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Iraq
Another big fish in Iraq?
2007-04-28
(hat tip Hot Air)

John from Verum Serum sends along a nice catch, so to speak: HeÂ’s been reading carefully over General PetraeusÂ’ public comments about conditions in Iraq and noticed he dropped a name no one has yet seized upon: Abu Mustafa Al-Sheibani. Petraeus said:
As you know, there are seven Quds Force members in detention as well. This involvement, again, we learned more about with the detention of an individual named Sheibani, who is one of the heads of the Sheibani network, which brings explosively formed projectiles into Iraq from Iran. His brother is the Iranian connection. He is — was in Iraq. And that has been the conduit that then distributes these among the extremist elements again of these secret cells and so forth.

Sheibani is on the Iraqi Government’s “41 most wanted” list. Not only does this guy work for and with Iran, John notes, but he’s also thought to be the first guy to bring in the Explosively Formed Projectiles. From Time, August 2005 (and that’s a good article.):
The U.S. Military’s new nemesis in Iraq is named Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani, and he is not a Baathist or a member of al-Qaeda. He is working for Iran. According to a U.S. military-intelligence document obtained by TIME, al-Sheibani heads a network of insurgents created by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps with the express purpose of committing violence against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. Over the past eight months, his group has introduced a new breed of roadside bomb more lethal than any seen before; based on a design from the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hizballah, the weapon employs “shaped” explosive charges that can punch through a battle tank’s armor like a fist through the wall.

The MSM hasnÂ’t picked up on his capture yet. One wonders when and if they willÂ…the capture of two major Iran-linked terror leaders in Iraq may just be too much good news for them to handle...

UPDATE: TheyÂ’re biting, all right. First IÂ’d heard about this guyÂ’s unlamented demise:
The U.S. military said Mohammed Abdullah Abbas Al Issawi was killed on April 20 in a coalition operation northwest of Baghdad. The military said Al Issawi, also known as Abdul Sattar and Abu Akram, was an Al Qaida commander in the Ameriya and Karmah areas around the Iraqi capital, Middle East Newsline reported.
Al Issawi was also identified as the so-called emir, or chief, of Al Qaida in Anbar. Al Qaida was said to have established a major presence in the eastern province.

More evidence of success from that Al-Anbar surge (and cooperative sheiks) that AllahPundit actually cracked a smile about a few days back. Sattar/Issawi/Akram led the cell that used the 12-year old kids in their car-bombs, so good riddance.
Posted by:Anonymoose

#4  Get those extra troops there now.

Petraeus should be pounding the table for them.
Posted by: Danking70   2007-04-28 21:14  

#3  Moose is correct. Postings sourced from blogs generally are 'Opinion'. AoS.
Posted by: Steve White   2007-04-28 19:30  

#2  I was thinking it should have been in operations, too, but being from a blog, I posted with discretion.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-04-28 19:28  

#1  Shouldn't this be posted in the WoT Operations section ?
Sounds like al Q and friends are having a hard time finding clean quarters lately. May they sail the water board of happiness to Allan.
Posted by: wxjames   2007-04-28 19:22  

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