al-Qaeda's Abu Musab al-Zarqawi pwned

[Groundhog]

US 'homing in' on Zarqawi
From: Agence France-Presse By Terry Friel and Omar al-Ibadi
May 05, 2006

The US military said overnight that it was hot on the heels of the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, after discovering documents and an unedited video of him in a rural hideout near Baghdad.

Zarqawi was throwing all his resources into attacks in Baghdad and was probably somewhere south of the capital where US forces recently launched a series of raids, US military spokesman Major-General Rick Lynch said.
"We believe it is only a matter of time until Zarqawi is taken down. It's not if, but when," he said.

"Zarqawi is zooming in on Baghdad, we are zooming in on Zarqawi."

A roadside bomb killed nine people and wounded 46 near a Baghdad courthouse yesterday as Prime Minister-designate Nuri al-Maliki met political blocs on the formation of a unity government Washington hopes will avert a sectarian civil war.

Dazed victims were taken to hospital, where they recalled hearing an explosion after entering the courthouse.

"I went inside. The explosion happened 15 minutes later. Some were saying that it was a suicide bomber with an explosives vest. Others were saying it was a bomb on a cart pulled by a horse," Abdul Mohsen Jassim said.
General Lynch showed brief clips from what he said was an unedited copy of a video Zarqawi released last week, showing the al-Qaeda leader wearing American running shoes, struggling to handle a machine gun and handing the weapon to one of his aides, who appears to fumble with it as he grabs the gun's hot muzzle.

In the version Zarqawi posted on the Internet and that aired on television, Zarqawi is seen poring over maps, receiving battle reports and firing bursts from an automatic weapon in a video in which he warned of more attacks.

But at his weekly media briefing, General Lynch mocked Zarqawi for wearing sneakers and suggested he was unable to fire a weapon.

"What he didn't show you were the clips that I showed you," said the General. "Wearing New Balance sneakers with his uniform, surrounded by supposedly competent subordinates who grab the hot barrel of a just-fired machine gun, ... a warrior leader, Zarqawi, who doesn't understand how to operate his weapons system. "It makes you wonder."

Mr Maliki has promised to form a government that will stabilise Iraq by sharing power among Shiites, Kurds and Sunni Arabs.

Mr Maliki, from the dominant Shiite Islamist Alliance, has until May 22 to present a Cabinet to Parliament, a month after his nomination that ended months of political stalemate.

Mr Maliki has said he may need only two weeks and several negotiators said they were looking to a possible deal next week.

Iraqi politicians involved in negotiations said on Wednesday an agreement on the top five ministries was close.

"The Alliance is insisting on the oil ministry, the Kurds are insisting on the foreign ministry and we in the Accordance Front want the finance portfolio," Sunni politician Saleem al-Jubouri said overnight.

Leaders from the Alliance were expected to hold talks with a secular bloc headed by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, a pro-American Shiite. Some Shiite officials said his group was likely to win control of the Ministry of Defence.

Sectarian violence has exploded since the February bombing of a Shi'ite shrine touched off reprisals and pushed Iraq closer to a full-blown communal conflict.

Qais Hassan, deputy director of the Baghdad city morgue, said the facility receives an average of between 35 and 50 bodies a day. He said 90 per cent had gunshot wounds, likely victims of sectarian violence.

Iraqi leaders hoped the participation of Sunni Arab leaders in the political process for the first time in December elections would undermine Sunni insurgents waging a campaign of bombings and shootings to topple the Shiite-led Government.

But the violence goes on.

Iraqi police said overnight that they found the bodies of two strangled people on Wednesday inside a sack in a road between Baghdad and Hilla, 100 km south of Baghdad.

In Baghdad's Yarmouk district, gunmen yesterday killed Muhammed Ridha, a brigadier in the Defence Ministry.

And in the kind of incident that fuels resentment towards the Iraqi Government and its American allies, Iraqi doctors and neighbours in the Sunni city of Ramadi accused US troops of killing children in a missile strike but the military said no civilians, only eight insurgents, were killed.

Local television footage showed the body of a boy lying in the rubble of a house. Hospital and police officials gave death tolls ranging from five to 13, with up to another 15 wounded.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117...52-401,00.html

ROFL!!!1!! Nice shootign n00b!!!11!

[Groundhog]

Dola, Is this the "new face" of New Balance?

[Franklinnoble]

Yeah... I'm sure New Balance loves the notion of being the preferred athletic footware of al Quaida.

[Dutch]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060505/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

Video Shows al-Zarqawi Fumbling With Rifle

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is shown wearing American tennis shoes and unable to operate his automatic rifle in video released Thursday by the U.S. military as part of a propaganda war aimed at undercutting the image of the terror leader.

Damned Americans and their propaganda!

[stevew]

He's not really pwned until he has a bullet in his head, or handcuffs on.

[Ksyrup]

I think he's pwned simply because he's wearing sneakers with a military outfit. What kind of leader shows poor fashion sense like that?

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I think he's pwned simply because he's wearing sneakers with a military outfit. What kind of leader shows poor fashion sense like that?

Maybe he just had those annoying bunyons removed.

[Joe]

it's an american model weapon and he shouldn't be expected to know how it works. 4 out of 5 terrorists still recommend al-Zarqawi

[Greyroofoo]

funny, since the military gave me New Balance shoes when I joined the Air Force

[duckman]

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo

funny, since the military gave me New Balance shoes when I joined the Air Force

Those were the worst shoes too! The soles were as thin as paper.

[sterlingice]

And this is the leader of AQ in Iraq?

SI

[Butter]

Nice form the General is showing in this article.

[Deattribution]

No doubt... We can't confirm his location but we can confirm he is wearing new balance sneakers! woot!

[duckman]

Originally Posted by Deattribution

No doubt... We can't confirm his location but we can confirm he is wearing new balance sneakers! woot!

Actually, this is a really good sign. We are nipping at his heels, so it can only be a matter of time before we catch up with him.

[Ksyrup]

I like New Balance because they are one of the few athletic shoe manufacturers who still care about those of us who need wide shoes.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by duckman

Actually, this is a really good sign. We are nipping at his heels, so it can only be a matter of time before we catch up with him.

I've heard this one before....

[Qwikshot]

Originally Posted by duckman

Actually, this is a really good sign. We are nipping at his heels, so it can only be a matter of time before we catch up with him.

I hope so since we actually HAD HIM IN CUSTODY, and let him go. How about showing this stuff after we capture him.

[KWhit]

Anyone who wears New Balance shoes supports the terrorists.

Either you're with us or you're against us.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by KWhit

Anyone who wears New Balance shoes supports the terrorists.

Either you're with us or you're against us.

No, terrorists who wear New Balance shoes support attorneys who listen to death metal. He's got a lot of 'splainin' to do.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I like New Balance because they are one of the few athletic shoe manufacturers who still care about those of us who need wide shoes.

w0rd.

[duckman]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

I've heard this one before....

We caught the stupid bastard before. I don't see why we couldn't do it again, but maybe not let him go this time.

[Dutch]

OMG,

I wear New Balance running shoes. This is horrible. And I just bought the damned things.