Abu Yasir al Saudi was al Qaeda in Iraq’s emir, or leader, of southeastern Mosul. Hamdan was a close associate of Yasir who helped foreign terrorists enter Mosul and led a regional anti-aircraft ring.
142 al Qaeda leaders and operatives have been killed or captured in Mosul since January in this last urban outpost of AQ.
In what is surely a harbinger of disaster for Saudi Arabia, and more importantly for the U.S. unless we cut our ties with the oppressive regime, Saudi nationals make up the largest element of the foreign al Qaeda fighters. Based on documentation found last October, 41% of foreign fighters were from Saudi Arabia. Libyan nationals accounted for the second largest group entering Iraq with about 19% of the total, followed by Syrians and Yemenis each at 8%, Algerians with 7% and Moroccans at 6%.