http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&u=/ap/20060903/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_060903111108BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi and coalition forces have arrested the second most senior figure in al-Qaida in
Iraq, Iraq's national security adviser announced on Sunday, saying the group now suffered from a "serious leadership crisis."
Hamed Jumaa Farid al-Saeedi, known as Abu Humam or Abu Rana, was captured north of Baghdad a few days ago "along with another group of his aides and followers," Mouwafak al-Rubaie said.
He was the second most important al-Qaida in Iraq leader after Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who took over the group after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed by a U.S. air strike north of Baghdad on June 7, al-Rubaie said.
"We believe that al-Qaida in Iraq suffers from a serious leadership crisis. Our troops have dealt fatal and painful blows to this organization," the security adviser said. Al-Saeedi was "directly responsible" for Haitham Sabah Shaker Mohammed al-Badri, the alleged mastermind of the February bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, al-Rubaie added without elaborating.
A photograph presented to the media by Iraqi national security adviser Mouwaffak al-Rubaie, showing Hamed Jumaa Farid al-Saeedi, known as Abu Humam or Abu Rana, the second most senior figure in al-Qaida, during a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday Sept. 3, 2006. Iraq's national security adviser on Sunday announced the arrest of the second most senior figure in al-Qaida in Iraq, and said the group now suffered from a 'serious leadership crisis.' Hamed Jumaa Farid al-Saeedi, known as Abu Humam or Abu Rana, was arrested a few days ago, Mouwaffak al-Rubaie said, adding that his arrest also led to the capture or death of 11 other top al-Qaida in Iraq figures and nine lower-level members (AP Photo/ho)