No. 2 al-Qaida Leader in Iraq Arrested.
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraqi forces have arrested the second most senior operative in al-Qaida in Iraq, and the group now suffers from a "serious leadership crisis," the national security adviser said Sunday.
Hamed Jumaa Farid al-Saeedi, known as Abu Humam or Abu Rana, was arrested a few days ago, Mouwaffak al-Rubaie said, adding that his arrest also led to the capture or death of 11 other top al-Qaida in Iraq figures and nine lower-level members.
After al-Zarqawi was killed, authorities obtained information about al-Saeedi indicating he had been operating in Salahuddin province, al-Rubaie said. He later moved south to northern Baghdad and had been operating outside Baqouba, the same area where al-Zarqawi was killed.
Al-Saeedi had been hiding in a residential building, the security adviser said. "He wanted to use children and women as human shields during the arrest....
Typical.
