Abu Ayyub al-Masri Captured in Iraq

[SWJED]

Abu Ayyub al-Masri Captured in Iraq (http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2008/05/abu-ayyub-almasri-captured-in-1/) at SWJ Blog - will try to keep the page updated...

[Abu Buckwheat]

Good catch!

AQI is going down slowly but definately going down ... now if only we can keep the Shia and Sunnah from killing each other! :D

[Rank amateur]

From CNN:

Skeptical of the reports at first, the U.S. military is now certain that Abu Ayyub al-Masri -- the head of al Qaeda in Iraq -- has not been captured, a senior U.S. military official told CNN. (http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/05/09/iraq.alqaedafree/index.html)

[Abu Buckwheat]

:mad: In. Frick'n. Credible. This had beeter have been an IO to smoke him out. Sometimes I get ahead of myself and actually believe MNF-I. :rolleyes:

[Ron Humphrey]

:mad: In. Frick'n. Credible. This had beeter have been an IO to smoke him out. Sometimes I get ahead of myself and actually believe MNF-I. :rolleyes:

MNF-I were the ones who said from moment one they could NOT confirm that it was true. Seems like that was a wise decision considering todays news.

[Rank amateur]

"Iraqi officials have reported his death three times, his capture twice and a mortal wounding once."

Maybe Marc can explain. I bet it has something to do with his symbolic effect within the Shia community.;)

[marct]

"Iraqi officials have reported his death three times, his capture twice and a mortal wounding once."

Maybe Marc can explain. I bet it has something to do with his symbolic effect within the Shia community.;)

More like wishful thinking I would guess :D.

[Vic Bout]

Two things I learned when dealing with both Afghani's and Iraqi's (mostly military types):
1) Never believe the first report
2) Combat math is skewed (i.e. "Well, Chief, we were on patrol in town last night and were ambushed by 25 ali-baba. We returned fire but they all escaped"....en realidad for my daily SITREP to higher we divide everything by 10 and come up two guys shooting at our IA patrol from a speeding vehicle

[marct]

Hey Vic,

I used to do the same thing, divide by 10, when I was listening to the combat stats on the VC coming out of Vietnam :eek::D. Must be a human universal ;)!

[Abu Buckwheat]

Two things I learned when dealing with both Afghani's and Iraqi's (mostly military types):
1) Never believe the first report
2) Combat math is skewed (i.e. "Well, Chief, we were on patrol in town last night and were ambushed by 25 ali-baba. We returned fire but they all escaped"....en realidad for my daily SITREP to higher we divide everything by 10 and come up two guys shooting at our IA patrol from a speeding vehicle

I should have known better. :D I actualy teach this in my tactical Arabic classes:

01 (Wahid) = None or maybe even 1, if they feel especially honest
02 (Ithnayn) = One, Maybe
03 (Thalatha) = One, for sure
10 (Ashura) = Two
15 = Three
100 = Ten
1000 = 25
Too much = 26

It is Very Bad = SVBIED or any assessment of the enemy
It is Very Much Bad = 3 or more Jihadis, or any unacceptable interruption of kabab, shisha or tea breaks
It is Too Much Bad = Any Muj position they have to attack
It is Too Very Much Bad = Kababs cannot be found, like, anywhere!

So by this initial report I guess I can add "We have killed the #1 Al Qaeda" to mean = We REALLY don't want to have to find this guy ... he is already dead, see!?

[RTK]

I was wondering what the issues would be between MNF-I and MOD since we basically said they were wrong. Anyone else think we should have allowed the Iraqis to correct themselves instead of doing it for them, kinda like when we should have allowed them to announce the capture of Saddam?

[Ron Humphrey]

I was wondering what the issues would be between MNF-I and MOD since we basically said they were wrong. Anyone else think we should have allowed the Iraqis to correct themselves instead of doing it for them, kinda like when we should have allowed them to announce the capture of Saddam?

But looking at it from a coalition standpoint it may be somewhat difficult still to get some of those within the Iraqi leadership to willingly admit being wrong, and in that case better we point it out than AQI or others suddenly post a vid with him reading tomorrows paper all about how dead he is:wry: