Al-Zarqawi was ‘mistakenly released’

IRAQI security forces questioned terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the Fallujah area last year but released him because they didn’t realise who he was, the deputy interior minister said yesterday.

Major General Hussein Kamal said Iraqi police were suspicious about this man and “detained for about three or four hours.”

“Iraqi police forces who were in Fallujah then did not have sophisticated equipment to take pictures of him or take his fingerprints,” Mr Kamal said.

He said the incident occurred “when the city was controlled by the terrorists.” US forces overran Fallujah in November 2004, ending domination of the city by insurgents and extremists, including al-Zarqawi’s al-Qaida in Iraq group.

Al-Zarqawi, who has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Iraq along with the kidnappings and beheadings of foreigners, has a 21 million bounty on his head. He also drew criticism in his home country of Jordan after his group claimed responsibility for the deadly November 9 attacks on hotels in Amman.