Al Qaeda Arrest In Pakistan - A Big Deal?!

Abu Faraj al-Libbi, the man described as number three in Al Qaeda, was arrested in Pakistan.  This may be a big deal because the arrest dovetails nicely with comments made by a US General just a few weeks ago.

Lt. Gen. David W. Barno, the departing US commander in Afghanistan, had told the Times on April 26 (and in earlier comments on April 19) that the US and Pakistan were engaged in joint training and that Pakistan was planning a major effort against Al Qaeda.  Pakistan denied everything.

Yet here we are, weeks later - a major arrest, and other foreigners arrested as well:

On Thursday the Pakistani authorities said they had arrested a number of other al-Qaeda suspects days after the capture of Libbi.

The suspects were said to have been arrested in raids in the north-western Bajaur tribal belt, near the Afghan border on Wednesday. It is not known whether the new arrests are linked to Libbi.

How important was Libbi?  The Times comments on grade inflation:

But some intelligence officials in Europe expressed surprise at hearing Mr. Libbi described as Al Qaeda's third-highest leader, pointing out that he does not figure on the F.B.I.'s most-wanted list.

There is another Qaeda operative on the list with a similar name, Abu al-Liby, also a Libyan, who was indicted for an "operational role" in the bombings of two American embassies in East Africa in August 1998. (The surname, in its various transliterations, means simply the Libyan.)

American officials, when asked about the doubts, dismissed the idea that they had confused the Libyans, saying they know Mr. Liby is on the list, and reaffirming the importance of Mr. Libbi. To be included on the F.B.I.'s most wanted list, they noted, a terrorist must have been indicted by a federal grand jury, which Mr. Libbi has not.

Another senior counterterrorism official based in Europe, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the Americans' version, saying Mr. Libbi had indeed become an important operational commander of Al Qaeda. He had worked directly with Mr. Mohammed, the official said, and assumed many of Mr. Mohammed's responsibilities in Pakistan after the latter's arrest. "He's someone we have been watching closely for a while now," the official said.

Let's add this - last fall, the Daily Telegraph and the Council on Foreign Relations described him as the number three (here are two links referencing the CFR, but I can't find their original page.)

Here is a regional map for those inclined.  The arrest was made near Mardan, which is north of the blue "R" in Peshawar.  Cherat, where the joint training reported by Gen. Barno allegedly took place, is south of the "R".  And Waziristan is to the south and west of the city of Peshawar, so this arrest was not in that area.

Finally, we continue our "Some Like It Hot" watch - some of the Pakistani agents were disguised in burkas, inspired perhaps by their quarry.

Comments

[Keith, Indianapolis]

By "some intelligence officials in Europe" I wonder if they really mean French and German...

[Miracle Max]

Meanwhile, in other crime news, Tom DeLay running through the swamps, pursued by hounds . . .

[Appalled Moderate]

Miracle Max:

Think those hounds were after the runaway bride....

[Lurking Observer]

Keith, no, I think they mean Valerie Plame or her husband.

[spencer]

If the intelligence officials in Europe had "been watching him closely" why hadn't they arrested him.
But if he was in the wilds of Northwest pakistan maybe they couldn't have been watching him closely.

I do not understand. It does not compute.

[TM]

Tom DeLay running through the swamps, pursued by hounds ...

Per his spokespeople, Tom's problems will be solved once the Ethics Committee re-opens - what he had here was a failure to communicate.

[Al]

"Here is a map for those inclined."

Where?

[TM]

Good point - I have fixed that.