Zarqawi Aide Captured

(Baghdad) Iraqi Forces are credited with capturing a top aide for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi during a raid in western Iraq.

From FoxNews.com:

Iraqiya TV identified the captive as Abu al-Farouq, a Syrian. It said he was captured with five other alleged Al Qaeda operatives in the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad. The raid was carried out by the ministry's counterinsurgency Wolf Brigade.

According to the Iraqiya report, Abu Farouq was captured along with five other people in Ramadi, west of the capital Baghdad.

In related news, it's reported that al-Qaeda in Iraq, led by Jordanian miltiant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has implemented a new command structure.

From ADNKI.com:

The new line-up is said to include a sort of shadow government at the head of the organisation mandated to direct all the activities of the group. Al-Zarqawi has been flanked by six 'ministers' and by a chief of staff who will coordinate all the operational brigades, the sources said.

In a document entitled "The strategy of al-Qaeda in Iraq", the group outlines a new decentralised and flexible organisational structure.

In the new hierarchy al-Zarqawi's number two would be Abu Abdel Rahman al-Iraqi who also has the role of 'interior minister' and oversees the internal affairs of the organisation.

The minister of defense is Abu Asir who directs suicide bombers. The religious affairs minister is Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Baghdadi who issues fatwas and the information minister is Abu Maysira al-Iraqi who controls Internet statements.