A top U.S. commander in Iraq said Tuesday he has "absolutely no reason" to believe the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, died in a weekend raid in Mosul.
Lt. Gen. John Vines, chief of the Multi-National Corps Iraq, also confirmed that U.S. officials have the ability to determine if al-Zarqawi was there.
"I am told that there is a DNA database of some of his relatives that is able to be compared against some of those who were killed there," Vines told reporters. "If he had been in one of those houses that were part of the objective, we could confirm that."
Vines also staunchly refused to outline a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Despite mounting political pressure in the United States and among some Iraqi leaders, Vines said any recommendations for troop withdrawal that he makes will be based on the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces, the ability of the government to sustain them, and the effectiveness of the insurgency.
Iraq's foreign minister has said that tests were being done to determine if al-Zarqawi was one of those killed.
1 comment:
It would seem that we have come to the moment of truth - not so much with Iraqi leadership (who are desperate to head off a civil war), but some of our own leaders!
We seem to be falling into a state of weakness, even national treachery. As our brave men and women in uniform voluntarily struggle against the forces of terror that have mercilessly plagued us since 1979, then literally rained down on us four years ago, our leaders are abandoning them and our Commander-in-Chief in this fight.
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