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Iraqi Troops Arrest Head of Qaeda-Linked Ansar al-Islam: US
[Asharq al-Aswat] Iraqi troops on Monday arrested the head of the Ansar al-Islam insurgent group in Baghdad, US forces said in a statement. "Iraqi Security Forces arrested the alleged leader of Ansar al-Islam and seven criminal associates during a series of joint security operations conducted in Mansour and Adhamiyah," it said, referring to areas of Baghdad.
Well done to all involved! Y'all are really cooking with gas.
The man, Abu Abdullah Al Shafei, "is believed to have served the terrorist organisation since its inception" and "held association with Osama Bin Laden."
Abu Zubaydah was his original controller.
Ansar al-Islam was created in 2001 by veterans of the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan and had its headquarters in Iraqi Kurdistan, near the border with Iran.

Shortly before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, US special forces and fighters from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan fought Ansar al-Islam whose fighters fled their headquarters.
Into Iran, coincidentally.
In September 2003, many Ansar al-Islam members formed the soon-to-be renowned militant group Ansar al-Sunna.
Arabic for "Army of Splitters"...
"Renowned"? I don't think that was quite the word the reporter was reaching for. Perhaps he meant "notorious".
Ansar al-Islam "is allegedly responsible for funding and terrorist operations in Europe and the United Kingdom and is a prominent extremist propaganda distributor," the statement said.
Only in conjunction with al-Tawhid, which was Zarqawi's mob.
Posted by: Fred 2010-05-05
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=296048