Terror chief barely escapes capture

[Rose Siding]

BEIRUT -- Iraqi and U.S. forces have come close to capturing Islamic militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi at least twice since mid-January, according to Kurdish intelligence officials.

In each case, Iraq's most wanted man escaped shortly before raids on his hideouts, the two officials said in phone interviews from Iraq. Even though al-Zarqawi fled, Iraqi and U.S. officials were pleased by the accuracy of the intelligence that led to the raids.

"They came very close to capturing him," one of the Kurdish officials said. "They had never been this close previously, and it means that the new intelligence they're gathering is much better than before."

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, would not say where and when the raids took place.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ny-wozarq0224,1,1055625.story?coll=chi-news-hed

"They had never been this close previously"??? The Trib offers a detailed timeline in this piece but they left out some relevant information...


snip from March 2, 04 article>
With Tuesday’s attacks, Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant with ties to al-Qaida, is now blamed for more than 700 terrorist killings in Iraq.

But NBC News has learned that long before the war the Bush administration had several chances to wipe out his terrorist operation and perhaps kill Zarqawi himself — but never pulled the trigger.

In June 2002, U.S. officials say intelligence had revealed that Zarqawi and members of al-Qaida had set up a weapons lab at Kirma, in northern Iraq, producing deadly ricin and cyanide.

The Pentagon quickly drafted plans to attack the camp with cruise missiles and airstrikes and sent it to the White House, where, according to U.S. government sources, the plan was debated to death in the National Security Council....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4431601

[HereSince1628]

1. You know what? A near miss is as good as a miss by a mile

and I am NOT going to be encouraged by reporting that the forces of Bush somehow come close.

This isn't a game like baseball where a 300 batting average is good.

Nearly 1500 American men and women have died, thousands of Iraqis have died. Dollars in billions that I cannot comprehend have been spent for what seems very very little.

I am not accepting self-promoting reports of ALMOST as something good.

My glass is WAY past half-empty

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. "They had never been this close previously"

"The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity" I'm sold, I'm a believer!

[tanyev]

3. They seek him here, they seek him there,

Those Bushies seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven or is he in hell?
That damned elusive, uh, al-Zarqawi.

[Coventina]

4. ROFL! I love your post so much

I think I need a cigarette!

One of my favorite stories ever!

[Barrett808]

5. Intelligence may be better, but obviously US/Iraq forces are infiltrated

The tip-off almost certainly came from inside.

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. ..."He's small, compact and mobile"

From Riverbend (1/25/05):

"Zarqawi is so much better than WMD. He's small, compact and mobile. He can travel from Falloojeh to Baghdad to Najaf to Mosul… whichever province or city really needs to be oppressed. Also, conveniently, he looks like the typical Iraqi male- dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin, medium build. I wonder how long it will take the average American to figure out that he's about as substantial as our previously alleged WMD. "

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/2005_01_01_riverbendblog_archive.html#110581954852154476

[leftofthedial]

7. if they capture Zarqawi

who will the next propaganda-created boogey man be?

[reprobate]

9. How do you catch a fiction?

At least six months ago I remember CIA claims that he just didn't exist and was no more than a made up fiction.

He's no more than another bushie straw man.

[leftofthedial]

12. another in a series

who's next? Another ME Iraqaeda muslim insurgent "terrist"?

Or will they move to Iran or Syria or somewhere else?

[AlCzervik]

8. It's "Hard work!" catching a one legged dead guy.

[Roland99]

10. Debated to death in NSC? That was the Bushie criticism of Clinton!!

Freakin' incompetent hypocrites.



Anyway, close just doesn't cut it.

[ernstbass]

11. Close anly counts in horseshoes Shrubya

If I had a dime for every time they have "almost" caught someone, I'd be a wealthy woman!

[neweurope]

13. I'm all confused. Haven't they twice now said the have captured him?

by the way "Terror chief" sounds SO stupid...

--------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!