 A U.S. commander warned al-Qaida ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a driving force behind escalating attacks in the buildup to Iraq's election, that American troops were on his trail and would capture or kill him sooner or later. Branding al-Zarqawi the "head of the snake," Brig.-Gen. Jeffrey Hammond said on Friday that taking out the shadowy Jordanian Islamist leader, who tops America's wanted list, would deal a crippling blow to Iraq's insurgency. Al-Zarqawi — whose network seems to strike at will, targeting politicians and beheading foreign hostages despite a $25 million U.S. bounty on his head — eluded a manhunt during a major U.S.-led assault on his former Fallujah stronghold in November. "I'd love to capture, detain or kill Zarqawi," Hammond told reporters. "I'm very optimistic that sooner or later we're going to get him. Sooner or later, we got Saddam. The bloodhounds are on him right now. They're on his trail."
| I listen for the news he's been killed every morning. Still waiting... |
Hammond declined to say whether U.S. forces had come close to getting al-Zarqawi since driving his fighters out of Fallujah, though rumors of his capture have surfaced in recent weeks. Hammond — deputy commander of the army's 1st Cavalry, based in Baghdad — predicted a fresh surge of violence aimed at intimidating voters and said the U.S. military could not guarantee it could prevent "spectacular" attacks in the capital on election day. Asked if parts of Baghdad would be unsafe to cast ballots, he said: "There will probably be places in Baghdad that will be challenging."
| My guess is that the Bad Guys're going to turn themselves inside out to produce the maximum poundage of flying meat... |
Brushing aside concerns about the ability of Iraq's fledgling security services to safeguard the election, Hammond said they would assume the main responsibility for protecting polling places, with 18,000 police and 35,000 soldiers mobilized in the capital alone. Hammond said U.S. forces would act in a support role and would have rapid-reaction teams ready to respond with "overwhelming force" if Iraqi officials requested their help. |