Baghdad
A U.S. missile strike killed al Qaida’s second in command in Iraq, military officials said this week. Abu Ahmed Tabouki, a Saudi, was a top aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who is believed to be al Qaida’s point man in Iraq. U.S. military officials said the death of Tabouki was a serious blow to al Qaida, but they cautioned that they were growing more alarmed about Iraq’s homegrown terrorists. “The primary problem that we’re dealing with is former regime elements of the ex–Baath Party,” said Gen. John Abizaid, head of U.S. Central Command. Last week, a general in the Iraqi National Guard, Talib Lahibi, was arrested for having “associations with known terrorists” and “alleged ties to insurgents.” The U.S. had been considering appointing Lahibi commander of a province near Baghdad.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
