Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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July 18, 2007

US Military: Most Senior Iraqi al-Qaida Member in Iraq Captured
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=182F18B:A6F02AD83191E1600035AED895FF54119574F7DCC14957C0 Khaled
al-Mashhadani believed to work closely with Abu Ayub al-Masri, who
heads al-Qaida in Iraq U.S. military officials say they have captured
the most senior Iraqi member of al-Qaida in Iraq.







Top Iraqi militant Khaled al-Mashhadani's picture is displayed on a
giant screen during a US military press conference in Baghdad, 18 July
2007Brigadier General Kevin Bergner said Wednesday that U.S. forces
captured Khaled al-Mashhadani two weeks ago. He is believed to work
closely with the Egyptian-born Abu Ayub al-Masri - the head of
al-Qaida in Iraq. Bergner says al-Mashhadani also served as an
intermediary between al-Masri and Osama bin Laden.

The U.S. military spokesman says al-Mashhadani told interrogators that
al-Qaida in Iraq is run by a foreign group under al-Masri's
leadership. In order to mask the foreign influence, al-Mashhadani and
al-Masri created a fictitious entity known as the Islamic State of
Iraq. The made-up leader of the insurgent organization, a man called
Omar al-Baghdadi, was played by an actor for propaganda recordings.

In violence in Iraq, the U.S. military said two roadside bombs killed
three American soldiers and wounded four others in Baghdad Tuesday.

Iraqi officials said Wednesday that four civilians were killed and
seven wounded in another blast in the capital.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.


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