The Snow’s Luck

Abu Ayyub al Masri, al Qaeda in Iraqâs leader, reported captured in Mosul

The Iraqi military claimed Abu Ayyub al Masri, al Qaeda in Iraqâs leader, has been captured in the northern city of Mosul in Ninewa province. The US military has not confirmed the report of al Masriâs capture. Al Masri’s capture would provide a potential intelligence boon on al Qaeda’s network in Iraq and its connections to the international organization.

Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed al Askari said al Masriâs capture was â?confirmed to him by the Iraqi commander of the province,❠The Associated Press reported. The person believed to be al Masri has been transferred to US custody for identification, according to Askari. Al Masriâs capture was also announced on Iraqiya Television, the state-run TV network, AP reported.

The Iraqi government has a history of announcing the capture of senior al Qaeda leaders, only to have to retract the statements. The Iraqi government had made several claims of wounding, killing and capturing both al Masri and Abu Omar al Baghdadi, the fictitious leader of al Qaedaâs Islamic State of Iraq, several times during 2007. The reports turned out to be false or cases of mistaken identity.

Echidna

Al Qaeda in Mosul

Al Qaedaâs senior leadership is thought t be attempting to regroup in Mosul. US and Iraqi forces have killed several key al Qaeda leaders in Mosul over the past several months. Fourteen of the top 30 al Qaeda operatives that have been killed or captured during the past three months were al Qaeda leaders in Mosul, including three al Qaeda leaders from Saudi Arabia.

Al Qaeda in Iraq’s last major ratline into Syria spans westward from Mosul into Tal Afar and the crossing point at Sinjar. The terror group is waging a brutal campaign to prevent the Iraqi Army and US forces from securing the province.

Background on al Masriâs rise to power and his Islamic State of Iraq

Al Masri was appointed the leader of the terror group in the summer of 2006 after US forces killed Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the infamous leader and founder of al Qaeda in Iraq. He quickly worked to undo the failures of Zarqawi, and attempted to unite the disparate Sunni insurgent groups and the Sunni tribes in the Sunni-dominated province. Zawahiri urged Zarqawi to ‘Iraqify the insurgency’ but was ignored.

A close confidant of Ayman al Zawahiri, al Qaedaâs second in command, al Masri was a member of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, the group that folded into al Qaeda under Zawahiriâs leadership. Egyptian Islamic Jihad is a core element of al Qaeda and includes many former members of the Egyptian military.

Al Masri is officially listed as the minister of defense

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