The Iraqi government said on Sunday that its security forces are
close to capture or killing of the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq Abu
Ayyub al-Masri.
"I can say we are very close to Abu Ayyub al-Masri and we say to
him your days are numbered," said Iraqi National Security Advisor
Muwaffaq al-Rubaie.
"My message to Iraqis in Ramadan is that it is so close, we will
bring you the good news of Abu Ayyub al-Masri either killed or
handcuffed to be brought before the Iraqi justice system,"
al-Rubaie told the news conference, in which a video tape of
al-Masriteaching followers how to build a car bomb was shown.
The video tape showed al-Masri in a white T-shirt was talking to
the camera as he explained how to compose a car bomb.
Rubaie said that the video was found in Youssifiyah, some 20 km
south of Baghdad.
(Xinhua News Agency October 2, 2006)