US forces in Iraq announced today that they captured the al-Qaeda leader in charge of the operation that kidnapped and later executed a diplomatic envoy from Egypt last month. American military forces found Abu Seba in Ramadi last Saturday as part of an ongoing mission to disrupt Zarqawi's terrorist network:

The U.S. military on Thursday announced the capture of two key members of Iraq's most-feared terror group, including one suspected in the kidnap-slaying of an Egyptian envoy and attacks on senior diplomats from Pakistan and Bahrain.

Khamis Farhan Khalaf Abd al-Fahdawi, known as Abu Seba, was arrested last Saturday following operations in the Ramadi area west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said in a statement.

He was accused of involvement in the abduction and killing of Egypt's top envoy in Iraq and attacks on Pakistani and Bahraini diplomats earlier this month.

"Seba served as a senior lieutenant of al-Qaida in Iraq, and is suspected in attacks against diplomats of Bahrain, Pakistan and the recent murder of Egyptian envoy, Ihab Salah al Din Ahmad al-Sherif," the U.S. statement said. "Al-Qaida ordered the attacks against Arab diplomats in an effort to reduce support for the government of Iraq according to a military spokesman."

This statement follows the earlier announcement of the capture of Abu Abdul Aziz, who led Zarqawi's Baghdad forces in their bombing campaign and destabilization efforts. Zarqawi went out of his way to minimize the impact of Aziz's capture, an odd but entertaining twist on this latest news. He insists that Aziz was nothing more than a brigade commander -- which still sounds like an intelligence coup to me, especially since the Americans claim he's cooperating.

More and more of the higher-ranking individuals have been captured. Either our intelligence is improving or the rapid replacement of these terrorist leaders is throwing less talented lunatics into leadership roles. Either sounds like pretty good news.

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry is

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference US Captures Terrorist Executioner Of Egyptian Diplomat:

» Suicide Bombers Stopped In Iraq from The Strata-Sphere
Reuters via (Al Jazeerah) is reporting 3 suicide bombers were stopped at the entrance to the Green Zone in Baghdad today. Iraqi police thwarted a triple suicide attack on Baghdad’s Green Zone government compound on Thursday, shooting dead two ... [Read More]

Tracked on July 14, 2005 3:04 PM