Continuing the Hunt

Coalition forces continue to target al Qaeda’s leadership. In Baghdad, al Qaeda physicians Dr. Sa’ad and Dr. Mazen are detained. Both men were responsible for treating wounded jihadis. Dr. Mazen is more than just an MD, however. According to CENTCOM, he “sold weapons and explosives to Wamid [al Qaeda’s Emir in Baghdad] and his subordinates to kill Iraqi Security and Coalition forces. He has admitted to visiting neighboring countries to buy weapons and explosives and then smuggling them back into Iraq, where he would sell them to his terrorist connections in Baghdad. One such purchase was to provide arms to a terrorist assassination platoon, according to documents recovered by Coalition forces.”

In Mosul, two terrorists are killed and three detained during raids. In Tal Afar, six are killed and four are captured. The citizens of Tal Afar are reported to have requested the insurgents be removed from the city, as they were creating unlivable conditions for residents. Such is the reaction to living in close proximity with terrorists.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.