Washington, July 09: A suspected Iraqi intelligence operative, who may have been in contact with leading September 11 hijacker Mohammed Atta, has been captured by US troops in what is seen as an important breakthrough in the probe of al-Qaeda's foreign ties, a US official said yesterday. Former Iraqi ambassador to the Czech Republic Ahmad Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani was taken into custody at an undisclosed location in Iraq on July 2, said the official on condition on anonymity.
The official declined to provide any further details, but a US government source said the US Central Intelligence Agency has reason to believe Ani was using his diplomatic post in Prague to conduct covert operations. "He held the title of ambassador and allegedly he was an intelligent officer," the government source said.
Ani is suspected to have held a secret meeting with Atta, the alleged ringleader of the 19 Islamic militants who carried out the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, in Prague in April 2001 to discuss terrorist operations. US intelligence officials concede they do not have solid proof at this time the meeting had actually taken place. But they believe Ani's capture could help shed light on events leading up to the attacks and Iraq's alleged links to al-Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden, accused of masterminding the plot. Bureau Report