The Ministry of Interior cannot confirm the identity of a man the Iraqi authorities have arrested and who they believe is a Saudi citizen and leader of Al-Qaeda in Mosul. Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said the Kingdom has not received any official information from the Iraqi government indicating its detention of a Saudi citizen named Mahmood Muhammad Salama Al-Shareefi, who the Iraqis describe as a leader of the terrorist organization. In a phone conversation, Al-Turki said it was difficult to confirm the information announced by the Iraqi authorities. “We cannot verify the identity of individuals arrested outside the Kingdom unless the authorities concerned in the Kingdom have official information that could assist them in verifying the identities of these people.” A high-ranking Iraqi source announced on Tuesday that a special security force in Mosul succeeded in arresting Al-Shareefi, an alleged leader of Al-Qaeda and a Saudi national. He alleged that Al-Shareefi entered Iraq through the Al-Bukamal area located on the Iraqi-Syrian border. Experts on anti-terrorism affairs expressed their surprise at the announcement made by the Iraqi authorities, which singles out an alleged Saudi detainee. They emphasized that the Iraqis should have tried to confirm the identity of the person before making any announcement, especially since the Republic of Iraq has a diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia.
