Al Qaeda Iran Emir captured in Afghanistan

AFP:

An Afghan national accused of enabling the movement of Al-Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq has been transferred to the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

The Pentagon said he was captured recently "as a result of ongoing Department of Defense operations against violent extremists in Afghanistan," identifying the detainee as "Inayatullah." Some Afghans have only one name.

"Due to the continuing threat this terror suspect represents and his high placement in Al Qaeda, he has been transferred to Guantanamo," it said in a statement.

The Pentagon said he had admitted to being the "Al-Qaeda emir of Zahedan, Iran and planned and directed Al-Qaeda terrorist operations.

"Inayatullah collaborated with numerous Al-Qaeda senior leaders, to include Abu Ubaydah al-Masri and Azzam, executing their instructions and personally supporting global terrorist efforts," it said.

Masri is reported to be Al-Qaeda's commander in Afghanistan's Kunar province and, according to some analysts, the leader of last summer's plot to blow up 10 US airliners over the Atlantic.

"Azzam the American" is the nom de guerre of a key Al-Qaeda propagandist from California, Adam Gadahn, but it was unclear whether the Pentagon statement was referring to him or to another Al-Qaeda figure.

"Inayatullah attests to facilitating the movement of foreign fighters, significantly contributing to transnational terrorism across multiple borders," the Pentagon said.

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Hopefully he will provide more information on the al Qaeda network as he enjoys his new quarters at Club Gitmo. Perhaps we can arrange to find more of his associates to join him in the tropical resort. This is another blow to those who think al Qaeda and the Taliban are winning in Afghanistan. I suppose Democrats will also whine about allegations that al Qaeda has operatives in Iran too.