Comments on: Report: Insurgency leader Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri captured? Update: Given up by Syria?

By: RD

RD — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:09:07 +0000

Ummm… “It isn’t Izzat, is it?”

By: RD

RD — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:07:14 +0000

And if it is in Debka, then it must not be true. Debka “exclusive” reports are always wrong. I have never seen a Debka “exclusive” that has been right. Have you?

crosspatch on April 23, 2008 at 9:26 PM

I don’t know about the difference between “exclusive” and non-exclusive reports on Debka, but I don’t believe it deserves as bad a reputation as some here have been led to believe.

Perhaps I’m biased by the fact that all of the important stories to break that I’ve ever followed have been confirmed later by other sources (sometimes weeks/months later). Maybe all of those stories were “non-exclusives”, however, so I don’t know.

Here’s how I usually qualify a Debka story: If the text is speculating about a possibility/motive/scenario, I politely consider the possibility but don’t put any stock in it. On the other hand, if it’s a report saying, “X has happened”, I can usually count on it to turn out in the end.

In this case, Debka is reporting that a shriveled-up geezer was pushed across the border, who may be Izzat, or may be a fake. So the question of credibility IMHO revolves not around whether the guy is or isn’t Izzat, ;-) but whether or not there even *was* a guy.

By: el Vaquero

el Vaquero — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:41:19 +0000

Oh no it is the NY Times of Israel, aka Debka…what a bunch of x-super secret agents under cover as slimy journalist

By: koolbrease

koolbrease — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:07:50 +0000

How long does it take to find a red head in Iraq?

By: James

James — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:31:51 +0000

Say, whatever happened to the Iraqi Information Minister?

By: Neo

Neo — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:25:07 +0000

If you can’t believe DEBKA then the world has just gone insane, INSANE I SAY!

By: labrat

labrat — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:49:49 +0000

Maybe it’s just Carrot Top.

Ed Morrissey on April 23, 2008 at 4:58 PM

Heh. Yeah, I was wondering where he’s been lately.

By: ikez78

ikez78 — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:37:54 +0000

This would be huge if true. This guy would be a gold mine of intelligence on the remnants of the Baath insurgency. A lot of funding of the insurgency. Where some other strong elements of the regime are hiding. What their links to al Qaeda in Iraq are and when those links began.

Let’s hope this is true.

By: crosspatch

crosspatch — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:26:08 +0000

“Syria acted to blunt the impact of embarrassing disclosures in the US Congress on April 24 about its covert nuclear site which Israeli raiders destroyed last September.”

It is funny, really. It used to be that stuff leaked as soon as Congress was briefed. Now it leaks days before. It seems like once information gets near the capitol, it just sort of jumps into the newspapers.

And if it is in Debka, then it must not be true. Debka “exclusive” reports are always wrong. I have never seen a Debka “exclusive” that has been right. Have you?

By: Bill_M

Bill_M — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:21:01 +0000

I’d say 48 hour rule on this one. The source is decidely poor (Debka), so I wouldn’t put a lot of trust in it.

By: canopfor

canopfor — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:09:05 +0000

I hope this guys comfortable in his boiling pit of Sewage!

By: dmann

dmann — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:58:19 +0000

Interestingly, I believe al-Douri is actually a Sufi Muslim.

In Saddam’s secular paradise the only requirements were loyalty and ruthlessness!

By: right2bright

right2bright — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:33:22 +0000

Carter wants to meet with him…

By: CP

CP — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:18:22 +0000

Interestingly, I believe al-Douri is actually a Sufi Muslim.

By: RFA

RFA — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:17:58 +0000

I say dungeon, 30 feet underground. One meal a day.

Zorro on April 23, 2008 at 7:02 PM

And throw Cindy Sheehan in there with him.

By: The Jawa Report

The Jawa Report — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:08:06 +0000

Hope Springs Eternal: Former Baath Leader and Insurgent Leader Captured…

Are reports that Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri has been captured true? There’s not much evidence, but I freakin I hope so. If he is caught this is very good news. Sunni insurgents have broken into four distinct factions. There is……

By: Zorro

Zorro — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:02:24 +0000

I say dungeon, 30 feet underground. One meal a day.

By: irishspy

irishspy — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:38:11 +0000

Is Ramsey Clarke ready for the defense?

By: THE CHOSEN ONE

THE CHOSEN ONE — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:32:58 +0000

The gallows are calling. This guy’s got the blood of a lot of American Soldiers on his hands. Wait a minute, don’t we still have the option of a firing squad?

By: Texas Gal

Texas Gal — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:27:07 +0000

I sure hope this is an accurate report. Last I read about him was that he was hiding in Syria and there was an internet posting that said he was reorganizing some former Ba’athists with plans to overthrow the elected government when we left.

By: RFA

RFA — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:18:17 +0000

It’s really cool that the Syrians pushed him over the border and called the heat on him. He is one hated mofo in that part of the world.

By: cs89

cs89 — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:15:13 +0000

Izzat him or not?

MrScribbler on April 23, 2008 at 6:07 PM

LOL!

By: Corsair

Corsair — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:08:19 +0000

Everyone knows al-Duri is not playing with a full deck

By: MrScribbler

MrScribbler — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:07:28 +0000

Izzat him or not?

By: Kafir

Kafir — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:58:35 +0000

Geronimo on April 23, 2008 at 4:49 PM

Iraq was under British rule for a long time m’boy.