Annan emphasises negotiation with Iran
Annan to meet Iranian leaders today
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Sunday, 03, Sep 2006 07:35
A key leader coordinating the growing sectarian unrest which is undermining coalition forces' hold over Iraq is in the hands of the country's government, it has been claimed.
Iraq's national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, said Hamed Juma Faris al-Suaidi, al-Qaida's number two commander in the country, told reporters today that he had been arrested last week.
Also known as Abu Humam and Abu Ranan, al-Suaidi has been implicated with the attack on the Shiite shrine in Samarra in February.
"Al-Suaidi carried out al-Qaida's policies in Iraq and the orders of the slain al-Zarqawi to incite sectarian violence in the country, through attempting to start a civil war between Shiites and Sunnis - but their wishes did not materialize," Mr al-Rubaie was reported by the Associated Press news agency as saying.
Today's arrest follows the assassination of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaida's leader in Iraq, at the beginning of June. The terrorist organisation had pledged to "shake the enemy" in response by instigating a renewed wave of attacks.
Although some at the time of al-Zarqawi's death hoped that his demise would see an improvement in the deteriorating security situation in Iraq. Instead the fledgling Iraqi government and US-led coalition forces in the country have endured worsening sectarian violence.
The most recent example of this was the death of 14 Shia pilgrims from Pakistan and India murdered on the desert road to Kerbala last week. Regular suicide bombings and rocket fire in Baghdad have forced US forces to attempt to 're-take' the Iraqi capital street by street during the last two weeks.