Since the capture of Abu Faraj al-Libbi [May 4: Al Libbi's Capture | May 5: More on al-Libbi], there has been some commentary as to his exact status within al-Qaeda, with some European officials feeling the need to claim that the US confused Abu Faraj al-Libbi with Anas al-Liby, who is a member of the al-Qaeda ruling council.
No offense, but it's pretty insulting for these anonymous European officials to assert that our guys can't tell the difference between two high-ranking al-Qaeda operatives, do they think that all those Libyan terrorists look alike to the CIA? Abu Faraj has either psoriasis or leucoderma, while Anas suffers from neither. Moreover, we have Anas's fingerprints from his UK flat when it was raided and unless he has undergone reconstructive surgery he still has that comic book villain-esque scar on the left side of his face. Anas, I believe, is also somewhat shorter than Abu Faraj. I highlight all of these differences between the two men to try and illustrate just how patently absurd it is that the US would have mistaken the two men. There is also the small point that even if we had, it still wouldn't have led to mischaracterizations of al-Libbi as the al-Qaeda third-in-command, since Anas al-Liby, while an important member of the group's ruling council, is not himself that high up in the pecking order.
Interestingly, I also did some checking and it seems that Anas al-Liby was not captured in Sudan back in 2002 as previously reported. He may, however, have been part of the Libyan Fighting Islamic Group (LFIG) contingent who were expelled from Iran in March 2004. Noman Benotman (bin Othman), a former member of the LFIG ruling council, described the expulsion in an interview with the Jamestown Foundation's Mahan Abedin:
NB: As far as the Islamic Fighting Group is concerned, Zuwawi is a very important character. Most of the founding leaders and cadres of the Fighting Group were members of the secretive organization formed by Zuwawi in 1982.
MA: Ok, correct me if I am wrong, but I think we have established one of the main foundational facts about the Fighting Group.
NB: The majority of the founding leaders were loyal to Zuwawi. By 1985-1986 Zuwawi had many sophisticated and university educated people around him, in particular Abu Munder Saadi, who is the Group's spiritual leader. He was detained by the Americans in Hong Kong in 2004 and later handed over to the Libyans.
MA: Could you provide more information on that detention?
NB: Yes, toward the end of April 2004, the Americans—in collaboration with local security forces—detained Abu Munder Saadi and Abdullah al-Sadeq, the overall leader of the Fighting Group at the time. Saadi was detained in Hong Kong, while Abdullah Sadeq was captured in Bangkok, Thailand.
MA: What were these two individuals doing in Hong Kong and Bangkok?
NB: They were both in Afghanistan prior to the fall of the Taleban. After the toppling of the Taleban they fled to Iran. But the Iranian government made it clear that they would not tolerate the presence of Mujahideen in their country and therefore everybody, including our leaders, had to leave. Abu Munder Saadi and Abdullah Sadeq left Iran for China. They were feeling increasingly unsafe in China as well and decided to settle in a different location. They were in the middle of their journey when they were detained by the Americans.
MA: What has happened to these individuals since?
NB: The Americans handed them over to Libyan authorities and currently they are in prison.
While Mr. Benotman refrains from noting that the IRGC was preparing to have the LFIG mount a terrorist campaign against Qadaffi until the mullahs got caught, Anas al-Liby may have been among those expelled and as a result may now be in Pakistan, so it makes at least some sense for the Europeans to think that he would be captured there.
I would also note that my point as far as Saif al-Adel being the real al-Qaeda #3 seems to be catching on:
"There may be some grade inflation going on," said Kenneth Katzman, a senior terrorism analyst with the independent Congressional Research Service, which advises U.S. lawmakers.
"If he really had moved into [Mohammed's] position, I think they would have been more public about him, including [offering U.S.] rewards," Katzman said. "There hasn't been a big capture in a while, so maybe they're emphasizing his importance more than they would have otherwise."
Katzman and other U.S. counter-terrorism authorities said another longtime Bin Laden associate, Saif Adel, for years had been considered Al Qaeda's No. 3 operative. But Adel, an Egyptian, is believed to be hiding in Iran and may not be currently involved in Al Qaeda's operations, Katzman said.
As Newsweek noted last summer:
But U.S. officials say they are concerned about the increasing evidence of possible Iranian connections to the 9/11 attacks, noting that as many as 10 top Al Qaeda operatives, including Saad bin Laden and another top bin Laden deputy, Saif Al-Adel, fled to Iran after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in the fall of 2001. The Al Qaeda operatives are believed to be in some sort of government custody, most likely house arrest. But the Iranian government has repeatedly rebuffed U.S. entreaties to turn over the Al Qaeda leaders, and some U.S. intelligence officials believe they may be still supervising terror operations—especially in Saudi Arabia—through the use of couriers.
I would also note that the BBC and MSNBC agree with me as to al-Adel's status, with MSNBC describing him as:
Al-Qaida’s No. 3, its military commander and chief military strategist, succeeding Mohamed Atef, who was killed in November 2001 and Khalid Sheik Mohamed, who was captured in March 2003. Served previously as al-Qaida’s security chief. As early as 1987, wanted to hijack a commercial aircraft and fly it into the Egyptian Parliament. Wrote an analysis for an al-Qaida website advising Iraqis on how to fight the U.S. Sees himself as a strategic thinker. Thought to be in Iran by some.
I don't want to demean the importance capturing al-Libbi, however, as the following has been gained as a result:
- We have his notebook containing contact information for both Pakistani jihadi figures and al-Qaeda supporters in the Pakistani military, intelligence, and police forces. This is a major intelligence coup in and of itself and I'd pay a great deal of money to find out whether or not Hamid Gul's name was on the second list ...
- Another major assassination attempt on General Musharraf has been thwarted.
I'd consider those two to be unqualified good results, regardless of al-Libbi's exact status in al-Qaeda. This was one of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's deputies who has been linked to terrorist attacks in both the United Kingdom as well as to a potential attack during the US presidential election or the inauguration. Taking him out of circulation is a victory for the war on terrorism, period.
Thanks, Dan. I knew you'd have some good words on the subject.
Every time we get one of these guys, the left shows disapointment, throws a fit, or calls him a freedom fighter, or steps forward in offer to join his legal defense team.
Political suicide, as they teach America and the world what side of good and evil they are on, morality evaluation 101.
Do they think the planet is so far blinded by evil that it cant see what virdict, what judgment, it demands ?
Im not ready to think Americans are so blind and souless or knumb, and i guess we will find out about socialist europe.
Im not all that unhappy to see the left doing everything it can to brand itself as those with hearts of black with the morality of Stalins thugs.
What I find so amazing, is that the left is THAT obtuse to how they are depicting themselves.
Are they that far gone ?
Thats what happens when you march with moonbats in Che T shirts, their blood stained brain-f**kage rubs off on their fellow travelers, ideas become poisoned with theirs, dragging all with them into the smoking pit.
Welp, X one more bad guy, and for every Hi Profile face we nab, we are killing 100s of their lower level cadre.
Just as good as seeing the left discredit themselves, both the left and the islamic fantics must be defeated to win this war.
Raymond, get a grip.
Dan, good post. Did you also see this? Also, on Meet the Press this morning, Gary Schroen called al-Libbi the #3. So there must be a genuine dispute about his standing within counterterrorism circles. Schroen doesn't have any motivation to puff up the Bush administration.
On the other hand nobody ever went broke betting on the incompetance of the CIA.
Praktike:
Larry Johnson sez there are two HVT lists with different rankings, so maybe that explains the difference. All I know is that everyone I've talked to says that Saif al-Adel is #3. That doesn't mean al-Libbi is chopped liver, by any means, as I hopefully was able to articulate above.
If I had to guess, I'd say that if there was any motivation to puff up al-Libbi's status that it would be from the Pakistani angle, as they do love to boast what a Valuable Ally™ they are.
Mark Buehner:
Maybe and I'm far from a CIA enthusiast, but if the operations guys can't tell the difference between al-Liby and al-Libbi they need to be shown the door pronto. As I said, I doubt this is the case.
Prak
On what ?
Just what, in particular.
To me, this had the familiar faint stench of those who chafe at good news. where every good thing, every acheavment, is seen as bad for them.
So the venom flows. even during the vote they tried to downplay and dismiss, they carped about how the solders family placed by the iraq woman was some kind of staged event.
And people notice these things, do they not ?
Just what do you contest ?
The people if Iraq qill certainly remember those who have fallen, those fighting and the innocent targets of evil. and they, like me, like 100s of millions everywhere, will remember the left.
Its a stain thats gonna last.
Mark Buehner (#4):
That's because most of the time when the CIA wins, it can't tell you about it.
Howdy! My original post did NOT GET POSTED
because it is on the blacklist. What blacklist?
Need name, date & location
of Al qaeda figure captured with
300 phone numbers from America! His cell phone and computer were found uncorrupted after capture. Thanks!