this like being vewy vewy quiet when hunting wabbits, AC?
Posted by: .com   2005-01-04 6:12:12 PM  

#49  Is this better, Jules?
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2005-01-04 6:09:18 PM  

#48  how about this one? warm up act link
Posted by: 2b   2005-01-04 6:08:22 PM  

#47  Fred, does the Accordion Lady have a warm-up act?
Posted by: Seafarious   2005-01-04 5:52:26 PM  

#46  Can we shout a little bitty woohoo, AC? :)
Posted by: Jules 187   2005-01-04 5:45:24 PM  

#45  UPDATE!!
Just heard from my Iraqi source. Don't pawn the bubbly just yet, you might want to pop some corks within, say, 48 hours.
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2005-01-04 5:43:38 PM  

#44  NEVER film, photo, or tape your misdeeds!

Well, that's true.
Posted by: Jules 187   2005-01-04 4:06:19 PM  

#43  Just do not see "Z" being taken alive. We got to wait here for confirmation........
Posted by: TomAnon   2005-01-04 3:55:35 PM  

#42  CF..LOL...that Lynndie is fast.
Posted by: 2b   2005-01-04 3:45:26 PM  

#41  Kurdish custody??

Why do I keep seeing visions of cheese graters and lemon juice?
Posted by: AlanC   2005-01-04 3:45:20 PM  

#40  You know if you look at that pic closely it looks like he already has a pair of black panties on his head.......
Posted by: CrazyFool   2005-01-04 3:37:31 PM  

#39  Kurd Custody...oooh...ouch. Hurts just thinking about it!
Posted by: 2b   2005-01-04 3:23:41 PM  

#38   I still don't get why Lynndie is so hated.


I can only speak for myself, and it's disgust and derision more than hate. She and that asshole Graner (who really should've known better) and their other buddies did a huge stooopid mistake, which the enemies of America's WOT , and the Democrats (or is that repetitive?) used to distract and deter our success for any number of months. NEVER film, photo, or tape your misdeeds!

Idiots!
Posted by: Frank G   2005-01-04 3:03:07 PM  

#37  Hehehehe.... if this is true we are probably delaying taking custody until the Kurds can 'interrogate' him -- all in order to be able to extract the maximum amount of Intel without the MSM being involved and complaining because the interrogation room is 'too warm'....
Posted by: CrazyFool   2005-01-04 2:55:43 PM  

#36  I still don't get why Lynndie is so hated.
Posted by: Jules 187   2005-01-04 2:46:53 PM  

#35  He cannot verify and says only that the rumor mill is on fire, including the detail that Kurdish SF made the grab and Z is still in their custody.

Ooooh, the mind boggles at the possibilities of proper torture interrogation at their hands before we get him and have to play by the "rules".

betruebetruebetruebetruebetruebetruebetruebetrue
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats   2005-01-04 2:25:25 PM  

#34  For the Z-man...I say cut both sphincter muscles regardless. Let him live like that the rest of his life.
Posted by: anymouse   2005-01-04 1:56:11 PM  

#33  "GET LYNNDIE OUT OF LEAVENWORTH FOR ONE LAST NAKED FLOOR CRAWL. PS BLACK PANTIES ARE OPTIONAL. PS PRESIDENTIAL PARDON FOR MS. ENGLAND ANYONE?"

YIKES! Black you say? That's the foulest, most depraved, most inhuman suggestion I have ever run across. Good work. The only improvement would be the incorporation of tabasco sauce.

We can salve our conciences by giving Z a choice: Lynndie in black unspeakables, the plastic shredder, or a media event involving an orange jumpsuit and a masked man wielding a rusty saw.
I rate it a toss-up.
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2005-01-04 1:28:53 PM  

#32  including the detail that Kurdish SF made the grab
Nice if it's true. Didn't the Kurds also lead the way to the Saddam grab? Hmmm...I wonder if this Z capture will enhance Kurdish bargaining power for a fine print qualifier in the new Iraqi constitution that if the federal model[as devised by the pointy headed ones in DC who have never stepped foot in Iraq]doesn't fly too well after 12 months, the Kurds reserve the right to declare independence with the US's blessing?
Posted by: joeblow   2005-01-04 1:12:02 PM  

#31  Sometimes the scariest commenters are those people allegedly on your side.

What's the description from "Yes, Minister?" Something like You must be 100% behind someone if you're going to stab them in the back.
Posted by: Phil Fraering   2005-01-04 12:36:33 PM  

#30  Hey Seafarious, why so sensitive about letter casing? Remember I'm on your side.
Posted by: Rightwing   2005-01-04 12:30:43 PM  

#29  Hey Rightwing.

<<<----------<<<

Caps Lock key is over there, on the left side of your keyboard. Please disengage it.
Posted by: Seafarious   2005-01-04 12:26:53 PM  

#28  Ooooooo...Kurdish Kustody. I bet that's gonna leave a mark.
Posted by: Seafarious   2005-01-04 12:25:17 PM  

#27  GET LYNNDIE OUT OF LEAVENWORTH FOR ONE LAST NAKED FLOOR CRAWL. PS BLACK PANTIES ARE OPTIONAL. PS PRESIDENTIAL PARDON FOR MS. ENGLAND ANYONE?
Posted by: Rightwing   2005-01-04 12:24:44 PM  

#26  Be still, my beating heart...
Posted by: Fred   2005-01-04 12:22:07 PM  

#25  I checked with my Iraqi source (who also called the Saddam capture and the Iranian uprising last summer).
He cannot verify and says only that the rumor mill is on fire, including the detail that Kurdish SF made the grab and Z is still in their custody.
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2005-01-04 12:19:37 PM  

