Zarqawi slipped away

Baghdad

U.S. forces came within minutes of catching Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a U.S. military official told the Associated Press this week. In February, the unnamed official said, the covert unit hunting al-Zarqawi had a reliable tip that he was heading for a meeting near Fallujah. When U.S. forces intercepted a car along the route, a pickup truck traveling behind it suddenly took off. By the time U.S. troops caught the truck, al-Zarqawi wasn’t in it—but his computer was, along with more than 80,000 euros (about $100,000). The U.S. has since learned that al-Zarqawi, considered the most-wanted terrorist in Iraq, jumped out while the truck was going through an overpass. Officials said al-Zarqawi’s computer hard drive contained evidence of direct, two-way communication with Osama bin Laden. Al-Zarqawi, who is wanted for numerous kidnappings and beheadings in Iraq, swore loyalty to bin Laden last year.

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