The Al-Qaeda network remains active in northern Iraq and capable of staging bloody attacks like Monday's bombing near Mosul, a US general said on Tuesday.
"I think Al-Qaeda of Iraq, which also has teamed up with Islamic State of Iraq, or ISI as we call it, still remains centered with its leadership and its financial capability in northern Iraq, primarily in Mosul," General Robert Caslen, who oversees US forces in the country's north, said by video link.
After six months of an aggressive campaign against the terror network in the region, attacks "dropped off significantly" shortly before the June 30 withdrawal of US forces from cities and towns, Caslen said.
However, "they remain, I would say, a resilient force that has the capability to regenerate their combat power as necessary," he said.
Two booby-trapped lorries exploded on Monday before dawn in the village of Khaznah, east of the restive northern Iraqi city of Mosul, leaving 28 people dead and 155 wounded.
The average number of attacks per week has dropped since June 30, from about 40 to 29, he said. But the attacks that did occur were more deadly, with Al-Qaeda targeting Iraqi security forces, he said.
He said he was encouraged overall by progress in the region as Iraqi forces take the lead but added: "Gains in security, economics, and governance remain fragile."
Copyright 2009 AFP American Edition
