|
| The first multi-expert blog dedicated solely to counterterrorism issues, serving as a gateway to the community for policymakers and serious researchers. Designed to provide realtime information about terrorism cases and policy developments. |
|
Search CTB
Navigation
Home
About Contact Us CT Blog Experts in the Media CT Library Counterterrorism Foundation Websites & Centers RSS & PDA Feeds Monthly Archives POSTS ON ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR POSTS ON 2008 MUMBAI ATTACK Counterterrorism Blog Panels: Reforming U.S. Counter-Terrorism Assistance Programs, Feb. 12 The 2008 Mumbai Attacks, Dec. 4 Future of Turkey-U.S. Strategic Partnership, May 19 Iran & U.S.: Outlook for Next Decade? April 15 Compañeros de Armas ("Friends in Arms"): Chavez, FARC & South America, March 19 Meta-Terror: Terrorism & the Virtual World, Feb. 29 Evolution of US Counterterrorism Policy, Feb. 12 Terrorism Litigation After Boim Decision, Jan. 28 Holy Land Foundation & Muslim Brotherhood, Dec. 11, 2007 ------------ July 2008 Posts and August 2008 Posts Contributing Experts
Douglas Farah, Editor
Steven Emerson & The Investigative Project on Terrorism Dennis Lormel Bill West Evan Kohlmann Michael Cutler Victor Comras Michael Kraft Dr. Zachary Abuza Dr. Walid Phares Daveed Gartenstein-Ross Olivier Guitta Kenneth Conboy Aaron Mannes David Schenker Animesh Roul Matthew Levitt Jonathan Winer Frank Hyland Roderick Jones Paul Cruickshank Farhana Qazi Lorenzo Vidino Madeleine Gruen James McGinnis Michael Braun Margot Williams, SNS Global, Newslinks Editor Phillip Smyth & Mark Offenbach, Asst. Newslinks Editors EXPERTS' ARCHIVES & BIOS Recent Posts
The End of The Counterterrorism Blog
Modeling Middle East Turmoil How to Deal with Islamist Movements in Post-Revolutionary Regimes? Asserting Liberal Values: The Future of British and U.S. Counterradicalization Strategies Pakistan and Blasphemy Law: Assassination of Liberal, Secular and Progressive Personalities Continues ! What Cargo May Be Aboard Iranian Warships Transiting the Suez Canal? Egypt and Emerging Trends The Middle East: Democracies or More Terrorism? Two Scenarios on Egyptian Succession and One Vision of the Brotherhood The Australian Take on the Terrorism Threat Experts' Books
Walid Phares: The Confrontation and "The War of Ideas: Jihadism against Democracy" and “Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies Against America”
Michael Kraft & Yonah Alexander (Editors): "Evolution of U.S. Counterterrorism Policy" Douglas Farah & Zachary Abuza in Countering the Financing of Terrorism Douglas Farah: "Merchant of Death" and "Blood From Stones: The Secret Financial Network of Terror" Michael Jacobson: "The West at War: U.S. and European Counterterrorism Efforts, Post–September 11" Daveed Gartenstein-Ross: "My Year Inside Radical Islam: A Memoir" Steven Emerson: "Jihad Incorporated: A Guide to Militant Islam in the US" and "American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us" Victor Comras & Matthew Levitt (contributors): "Terrorism Financing and State Responses," Stanford University Press Matthew Levitt: "Negotiating Under Fire: Preserving Peace Talks in the Face of Terror Attacks" and "Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad" and "Targeting Terror: U.S. Policy toward Middle Eastern State Sponsors and Terrorist Organizations, Post-September 11" Zachary Abuza: "Political Islam and Violence in Indonesia" and "Militant Islam in Southeast Asia: Crucible of Terror" Lorenzo Vidino "Al Qaeda in Europe: The New Battleground of Global Jihad" Kenneth Conboy: "The Second Front: Inside Asia’s Most Dangerous Terrorist Network" Evan Kohlmann: "Al-Qaida's Jihad in Europe: The Afghan-Bosnian Network" Credits
Creative Common License
 |
Al-Qaida Takes Casualties in Iraq -- But Apparently Not ZarqawiBy Evan Kohlmann
Despite recent reports to the contrary, Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq has suffered numerous casualties during recent combat operations in northern and western Iraq -- including both native and foreign fighters. As I hinted at in my previous post on Iraq's foreign fighters, at least four commanders from the designated foreign terrorist organization Asbat al-Ansar in southern Lebanon have been killed during intense fighting near the western towns of Al-Qaim and Al-Karabilah. Another Yemeni national -- a veteran of multiple trips to Afghanistan -- was also slain before he could participate in an intended suicide bombing mission. Other, highly dubious reports have also surfaced in the media today suggesting that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may have been himself killed in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul during a U.S. military raid on a suspected Al-Qaida hideout. Needless to say, such "tips" are often posted on fringe Arabic-language message forums on the Internet and are subsequently picked up by overeager news agencies -- but ultimately, most prove to be nothing more than unfounded rumor. Certainly, Al-Qaida doesn't seem to have been at all fazed by the reported Mosul raid. Not only has Al-Qaida issued nearly twenty new communiques in the last twenty four hours, but it also claimed credit for additional insurgent attacks on U.S. forces in Mosul. Apparently, the raid that "might have killed" Zarqawi did not even succeed in decapitating Al-Qaida's military command structure in the Mosul area. This Zarqawi report ultimately will be proven or disproven by the only sure way possible: forensic evidence collected on scene. But, at least for the moment--given what we do know--it seems fair to classify Zarqawi's would-be passing as extremely unlikely. See: (UPI) Reports of Zarqawi's death played down UPDATE: I've fixed the broken link to the Asbat al-Ansar PDF file UPDATE II [11/21/05, 9:30am EST]: An Al-Qaida supporter who claims to know the identities of those inside the destroyed house in Mosul has emphatically denied that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was present in the structure or was killed during the raid. According to the source, a total of eight individuals were hiding in the residence at the time, including seven male insurgents and one of their wives. This group had not yet been involved in significant insurgent operations, but rather was preparing to carry out a "terrorist martyrdom mission." Furthermore, according to the source, the raid that led to the deaths of the would-be "suicide squad" was executed exclusively by U.S. military forces--and not Iraqi soldiers or policemen.
TrackBackTrackBack URL for this entry: Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Al-Qaida Takes Casualties in Iraq -- But Apparently Not Zarqawi:
» Is Abu dead?... from Speed of Thought...
» Zarqawi Zonked from alphabet city
» Zarqawi may be dead from Media Lies
» Al Zarqawi Meets God? from The Strata-Sphere
» Al-Qaida Takes Casualties in Iraq -- But Apparently Not Zarqawi from Law, Terrorism & Homeland Security- Greg McNeal
» Is Zarqawi Dead? from BLACKFIVE
» MIDDLE EAST WEEK IN REVIEW, 11/21/05 from Security Watchtower
» MIDDLE EAST WEEK IN REVIEW, 11/21/05 from Security Watchtower
» Zarqawi: Still Not Dead from Don Surber
» - Al-Zarqawi may have been killed in Mosul from Secular Blasphemy
» The Blinding of Samson in Iraq (UPDATED) from All Things Beautiful
» Taking Down Rabid Islamist Swine from Rhymes With Right
» Zarqawi Still Alive, The Left Celebrates from The Jawa Report
» Zarqawi Still Alive, The Left Celebrates from The Jawa Report
» Did al-Zarqawi finally get his due? from Small Town Veteran
» Al-Zarqawi: dead or not? from Tel-Chai Nation |