mick silver
31st January 2015, 08:31 PM
Air strike kills IS 'chemical weapons expert': UShttp://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/news/2013-08-26/d19448d6-6aaa-4359-a768-eadacf5fbca9_afp-gif_new.gif (http://www.afp.com/) January 30, 2015 6:11 PM
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This US Air Forces Central Command photo released by the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System shows a pair of US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles flying over northern Iraq early on September 23, 2014 after conducting airstrikes (AFP Photo/Senior Airman Matthew Bruch)
Washington (AFP) - A US-led coalition air strike killed a chemical weapons specialist with the Islamic State group in Iraq who once worked for Saddam Hussein, US military officers said Friday.
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The air raid carried out last Saturday near Mosul took out Abu Malik, whose training "provided the terrorist group with expertise to pursue a chemical weapons capability," the military said in a statement.
Malik had worked at a chemical weapons production plant under Saddam's regime and later forged an affiliation with Al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2005, before joining the extremist IS group, according to Central Command.
"His death is expected to temporarily degrade and disrupt the terrorist network and diminish ISIL's ability to potentially produce and use chemical weapons against innocent people," it said.
US officials had not publicly referred to Malik previously as a key figure.
There has been no sign that the IS group possesses a major chemical weapons arsenal. But there have been allegations the jihadists have employed chlorine gas, which is classified as a "choking agent," though not as lethal as nerve agents.
Abu Malik, also known as Salih Jasim Mohammed Falah al-Sabawi, had been "involved in operations to produce chemical weapons in 2005, and planned attacks in Mosul with AQI (Al-Qaeda in Iraq)," said a defense official.
"Based on his training and experience, he was judged to be capable of creating harmful and deadly chemical agents," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"We know ISIL is attempting to pursue a chemical weapons capability, but we have no definitive confirmation that ISIL currently possess chemical weapons," the official said.
The US-led coalition has carried out more than 2,000 air raids against the IS group in Syria and Iraq since August 8, including some bombing runs that targeted senior militants.
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http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/sjN6fuAVE_vQflG8AfR88g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTM3NztpbD1wbGFuZTtweG 9mZj01MDtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz02NzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/30660ae36ff32df63300a0ac8cc7781866c564ec.jpg (http://news.yahoo.com/air-strike-kills-chemical-weapons-expert-us-223830397.html#)
. View photo
This US Air Forces Central Command photo released by the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System shows a pair of US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles flying over northern Iraq early on September 23, 2014 after conducting airstrikes (AFP Photo/Senior Airman Matthew Bruch)
Washington (AFP) - A US-led coalition air strike killed a chemical weapons specialist with the Islamic State group in Iraq who once worked for Saddam Hussein, US military officers said Friday.
Related Stories
Islamic State chemical weapons expert killed in airstrike in Iraq: U.S. (http://news.yahoo.com/islamic-state-chemical-weapons-expert-killed-airstrike-iraq-221918299.html) Reuters
Coalition air raids back up Kurdish advance in Iraq: US (http://news.yahoo.com/coalition-air-raids-back-kurdish-advance-iraq-us-200939736.html) AFP
U.S.-led coalition hits Islamic State with 25 air strikes: task force (http://news.yahoo.com/u-led-coalition-hits-islamic-state-25-more-133656128.html) Reuters
Pentagon says US has killed thousands of jihadists (http://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-says-us-killed-thousands-jihadists-003547576.html) AFP
US officials detail Islamic State kills, but hard part ahead (http://news.yahoo.com/british-official-iraq-forces-not-ready-face-militants-160613955.html) Associated Press
The air raid carried out last Saturday near Mosul took out Abu Malik, whose training "provided the terrorist group with expertise to pursue a chemical weapons capability," the military said in a statement.
Malik had worked at a chemical weapons production plant under Saddam's regime and later forged an affiliation with Al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2005, before joining the extremist IS group, according to Central Command.
"His death is expected to temporarily degrade and disrupt the terrorist network and diminish ISIL's ability to potentially produce and use chemical weapons against innocent people," it said.
US officials had not publicly referred to Malik previously as a key figure.
There has been no sign that the IS group possesses a major chemical weapons arsenal. But there have been allegations the jihadists have employed chlorine gas, which is classified as a "choking agent," though not as lethal as nerve agents.
Abu Malik, also known as Salih Jasim Mohammed Falah al-Sabawi, had been "involved in operations to produce chemical weapons in 2005, and planned attacks in Mosul with AQI (Al-Qaeda in Iraq)," said a defense official.
"Based on his training and experience, he was judged to be capable of creating harmful and deadly chemical agents," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"We know ISIL is attempting to pursue a chemical weapons capability, but we have no definitive confirmation that ISIL currently possess chemical weapons," the official said.
The US-led coalition has carried out more than 2,000 air raids against the IS group in Syria and Iraq since August 8, including some bombing runs that targeted senior militants.
Basic Materials Industry
Personal Investing Ideas & Strategies
Saddam Hussein
chemical weapons
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View Comments (517)