Zarqawi's number two 'shot dead'
Al-Qaeda's second-in-command in Iraq has been shot dead, officials say.

Abu Azzam - described as an aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi - was killed in a joint operation in the capital Baghdad, Iraqi and US officials said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari called the killing very important, and said those who informed on insurgents were helping to save hundreds of lives.

In a separate incident, at least 10 people died in an attack on police recruits north of Baghdad.

At least 26 people were injured in the suicide blast in Baquba - the third major attack on Iraqi police in the last three days.

In other developments:

* The bodies of 22 men, blindfolded and shot dead, are found in the countryside near the Iranian border. The corpses had been there some time.

* Gunmen fire on a police convoy taking detainees to Abu Ghraib jail killing two people and wounding at least eight

* Five civilians are injured as a car bomb explodes in central Baghdad

* A police officer dies in a bomb attack in Kirkuk.

Zarqawi search

Iraqi national security chief Mowaffak al-Rubaie praised the operation against Azzam.


ABU AZZAM PROFILE
Real name reported to be Abdallah Muhammed al-Juhaari
Also known as Sheikh Abdullah Abu Azzam, or the Emir of Anbar
Based in Baghdad since April
Financier and aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, oversaw bombing campaign in the capital
Believed to be Palestinian
$50,000 reward for his death or capture

"We are pretty sure that we have got the number two in al-Qaeda, in Iraq, the one who's after Zarqawi, and to be quite honest with you, we're quite happy with the outcome," he told the BBC.

A US military official said Azzam was killed in a high-rise block in the Iraqi capital after a tip-off from an Iraqi citizen.

"During the operation, which was held with the intent of capturing him, he fired and he was killed by return fire," Maj Flora Lee said.

But US and Iraq officials differed over the timing of the raid.

Maj Lee said it happened at 0450 local time on Sunday, while Iraq officials said it occurred on Monday.

Another US spokesman said Azzam had been tracked for some time, and his death was a "significant development".

"This shows that we are actively going after the network. We've taken down the number two in the network and that is going to have an impact," Lt-Col Steve Boylan said.

"And whoever replaces him as number two, we will go after him as well."

BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs says that while the killing could be an important public relations boost for the US, it is not clear how significant Azzam is or whether his death could have a lasting impact.

The US authorities are offering $25m for the capture of Zarqawi, who is believed to be behind the beheading of several foreigners, as well as a long list of suicide bombings and attacks on Iraqi and US forces.

Pedestrian bomber

Tuesday's attack took place at 1000 local time (0600GMT) at a centre for recruiting the elite Rapid Reaction Force, in the city's al-Jadida district.

A US military spokesman said the bomber approached the police station on foot, making no attempt to conceal his suicide belt.

The victims are thought to include serving police, people queuing for recruitment and passers-by.

Police said the death toll was expected to rise.

On Monday at least five men queuing to join the police and two serving policemen died when a suicide bomber targeted Baghdad's police academy.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/midd...ast/4285394.stm

A nasty business these people are in. They have no idea who they can trust as most anyone they associate could turn them in for for a wide variety of reasons such as a reward, to be able to move up in the ranks themselves, pay back for a past slight, in return for a light to no sentence for themselves or some other.

BTW, the price on Zarkawi's head is $25 million.

No takers.

None living, that is.

It would be naive to think that decapitating the head of any anti-western organization will stop them from attacking when and however they can. I don't feel a jot safer than if this man was still alive. After all, Bush himself said the war was unwinnable. Great, isn't it. Look what a CAN OF WORMS he opened, and he was warned many, many times. He must like cans of worms.
Did the capture of Saddam Hussein make us safer? The UN meeting got bombed, Madrid got bombed, London got bombed.....(and I am not sure WHO the 'terrorists' are.) It really is one big Fog of War. I hope the people who started it are happy. I suggest looking closely at 911 to see who REALLY was behind it. (Hint: the mystery surrounding John P O Neill.)