WASHINGTON - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's "days in Iraq are numbered," a top US commander said Tuesday, who cited Iraqi intelligence and treason within the Jordanian's network of Islamic extremists as keys to recent successes against him.
US and Iraqi officials have announced a string of arrests over the past two months of key figures in Zarqawi's network, which has been blamed for televised beheadings, car bombings and other killings in Iraq.
"Against Zarqawi we have been very successful ... because of Iraqi intelligence sources, because of treason within his organization, because people are getting tired of what he is doing, which is killing innocent Iraqi people for no reason whatsover," said General John Abizaid.
"And his days in Iraq are numbered," he added in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Abizaid, who commands US forces throughout the region, also said US and Pakistani forces were narrowing the ring around al-Qaeda's top leadership in the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"We have been successful in really working specific aspects of the network in such a way that it is much less effective this year than it was last year," he said.
"In the Pakistan-Afghanistan area in particular, there are indications they are having difficulty gaining money, and there is indication of concern from various intelligence sources about the safety of being able to operate in those areas," he said.
Abizaid said al-Qaeda remained dangerous, however, and expressed concern it may attempt attacks during Afghanistan's parliamentary elections in June.
03/01/2005 18:05 GMT