Abu Abdullah al-Rashid al-Baghdadi
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Abu Abdullah al-Rashid al-Baghdadi (also known as Abu Hamza al-Baghdadi and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)[1][2] was the emir (leader) of the Mujahideen Shura Council (also known as the "Council of Freedom Fighters,"[3] the "Consultative Council of Mujahedeen,"[2] and the "Council of Holy Warriors"),[4] an umbrella organization composed of eight groups that violently oppose the United States military presence in Iraq, including al-Qaeda, and is the current head of Islamic State of Iraq. The Interior Ministry of Iraq said that Al-Baghdadi was captured in Baghdad on March 9, 2007,[5] but it was later said that the person in question was not Al-Baghdadi.[6]
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[edit] Biography
Baghdadi is an Iraqi who met al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. Yasser al-Sirri, head of the Islamic Observatory in London, said that to be named emir, al-Baghdadi "should have proven combat skills and be versed in Sharia." Sirri also said Baghdadi was previously head of the Al-Haya al-Sharia (Islamic jurisprudence committee) of the Shura Council.[2] The New York Times reported that "many terrorism experts" believe the Shura Council is "a fiction" or "a front organization that appeared to give local control to Iraqis." The paper also suggests that Baghdadi may have been a puppet of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, chosen to give an illusion of Iraqi control over resistance to the Americans in Iraq.[3]
[edit] Role in insurgency
Baghdadi oversaw fatwas and hostages and is the ultimate authority over an Islamic militant court.[2] He met Jill Carroll while she was held hostage in Iraq. (She was released on March 30, 2006.) He has written articles such as "Why do we fight and whom do we fight?" and "The constitution of the infidels."
Major General William Caldwell, spokesman for the American military in Iraq, has suggested that Baghdadi might be in competition for power against Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the reputed new leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq.[4]
Al-Zarqawi's successor, Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, stated that al-Baghdadi was "the ruler of believers" with al-Qaida in Iraq fighters under his command.
[edit] Claim of capture
Al-Baghdadi was reported captured by United States and Iraqi forces in a raid in Abu Ghraib, on the western outskirts of Baghdad, on March 9, 2007.[5] Officials denied that the person captured was Al-Baghdadi on March 10, but said that the person was "a senior al-Qaida leader".[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Insurgent leader arrested in Iraq, Wimmera News. March 10, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Al-Qaeda names mystery man to succeed Zarqawi. Agence France Presse. 13 June 2006.
- ^ a b Burns, John F. and Dexter Filkins. A Jihadist Web Site Says Zarqawi's Group in Iraq Has a New Leader in Place. New York Times. 13 June 2006.
- ^ a b Filkins, Dexter and John F. Burns. U.S. Portrayal Helps Flesh Out Zarqawi's Heir. New York Times. 16 June 2006.
- ^ a b Iraqi ministry: Militant leader arrested in Baghdad, CNN. March 9, 2007
- ^ a b "Captured Iraqi not al-Baghdadi", Al Jazeera, March 10, 2007.
