Jihadi Du Jour: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Your Days are al-Numbered

Sunday has been a violent day in Baghdad. The AP reports that 24 workers at a refriderated food factory were kidnapped by gunmen. Twenty-six workers were being forced into a refridgerated truck, when two refused to get into the truck they were shot and left behind.

Also Sunday, the bodies of 21 people apparently killed in such attacks were found in Baghdad or to the south. Among them were seven bullet-riddled, handcuffed bodies in the southern Dora district of the capital, and six corpses — each with a single shot to the head — found in northern Baghdad.

This most recent surge in sectarian violence in Baghdad is apparently in reaction to the arrest of the bodyguard of one of the Iraqi government's Sunni Arab leaders. The bodyguard was arrested accused of planning bombing attacks. This arrest resulted in the Shiite's accusing the Sunni's of ties to terrorism.

The potential government crisis erupted after U.S. troops on Friday arrested a bodyguard of Sunni politician Adnan al-Dulaimi, saying the man was suspected of leading an al-Qaida-linked cell that was "in the final stages" of carrying out a string of bombings in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, the center of government and home to the U.S. and British embassies.

This arrest has placed suspicion of ties to terrorism on al-Dulaimi. Now Sunni and Shiite lawmakers are pointing fingers and making accusations that each group is connected to the jihadists. Each group is demanding that the other be treated as terrorists and demanding they be investigated.

The headlines I've seen this evening present this story in a weak manner. Iraq government facing sectarian rift. Gunmen kidnap 24 workers from Baghdad factory. Curfew in Baghdad for Alledged Plot.

With all the finger pointing and accusations, I think they just sound more and more like our own lawmakers. For better or worse.

The bottom line is they are talking about what they have to do to reduce the level of violence and bring their government together. They aren't agreeing, but they are talking about the dignity of their nation, not allowing sectarian violence to disable their government. They are using words like 'we'.

They are also looking to the source of the increase in violence and placing it squarely with al-Qaida terrorists. They all seem to be sick of the interference of the al-Quaida jihadists on their attempts to form a viable operational government. In particular Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the successor of al-Zarqawi

Iraq's National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie, meanwhile, said security forces were closing in on the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri.

He succeeded slain militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi at the helm of the group, which is accused of some of the deadliest suicide bombings against Shiites.

"In a very short time, we will bring you the good news of Abu Ayyub al-Masri either killed or handcuffed to be brought before the Iraqi justice system," he said.

He showed what he called an al-Qaida instructional CD found this week in a raid south of Baghdad in which al-Masri is seen explaining how to build a car bomb.

"Your days are numbered and you will face your fate very soon," al-Rubaie said, addressing al-Masri.

[source]

I hope when they bring al-Masri in, dead or alive, he does as al-Zarqawi did. That he lives long enough to bleed, suffer, recognize and attempt to escape from his own judgement day.

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Also see: Al-Qaida leader Masri close to capture

Jules Crittenden sees good news in Iraq as well.