Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had fled the country after being seriously injured in an American attack, reported the UK newspaper The Sunday Times on Sunday quoting a commander of the Iraqi insurgency. Al-Zarqawi has shrapnel lodged in his chest and may have been moved to Iran, said the paper, adding that his supporters might try to move him to another country for an operation. It quoted an unnamed insurgency commander as saying the militant was wounded three weeks ago when a US missile hit his convoy near Al Qaim. "Shrapnel went in between the right shoulder and his chest, ripped it open and is still stuck there," said the commander, adding that a second piece penetrated Zarqawi's chest but exited from his back. "There was concern about spinal injuries," the commander said. "But his ability to move eliminated that fear." The paper did not say when the commander was speaking but said the source had proved reliable in the past. The report contradicted a statement from Zarqawi's group posted on the Internet on Friday, which said he was still leading operations in Iraq.
Meanwhile in Tehran, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi denied the newspaper's report. Asefi said the report in The Sunday Times was without foundation. "This is an unprofessional kind of fabricating news," he told reporters, adding, "Iran is a clear and transparent country, where such covert activities do not take place." The United States has accused Iran of harbouring Al Qaeda militants who escaped Afghanistan after US troops invaded in late 2001 following the September 11 attacks.
| I'm not sure if I believe it or not. Qaim is right across the border from Syria, not Iran. But if he's actually located in Syria, chances are we'll go in and get him; if he's in Iran, maybe we won't. But this makes me discount the claims that he's hale and hearty and leading operations in Baghdad. If he was perforated three weeks ago, with two chest wounds, with one piece still in there, he's probably not feeling really spry, particularly if one piece passed through his chest cavity. I'll continue to pray for sepsis. And maybe MRSA... |
| Some additional things that could go very wrong for Zarq in the next few weeks: 1) empyema purulent infection of the pleural space that surrounds the lung. That's bad, and improperly treated it leads to chronic, suppurative pneumonia (high mortality), a pleural peel (has to be removed surgically), trapped lung syndrome (ditto), or our old standby sepsis. 2) bronchopleural fistula, a hole between the breathing tubes and the pleural space. That's not supposed to happen, and it leads to infection, pneumothorax, etc. 3) mediastinitis, a serious infection of the middle of the chest. Complications include pericarditis, sepsis, etc. 4) chronic respiratory insufficiency, if they had to remove a fair amount of lung (say 1 whole lung or more). He'd be short of breath all the time, a very miserable feeling. |