The United States military said on Tuesday it had killed the ”right-hand man” of slain al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, describing him as someone who could have succeeded the Jordanian-born militant.
Iraqi Mansur Suleiman al-Mashhadani was killed on Friday by US forces in Yusifiyah, south of Baghdad, not far from where two US soldiers were abducted the same day and found dead on Monday, said Major General William Caldwell, spokesperson of US-led coalition forces.
”We do know that Sheikh Mansur was a key leader in al-Qaeda in Iraq with excellent religious, military and leadership credentials within that organisation,” Caldwell told reporters.
He described him as al-Zarqawi’s right-hand man and a liaison between al-Qaeda and tribes in the restive area south of Baghdad.
The Mashhadani are a major tribe of Sunni Arabs.
”He was tied to the senior leadership, including having relationships with both al-Zarqawi and al-Masri,” Caldwell said, referring to Abu Ayub al-Masri, whom the US military claim to be Zarqawi’s successor.
”We do think that his death will significantly continue to impact on the ability of this organisation to regenerate and organise itself.”
Caldwell said Sheikh Mansur was ”multifunctional” with responsibilities including spiritual advice, recruitment, leadership and media operations.
A large framed picture showing Sheikh Mansur before and after he was killed was displayed by Caldwell in the same manner as a picture of al-Zarqawi’s dead face after he was killed in a US air strike on June 7 near the restive city of Baquba, north of Baghdad.
One part of the composite picture showed him clean shaven with a thin moustache and wearing a black T-shirt, while the other showed a dust covered, bruised and blood-stained face.
The military also released a picture of a man wearing a mask and dressed in black, sitting next to al-Zarqawi, who they said they believed was Sheikh Mansur. The picture was taken from the interest video of al-Zarqawi released in May.
Caldwell said Sheikh Mansur was aged 35 to 37 and had received religious training in Jordan.
Describing his killing, Caldwell said US troops had attempted to stop the vehicle in which Sheikh Mansur was travelling with two others, but when they kept driving they decided to fire at them from a helicopter that had been backing up soldiers on the ground.
He said coalition forces were ”following and tracking him for sometime as the intent was to capture him.
”When that proved something that was not able to be achieved by forces involved in that operation, they went ahead and used air assets to engage and destroy that vehicle.” — AFP
