Iraqi Spokesman Says Leader of Major
Al-Qaeda-Linked Group Captured Near Baghdad 

BAGHDAD  —  The leader of the Al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, has been captured in a raid west of Baghdad, an Iraqi military spokesman said Friday.

U.S. officials had no confirmation of the statement by Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, spokesman of the Baghdad security operation.

Al-Moussawi said al-Baghdadi was captured Friday in a raid in Abu Ghraib on the western outskirts of Baghdad.

"One of the terrorists who was arrested with him confessed that the one in our hands is al-Baghdadi," al-Moussawi said.

A prominent Iraqi Shiite close to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki also said al-Baghdadi had been captured. But he spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information.

Al-Baghdadi, also known as Abu Abdullah Rashid al-Baghdadi, has been identified in statements posted on Islamic extremist Web sites as the head of the Islamic State, which was proclaimed last year after the death of the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraqi, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. ...

Allahpundit's following the story here.

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Democrat David Obey attacks "idiot liberals"
Michelle Malkin

A tipster sent this fascinating video from left-wing, anti-war group Occupation Project, which interviewed Appropriations Chairman Democrat David Obey in a hallway and grilled him about the war funding bill.

I'll have a transcript up shortly. Rep. Obey works up a steam castigating "idiot liberals" who want Democrats to vote against funding.

He fumes: "I’m the sponsor of the bill that’s going to be on floor. And that bill ends the war. If that’s not good enough for you you’re smoking something illegal…"

More to come...Here it is. I typed it up fast, so excuse any typos...

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Arab paper: Missing Iranian general had treasure trove of intel with him 
Allahpundit

Yet another scoop from Asharq al-Awsat and its ace Iranian reporter. Just so we’re on the same page, this is the general whose defection was confirmed by one senior U.S. official on Wednesday and then unconfirmed by a second senior U.S. official on Thursday.

It’s going to end up like the Litvinenko story, where no one really knows what’s going on yet you and I scramble futilely to stay on top of all of it. Damn.

The Iranian former deputy defense minister who disappeared in Turkey last month left his country with documents that prove that there is a link between the Iranian military establishment and terror groups including Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, the pan-Arab newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat reported Friday.

A former colleague of Ali Reza Asghari, 63, told the newspaper, which is published in London, that the document also cites groups such as the Mahdi Shi’ite militia operating in Iraq.

Not just the Mahdi Army; SCIRI’s Badr Organization militia is also implicated. Supposedly he had maps of Iran’s “military and intelligence infrastructure” with him too, which would explain this:

Saudi newspaper Al-Watan recently reported the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are instilling changes in the defense systems protecting the country’s nuclear reactors for fear that Israeli and US intelligence agencies are now in possession of specific information that may threaten the facilities.

It seems like there’s too much smoke here not to be some fire, but if he really did defect, how did they let him leave the country with so much intel? Allegedly he was disgruntled because of retaliation taken against him for exposing corruption in the defense ministry. If that’s true, they’re insane to have let him travel abroad given what he knows and his animus towards the regime.

Still, Asharq’s sticking by its story: ...

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Political Winds Shifting On Iraq?
John Hinderaker

The National Journal reports this morning that momentum on the Iraq issue may be shifting from the Democrats to the Republicans:

Congressional Democrats have been struggling with high-profile divisions over how strongly to push back at President Bush over the war, particularly during consideration of his Iraq supplemental spending request. But while the Democrats are stalemated, House Republicans see an improving political climate. They are encouraged by the Pentagon's new military strategy on the ground and by the hands-on message coordination led by Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

"There is a feeling among Republicans that is upbeat, cohesive, and no longer on the defensive," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., the ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee. "No one saw this coming. But we have made good arguments and have come together.... With our side coming together, Democrats can't come up with their next step."

King was referring to the February 16 House vote on the Democrats' nonbinding resolution opposing Bush's troop surge in Iraq. As the weeklong debate began, Republicans expected to lose at least 40 to 50 votes on their side. But they ended up losing only 17 GOP votes when the House approved the measure 246-182.

"On the supplemental [spending bill], Democrats thought that they could criticize the president and get a bipartisan coalition," Hoekstra added. "Now it's becoming clear to them that Republicans won't be with them if they limit the president's options in the war." ...

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Al-Baghdadi Captured
Ed Morrissey

Iraq and the US scored a big victory today when it rolled up the leadership of an al-Qaeda affiliated group in Iraq. Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, who has taunted Americans in press releases in the past, wound up in our custody after a series of raids:

The shadowy leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaida-inspired group that challenged the authority of Iraq's government, was captured Friday in a raid on the western outskirts of Baghdad, an Iraqi military spokesman said. ...

Al-Moussawi said al-Baghdadi admitted his identity, as did another "of the terrorists" who confirmed "that the one in our hands is al-Baghdadi."

Hot Air has much more on this story; I'm coming to it late after a very long day. Al-Baghdadi's real name is Khalid al-Mashhadani, which may sound familiar, as the Iraqi Speaker in its National Assembly and one of its Vice Presidents come from the Mahhadani tribe. That may or may not have a lot of significance; after all, Osama bin Laden's family has massive commercial interests in the West and have disowned their murderous scion.

The best aspect of this story so far is that one of Mashhadani's men ratted him out. He admitted his identity as the master terrorist, but apparently only after another detainee spilled the beans. Rumors have also begun to swirl that Mashhadani's brother got captured last week, which may mean his own brother ratted him out as well. It seems that either Mashhadani and his minions ache for publicity, or are too demoralized by their capture to care. ...