Quotes of the Morning: Taking a Number Two

“U.S. national security adviser Stephen Hadley declined to confirm that Rabia, said to be among al-Qaida’s top five leaders and responsible for planning overseas attacks, was dead or that the attack was carried out by a pilotless U.S. plane.
‘At this point we are not in a position publicly to confirm that he is dead. But if he is, that is a good thing for the war on terror,’ Hadley told ‘Fox News Sunday.’
Rabia was involved in planning two assassination plots against Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and ‘we believe he was involved in planning for attacks against the United States,’ Hadley said.
Musharraf said Saturday it was ‘200 percent confirmed’ that Rabia was killed.
The senior Pakistani intelligence official said the missile attack blew up a stockpile of bomb-making materials, grenades and other munitions. Pakistan Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said Rabia’s two Syrian bodyguards also died in the explosion”.
-NBC News, December 5, 2005

“Well, we’ve taken out another one of al-Qaida’s top leaders. I believe that that makes number 2,443 of their top five leaders that we’ve eliminated (not re-counting those that we have killed several times over according to the media). Great! Please ignore the fact that it means that we sent a hellfire missile strike into the sovereign nation of Pakistan. I mean, Musharraf seems cool with it, so why should we worry? I mean heck, We apparently killed the right guy, Rabia, twice over. 200 percent confirmed kill. I just wish I knew why these people were so angry with us..”
-Skippy

“Private security contractors have been involved in scores of shootings in Iraq, but none have been prosecuted despite findings in at least one fatal case that the men had not followed proper procedures, according to interviews and documents obtained by The Times.
Instead, security contractors suspected of reckless behavior are sent home, sometimes with the knowledge of U.S. officials, raising questions about accountability and stirring fierce resentment among Iraqis.
Thousands of the heavily armed private guards are in Iraq, under contract with the U.S. government and private companies. The conduct of such security personnel has been one of the most controversial issues in the reconstruction of Iraq. Last week, a British newspaper publicized a so-called trophy video that appears to show private contractors in Iraq firing at civilian vehicles as an Elvis song plays in the background.
The contractors function in a legal gray area. Under an order issued by the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority that administered Iraq until June 2004, contractors suspected of wrongdoing are to be prosecuted in their home countries. The contractors have immunity from Iraqi courts and have so far not faced American prosecution, giving little recourse to Iraqis seeking justice for wrongful shootings.”
-LA Times, December 4, 2005

“And now, thanks to Blogenlust, I give you a very non-comprehensive list of top al-Qaida operatives that we have killed.”
-Skippy

“Abu Azzam (9/27/05)
"The No. 2 official in the al-Qaida in Iraq organization.'
"The top deputy to Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."
Mohammed Salah Sutton, aka Abu Zubair (8/14/05)
"A lieutenant of al-Qaida terror boss Abu Musab al Zarqawi."
Abu Abd al-Aziz (7/13/05)
"Zarqawi's 'main leader in Baghdad'"
Khalid Suleiman Darwish, aka Abu Alghadiya (6/26/05)
A Syrian dentist...was described by Arab media as the 'number two' in Iraq's al Qaeda network and tipped to succeed its leader Abu Musab Al Zarqawi."
Mohammed Khalaf Shakar, aka Abu Talha (6/17/05)
"A top lieutenant of terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."
Mullah Mahdi, aka Abu Abdul Rahman (6/4/05)
"Suspected deputy of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi"
Abu Karrar (5/27/05)
"The Washington Post quoted a Zarqawi lieutenant by the nom-de-guerre of Abu Karrar as saying the Jordanian militant was shot and wounded in fighting with US forces near the western city of Ramadi."
Mullah Kamel al-Assawadi (5/25/05)
"Described as one of al-Zarqawi's top lieutenants."
Agha Umar (5/25/05)
"A top aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi"
Amar Adnan Muhammad Hamzah al-Zubaydi, aka Abu al-Abbas (5/9/05)
"A high-ranking aide to terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."
Ghassan Muhammed Amin Husayn al-Rawi (4/26/05)
"A key associate of Iraq's most wanted militant, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."
Hamza Ali Ahmed al-Wdimizyar, aka Abu Majid (beginning of April-05)
"Zarqawi associate"
Salman Aref Abulkadir Khwamurad al-Zardowe, aka Abu Sharif (beginning of April-05)
"Zarqawi associate"
Taifor Abulsattar Malallah (3/8/05)
"One of the 'princes' of Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist group."
Talib Mikhlif Arsan Walman al-Dulaymi, aka Abu Qutaybah (2/25/05)
"Iraqi forces have captured a man described as a trusted aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."
Mohammed Najm Ibrahim, aka Mohammed Najm (2/25/05)
"Zarqawi lieutenant"
Adel Mujtaba, aka Abu Rim (2/20/05)
"A propaganda chief of al-Qaeda's frontman in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi"
Anat Mohammed Hamat al-Kays, aka Abu Alid (1/28/05)
"High-level Zarqawi lieutenant"
Sami Mohammed Ali Said Jaaf, aka Abu Omar Kurdi (1/25/05)
"A senior aide to Abu Musab al Zarqawi"
"The 'most lethal' top lieutenant of Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq."
Ismael Jeddan (1/23/05)
"The raids also netted a man identified as Ismael Jeddan, an alleged associate of al-Zarqawi."
Ali Hamad Ardani Yasin Isawi (1/20/05)
"top lieutenant"
Inad Mohammed Qais (1/20/05)
"The deputy prime minister for national security affairs, Barham Salih, later told a news conference that authorities have arrested a third Zarqawi lieutenant."
Salah Salman Idaaj Matar Luhaybi, aka Abu Sayf (12/31/04)
"Zarqawi's chief of operations in Baghdad"
Fadil Hussain Ahmed al-Kurdi, aka Abu Ubaydah al-Kurdi, aka Ridha (12/30/04)
"A senior member of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's network."
Abdul Aziz Sa'dun Ahmed Hamduni, aka Abu Ahmed (12/22/04)
"Zarqawi-linked leader"
Hassan Ibrahim Farhan Zyda (12/14/04)
"An aide to Iraq's most-wanted man, Jordanian Islamist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi"
Abu Saeed (11/26/04)
"A lieutenant of Iraq's most feared terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi"
Nameless (10/23/04)
The US military has arrested a 'senior leader' in the network run by Jordanian mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."
Omar Yusef Juma'a, aka Abu Anas al-Shami (9/25/04)
"A senior aide of the Jordanian al Qaeda mastermind, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi"
Umar Baziyani (6/4/04)
"A top aide of al-Qaeda suspect Abu Musab al-Zarqawi"
"His capture removes one of Zarqawi's most valuable officers from his network."
Abu Mohammed Hamza (2/24/04)
"A key lieutenant to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."
Hassan Ghul (2/23/04)
"The letter was found on al-Zarqawi lieutenant Hassan Ghul, a Pakistani captured in Iraq."
The letter in reference was a "17-page letter to senior al Qaeda leaders written by terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who asked for help starting a Muslim civil war between Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites."
Nameless (4/30/03)
"An associate of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been captured in the Baghdad area."”
-Blogenlust, September 27, 2005