| Importance | High |
 | Capturing Authority | Iraqi and coalition forces1 |
| Date of Capture | June 19, 20061 |
| Location of Capture | Baqubah, Iraq1 |
| Affiliation | Al-Qaeda in Iraq1 |
| Role | Second-in-Command1 |
 | Supervisor | Abu Ayyub al-Masri |
| Nationality | Iraqi |
| Alias(es) | Abu Hammam, Abu Rana, Abu Hummam, Abu Hamam, Abu Humam |
| Alternate Spelling(s) | Hamed Jumaa Farid al Saeedi, Hamed al Saeedi, Hamed Juma Farid al-Saeedi |
| Place of Birth | Baqubah, Iraq1 |
| Gender | Male |
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| Narrative and Notes |
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| Reliable | Abu Hammam played a key role in inflating Sunni-Shia tensions in Iraq in 2006 before his capture. He was described as a senior leader in al-Qaeda in Iraq, possibly the second-most important behind Abu Ayyub al-Masri.
He is believed to have masterminded the Sept. 22 bombing of a Samarra, Iraq, shrine sacred to Shia Muslims. He created death squads and ordered assasinations, bombings, kidnappings and attacks on Iraqi police and military checkpoints.
He provided "a tremendous amount of intelligence," according to an American military spokesman.
His information led to the capture of 20 mid- and low-level al-Qaeda operatives in Iraq, including leaders in the Salah al Din and Bayji areas. At least one was a foreign fighter from Saudi Arabia.1,2 |
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 | Questionable | He may have been associated with Saddam Hussein's Baath Party or intelligence service.3 |
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 | Invalidated | There was initial confusion over the date he was captured. His detention was kept secret until Sept. 3, when Iraq's national security adviser announced Abu Hammam had been captured "a few days ago." This was either a mistake or somewhat misleading, given he had been in custody for six weeks. Later, U.S. spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell clarified his actual date of capture and said it was kept secret to prevent insurgents from being certain it had taken place. |
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| Sources |
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| 1 U.S. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, spokesman, Multinational Forces-Iraq, Sept. 6, 2006. |
| 2 'Iraq Announces Capture of Top-Tier al Qaeda Leader.' Armed Forces Press Service, Sept. 4, 2006. |
| 3 Question from reporter during Caldwell's Sept. 6 press conference. |
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| Key to bullets |
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| High confidence |
| Some confidence |
| Low confidence |
| No confidence |
| Page maintained by John Lumpkin
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| Click here for a disclaimer and detailed explanation of the confidence ratings. |