#24  THE KURDS HAVE THEIR ACT TOGETHER. WE SHOULD GIVE THEM MORE AUTONOMY POSSIBLY EVEN INDEPENDENCE TO HELL WITH THE HELPFUL TURKEYS.
Posted by: Rightwing   2005-01-04 12:04:45 PM  

#23  "Local Kurdish media: Al-Zarqawi was arrested
04/01/2005 KurdishMedia.com"

Unfortunately, 04/01/2005 can be viewed as April Fools' Day, as well as January 4.
Posted by: Dr. August Balls of Nice   2005-01-04 12:02:39 PM  

#22  The US being secretive about the Zarqawi apprehension follows a common pattern. We are interested in beating the tar out of him acquiring his intelligence.

That the Iraqi press is prematurely touting this capture is also typical.

Let's hope it is true.

Posted by: Captain America   2005-01-04 11:43:11 AM  

#21  As we wait for the circus that will be Sammy's trial, I'm hoping that Zarq will resist arrest by falling down a steep staircase six or seven times.
Posted by: Seafarious   2005-01-04 11:41:44 AM  

#20  if al-Zarqawi IS in custody I suggest pay-per-view for his interogation,..

I'd pay for the privilege of throwing the switch two or three times.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2005-01-04 11:39:25 AM  

#19  Mark, I wouldn't be suprised that catch him without a fight at all. People like Zac are, deep down, cowards to the core. Beheading hogtied, terrified, civilian hostages and sending others out to die from the comfort of your home is one thing. Having the balls to go toe-to-toe with a a trained and fully armed opponent is another.

On the other hand I'd pay for PPV of his interrogation. But only if they use the black panties.....
Posted by: CrazyFool   2005-01-04 11:37:39 AM  

#18  In unrelated news a soldier reported that the battery was missing from his humvee. Also missing were his jumper cables, two pair of vise-grip pliers, and (oddly) a pair of panties his wife sent him as a reminder of home! hmmm....

p.s.
if al-Zarqawi IS in custody I suggest pay-per-view for his interogation, to benefit the tsunami victims.
Posted by: Justrand   2005-01-04 11:30:54 AM  

#17  US is denying it.
Posted by: Ol_Dirty_American   2005-01-04 11:24:36 AM  

#16  So hoping it's true. I've still got an unopened bottle of bubbles left over from New Year's Eve.

If true I've got to say I'm surprised he'd be taken alive and in...umm...one piece.
Posted by: Mark Z.   2005-01-04 11:23:35 AM  

#15  And let the families of beheading victims be his judge and jury. No painless departure for this evil god pretender.
Posted by: Jules 187   2005-01-04 11:03:41 AM  

#14  Oh, please, please let it be true. It would be good timing just before the election and all. Of course, if it wasn't true, it would still be possibly a good PR stunt to get the Iraqis to get out and vote, before word spread that it wasn't true.

Still, Please G-d, it should be true.
Posted by: A ray of light?   2005-01-04 11:00:15 AM  

#13  I'm holding off on celebrating unit the BLOGS can confirm it. Screw the old media. I have more faith in Blogs.

Plug - just read Hugh Hewitt's new book - "Blogs". I'm a beliver now!
Posted by: Yosemite Sam   2005-01-04 10:58:15 AM  

#12  It's all coming from the same source, al-Bayane, reporting second-hand from Kurdish sources. I think they've reported Izzat Ibrahim nabbed twice, and I think they reported Sammy captured a time or two before we actually got him.
Posted by: Fred   2005-01-04 10:55:22 AM  

#11  Kurd sources in play.We shall see.
Posted by: crazyhorse   2005-01-04 10:54:13 AM  

#10  very good, 2b :)
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2005-01-04 10:13:23 AM  

#9  Ha'aretz also posts this in their news ticker:
13:39 Emirate newspaper al-Bayane: Wanted Al-Qaida leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, arrested in Baakuba

If they're citing someone else as a source, I guess they haven't confirmed it themselves.
Posted by: Dar   2005-01-04 10:04:53 AM  

#8  Jonathan - about the same - 48 hr rule is in effect
Posted by: Frank G   2005-01-04 10:03:18 AM  

#7  I'll start celebrating when the WAPO and the NYT first break stories about how Zarqawi wasn't really all that important anyway.
Posted by: 2b   2005-01-04 9:55:55 AM  

#6  Hmm, is Tass much more reliable than China Daily?
Posted by: Jonathan   2005-01-04 9:51:58 AM  

#5  Drudge is linking with an Itar-Tass story on same....
Posted by: Frank G   2005-01-04 9:47:41 AM  

#4  I invoke the 48-hour rule. When The Washington Post reports it on 6 January, I'll break out the bubbly -- and not before then.
Posted by: Jonathan   2005-01-04 9:47:36 AM  

#3  Not that it really means anything in the end, but I find it hopeful that the reporter has more background info on al-Zarqawi and his Al Towelheads. Doing some preliminary research for the big story?
Posted by: 2b   2005-01-04 9:10:47 AM  

#2  Is this the same Chinese paper that fell for the Onion's story of Congress wanting the capital's dome to be retractable?
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats   2005-01-04 8:44:05 AM  

#1  We've heard this before. Hope it true this time, though. Meanwhile, the fat lady slumbers on.
(BTW, the link doesn't work.)
Posted by: Spot   2005-01-04 8:37:05 AM  

00:00