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US captures top al-Qaeda commander

US forces have captured a top al-Qaeda commander who was in charge of Arabian Peninsula operations, including the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole, and are holding him in custody, US officials said Thursday.

US officials said the Saudi-born Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri also was involved in the 1998 US Embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya, and was thought to be the mastermind behind the Oct. 6 attack on a French supertanker off the coast of Yemen, an attack that had parallels to the strike against the Cole.

"Given his lengthy track record of involvement in terrorist operations, coupled with his experience, his contacts, his resources, he is believed to have been involved in planning significant new attacks in the Arabian Peninsula and possibly elsewhere," one US official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described Nashiri as "a ruthless operator" and a committed follower of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. "He has very close ties to al-Qaeda's leadership," the official said. "This is a major setback for al-Qaeda."

Terrorism specialists hailed the news as a sign of progress in the US fight against terrorism and because it underscored the importance of international cooperation in that fight.

"The real value is you prove you can do it, that you can catch these guys and you're not going to stop," said Phil Anderson, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "By forcing them to run, what have you in fact done? You reduce the possibility that you're going to get attacked again."

Reports of the capture of a high-ranking al-Qaeda figure surfaced last week, but US officials would not identify the captive until Thursday. They refused to give any indication when, where or how al-Nashiri was caught or where he is being held, only confirming his identity and that he is currently in US custody. Al-Nashiri joins key bin Laden lieutenant Abu Zubaydah and alleged Sept. 11 plotter Ramzi Binalshibh as the highest ranking al-Qaeda members known to be held by the US.

Earlier this month, a US drone Predator airplane fired a Hellfire and blew up a car carrying Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi, another alleged plotter in the attack on the Cole. The Cole had been anchored off the Yemeni coast in October, 2000, when an explosive-packed boat pulled alongside and detonated, tearing a 12m hole in the ship's side and killing 17 US sailors.

The capture comes at a time of apparent renewed activity in the region, including the attack on the French tanker and assaults on US soldiers in Kuwait, possibly including two soldiers who were shot in that country Thursday. Al-Nashiri's capture is also viewed as important because if he talks to investigators, he would be able to provide them current information about ongoing and planned al-Qaeda operations, as well as a host of other logistical information.

"If this guy talks he could tell you where the money comes from, where the explosives come from, how they move it in and out," said a US defense official, also speaking on condition of anonymity.
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