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US holds 'senior al-Qaeda figure' US holds 'senior al-Qaeda figure'
(about 1 hour later)
The US says it has arrested a senior al-Qaeda operative on his way to Iraq to plan future attacks.The US says it has arrested a senior al-Qaeda operative on his way to Iraq to plan future attacks.
A Pentagon spokesman said Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi had links to militant leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan. A Pentagon spokesman said Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi had links to militant leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and had now been taken to Guantanamo Bay.
He was heading to Iraq to take over al-Qaeda operations and plot attacks against targets in the West, the Pentagon said. He was heading to Iraq to take over al-Qaeda operations and plot attacks against Western interests, the US said.
Reports said he was also accused of involvement in plots to assassinate Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf. Reports said he was also accused of involvement in plots to assassinate Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the suspect was "one of al-Qaeda's highest ranking and senior operatives at the time of his detention. According to information about him provided by the Pentagon, Mr Hadi was a key paramilitary commander in Afghanistan during the late 1990s, before taking charge of attacks against US and coalition troops from 2002 to 2004.
The US says he was arrested by the CIA and handed over to the Pentagon for transfer to Guantanamo Bay.
It has not been disclosed where or when he was captured.
The US is already holding another 14 so-called "high-value detainees" at Guantanamo Bay.
'Bin Laden links'
BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi is one of al-Qaeda's most senior operational commanders.
According to a US Department of Justice website, he is aged 35 to 40 and served in Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army.
He is described as one of Osama Bin Laden's "top global deputies", personally chosen by the al-Qaeda leader to monitor operations in Iraq.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the suspect was "one of al-Qaeda's highest-ranking and senior operatives at the time of his detention.
"He is associated with leaders of extremist groups allied with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and including the Taleban," he added."He is associated with leaders of extremist groups allied with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and including the Taleban," he added.
The Reuters news agency said he was arrested by the CIA and handed over to the Pentagon.