Newsweek: The 'Second' Man (Al-Qaida deputy really No. 2?)

[sabra]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9518556/site/newsweek/

The 'Second' Man
The slain Abu Azzam may not have been Zarqawi’s top deputy after all. Will his death have any effect on the Iraq insurgency?

Sept. 28, 2005 - U.S. intelligence officials and counterterrorism analysts are questioning whether a slain terrorist—described by President Bush today as the “second-most-wanted Al Qaeda leader in Iraq”—was as significant a figure as the Bush administration is claiming.

...

“This guy was a brutal killer,” Bush told reporters in remarks that were also carried live on cable TV. “He was one of Zarqawi’s top lieutenants. He was reported to be the top operational commander of Al Qaeda in Baghdad.”

...

But veteran counterterrorism analyst Evan Kohlmann said today there are ample reasons to question whether Abu Azzam was really the No. 2 figure in the Iraqi insurgency. He noted that U.S. officials have made similar claims about a string of purportedly high-ranking terrorist operatives who had been captured or killed in the past, even though these alleged successes made no discernible dent in the intensity of the insurgency.

...

Three U.S. counterterrorism officials, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject, also told NEWSWEEK today that U.S. agencies did not really consider Abu Azzam to be Zarqawi’s “deputy” even if he did play a relatively high-ranking role in the insurgency.

[don954]

1. again? boy, they sure have a bunch of #2s!

they seem to be catching one every week now..! -grin-

[sabra]

2. and the MSM is finally checking them on the propaganda...

[Auntie Bush]

4. Caught a lot of # 3's too!

I wonder if any Retugs believe them anymore? I really think everyone's getting wise to this joke of a president.

Here's to you bush......:puke:

[Inland]

24. Alqaeda like a bank, EVERYBODY's an exec. vice president. nt

[Corgigal]

3. It never mattered anyway

No one actually bought any of this because even if we get lucky and kill number 2 then a new number 2 will be in place in minutes.

The only person impressed with this thinking is Bush because like Richard Clarke said, he can cross names off the list.

[jaysunb]

5. Again ! I ask, to please please

see the org chart. :evilgrin:

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. If we're talking about terrorist cells, wouldn't a "number 2" be someone

at the top of a particular cell? And if there are 30 cells, wouldn't that mean 30 "number 2s"?

[Up2Late]

7. I guess they figured we wouldn't by the #3 caught again BS

#2. Really.

[Roland99]

8. The 'Second' Man - Azzam may not have been Zarqawi’s top deputy after all.

The 'Second' Man
The slain Abu Azzam may not have been Zarqawi’s top deputy after all. Will his death have any effect on the Iraq insurgency?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9518556/site/newsweek

Sept. 28, 2005 - U.S. intelligence officials and counterterrorism analysts are questioning whether a slain terrorist—described by President Bush today as the “second-most-wanted Al Qaeda leader in Iraq”—was as significant a figure as the Bush administration is claiming.

<...>

Bush’s comments came one day after Gen. Richard Myers, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon that the U.S. military considered Abu Azzam the “No. 2 Al Qaeda operative in Iraq, next to Zarqawi.”

But veteran counterterrorism analyst Evan Kohlmann said today there are ample reasons to question whether Abu Azzam was really the No. 2 figure in the Iraqi insurgency. He noted that U.S. officials have made similar claims about a string of purportedly high-ranking terrorist operatives who had been captured or killed in the past, even though these alleged successes made no discernible dent in the intensity of the insurgency.

“If I had a nickel for every No. 2 and No. 3 they’ve arrested or killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, I’d be a millionaire,” says Kohlmann, a New York-based analyst who tracks the Iraq insurgency and who first expressed skepticism about the Azzam claims in a posting on The Counterterrorism Blog (counterterror.typepad.com). While agreeing that Azzam—also known as Abdullah Najim Abdullah Mohamed al-Jawari—may have been an important figure, “this guy was not the deputy commander of Al Qaeda,” says Kohlmann.

How's that strategery working now, Mr. Propagandist?

:eyes:



Oh...and rate up the article, too!

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Damn anybody surprised?

Nah, nope, not at all...

[Ouabache]

10. not me, maybe by touting it all week since Sunday they themselves

have exposed it as the pr sham it is? Deadly pr is all this administration ever amounted to, and now more than ever. Gets old after a while, and then the press gets tired of being had? I suppose it could happen with everything they try to make a big pr deal out of from here on out. And since they literally do make EVERYTHING a pr event/operation...

[txindy]

11. You mean we get to go after yet another #2 guy?!

I know I'm shocked. Not. :eyes: How many false #2s have they arrested and/or killed so far, anyway?

[Hissyspit]

14. Just like British 60s TV's "The Prisoner." Different No. 2 every week!

I knew it was a great show all these years, but really didn't know how prescient and insightful it was...

[Hissyspit]

15. And No. 1 turned out to be... Ourselves!

[Roland99]

18. Why do you hate America?

Terrorist appeaser.



:P

[Hissyspit]

12. Yawn, same ol' same ol' Of course, no one will notice the correction

The U.S. public only hears the first headline. "We Got No. 2!"

We've heard all this before.

[bluestateguy]

13. Did Al Qaeda's head of Human Resources make a statement?

:eyes:

[The_Casual_Observer]

16. I could make a fortune placing bets that these kind of war claims

have no merit.

[Up2Late]

17. See! He WAS the #3, I knew it!

They definitely think we are all stupid.

[burrowowl]

19. LOL!

Good replique!

[jobycom]

20. Reminds me Iago's comments in Aladdin

Iago: Oh, there's a big surprise. That's an incredible... I think I'm going to have a heart attack and die, from that surprise.

[DRoseDARs]

21. Didn't this episode of "Mistaken Identity: Opps, our bad!" air last year?

:shrug:

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

22. "DEPUTY" Dawg, "LEIUTENANT" wearing his stripes, "TOP AID" helping out

WHICH IS IT?
These "terms" they use--Where the hell do they come up with them?

[bleedingheart]

23. But wait...Who's on First, What's on Second and I don't know...

is on third...

that is what this is turning inot...