al Qaeda leader arrested in Iraq

Zarqawi's replacement.

"AMMAN, JORDAN – Amid reports of two bombings that killed scores, an Iraqi military spokesman announced Thursday that Iraqi forces had arrested the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi.

“Abu Omar al-Baghdadi was arrested today in Baghdad,” Baghdad security spokesman Maj. Gen. Qasim Atta told Agence France-Presse. “It was Iraqi forces who arrested him based on an intelligence tipoff from someone.”

The arrest, which is perhaps the greatest blow to AQI since its former leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a 2006 US strike, comes amid a recent spike in violence. Some worry that the nation’s security gains may slip as the US scales back its presence."