U.S. Says al Qaeda in Iraq Not Dead

October 5, 2006 -- IRAQ NEWS

U.S. Denies Iraqi Reports Al Qaeda Leader Dead

The U.S. military and Iraqi government denied reports on Thursday that al Qaeda's leader in Iraq had been killed in a raid but said DNA tests would be conducted on bodies recovered after the attack to make sure. (Reuters)

Official Use Only: 57 Dead Cops

It was just another week in Iraq, folks: Ministry of Interior cops found 268 bodies, were targets of 73 shootings and bombings, and took 206 casualties, including 57 deaths. That's the toll from September 17 to September 23, according to a U.S. report out of Baghdad, "MOI Forces Threat Report," stamped "For Official Use Only." (U.S. News & World Report)

Baghdad Abolishes Police Unit Tied to Death Squads

Iraq demobilized an entire police brigade suspected of links to sectarian death squads on Wednesday as a series of bombs exploded near an Iraqi minister's convoy, killing at least 21 people. (The Daily Star)

Leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq is Iraqi

The leader of al Qaeda in Iraq is an Iraqi and not an Egyptian as is widely believed, according to a report on al Jazeera's website quoting a statement issued by the Muhaeddin Consultative Council, which al Qaeda in Iraq is part of. The statement said Abu Ayyub al Masri aka Abu Hamza al Muhajjer was an Iraqi. Al though "al Masri" means "the Egyptian" it is not necessarily an indication of his nationality. (Al Jazeera)

U.S. Navy Corpsman Accused In Kidnapping, Murder of Iraqi to Testify On Marines' Role

A Navy corpsman accused of kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi man will give testimony about seven Marines' role in the incident in return for having charges against him dropped, his attorney said. (AP)

FOLEY SCANDAL

Top GOP Staffer Forced Out for Role in Page Scandal

ABC News' Senior National Correspondent Jake Tapper reports that Kirk Fordham has resigned. (ABC News)

Ethics Committee Ready to Probe Foley Case

Speaker Dennis Hastert's job is on the line as members of the House ethics committee decide how to launch a credible investigation of former Rep. Mark Foley's salacious computer messages to teenage pages. (AP)

Foley's Former Chief of Staff Says Foley's Behavior Was No Secret to Speaker Hastert

As the FBI investigation picked up steam, with agents contacting former pages across the country, there were new allegations that Foley's suspect behavior towards pages was no secret to the Speaker of the House and his top staff for at least three years. (ABC News)

U.S.

U.S. Eavesdropping 'Can Continue'

Washington can continue wiretapping without warrants until its appeal against a ban on the practice is heard, a US federal appeals court has ruled. (BBC)

State Prison Crowding Emergency Declared

With California's jam-packed prisons nearly out of room for more felons, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday proclaimed a state of emergency, an unusual move that could allow the transfer of inmates as soon as next month to other states without their consent. (LA Times)

THE TALIBAN

FRONTLINE: Return of the Taliban

Nearly five years after the Taliban were toppled, al Qaeda and the Taliban continue to use Pakistan as a de facto base, virtually unchallenged and far out of America's reach. (Frontline - PBS)

Taliban Lay Plan for Islamic Intifada

With the snows approaching, the Taliban's spring offensive has fallen short of its primary objective of reviving the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan, as the country was known under Taliban rule from 1996-2001. (Asia Times)

AFGHANISTAN

Afghans Arrest 'Suicide Bombers'

Afghan officials say they have arrested 17 people who had been trained in Pakistan to carry out suicide attacks. (BBC)

Coalition Transfers Afghan Command to NATO

NATO assumed command of foreign forces in eastern Afghanistan Thursday, taking over from a U.S.-led coalition that toppled the Taliban regime five years ago and completing its expansion across the country. (AFP)

PAKISTAN

Explosion in 'Pindi Park Causes Panic

A major blast in the city's biggest public park, in close proximity to President Gen Pervez Musharraf's official residence, sent a wave of panic and fear across the country on Wednesday night. (Dawn)

Corrupt Officials Fleecing Quake Survivors: Oxfam

About 1.8 million survivors of last year's earthquake will be forced to spend another difficult winter in transitional shelters because of patchy progress of recovery and slow construction of housing and infrastructure, aid agency Oxfam said in a report released on Wednesday. (Dawn)

MEXICO

Mexico Police 'Hushed Up Rapes'

Mexico's police covered up the rape and abuse of demonstrators at a land rights protest in May, Amnesty International has said. (BBC)

INDIA

India Worst in Index of Bribes Paid Abroad

India has been ranked as the worst performer by Transparency International on its global Bribe Payers Index, which is based on the propensity of companies from the world's 30 leading exporting countries in bribing abroad. (The Asian Age)

SOUTH AFRICA

Students Draw Attention to Race Classification

About 11 white students painted their faces black in a bid to be classified as Africans at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday. (Mail and Guardian)

ANALYSIS & OPINION

Why Rice is Adverse to Enter the Red Zone?

By David Ignatius

US secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in the Middle East this week, trying to bolster America's allies to confront an enemies list that includes Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas and the all-party anarchy in Iraq. (Dawn)

The North Korea Nuclear Puzzle

The world tries to figure out what to do about the hermit kingdom without knowing what it's up to. (LA Times)

North Korea's Nuclear Threat

Is North Korea bluffing? (The International Herald Tribune)

Attacking and Defending Annan

By Jihad el-Khazen

In the United Nations, I laughed with the UN delegates when Hugo Chavez described George Bush as a devil while smelling sulfur on the podium. I was also impressed by the boldness of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when he attacked the US administration and Israel on their own ground. (Al Hayat)

The Assyrians: Ignored Among Fears of an Iraqi Civil War

By Charles Tannock

The world is consumed by fears that Iraq is degenerating into a civil war between Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. But in this looming war of all against all, it is Iraq's small community of Assyrian Christians that is at risk of annihilation. (The Daily Star)

The Insider Daily Investigative Report (DIR) is a summary of major news articles and broadcasts relating to investigative news, including international terrorism and developments in Iraq. The DIR is edited daily from foreign and U.S. sources by Chris Isham, Hoda Osman and Elizabeth Sprague of the ABC News Investigative Unit. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.