(8)Adam Gadahn not in custody: Pakistani officials
Pakistani officials have begun to retract claims that a wanted American-born al Qaeda propagandist was captured yesterday during a raid in Karachi.
Reports that Adam Gadahn was in Pakistani custody were the result of a case of mistaken identity, Pakistani officials are now saying.
"Our initial impression was that the guy was Adam Gadahn but that information now looks incorrect," an unnamed Pakistani intelligence official told Reuters.
Gadahn's capture was first reported in the Pakistani press; he was not directly named, however. Geo News identified the captive al Qaeda leader as Commander Abu Yahya Azam, while Dawn identified him as Abu Yahya Mujahdeen al Adam and described him as a close confidant of Osama bin Laden.
"Probably the name and his origin caused the confusion," another official told Reuters.
Gahdan's nom de guerre is Abu Azzam al Amriki (the American), and he is also referred to as Abu Yahya. The captive al Qaeda leader, Abu Yahya Mujahdeen al Adam, is said to be from Pennsylvania and is believed to serve as a military commander who operates in eastern Afghanistan.
Doubts about Gadahn's arrest emerged late yesterday as US intelligence officials became increasingly skeptical of the reports [see Threat Matrix report, "Is Adam Gadahn in Pakistani custody? Depends who you ask"]. But Pakistani officials were telling several major wire services up until late Sunday night that Gadahn was in custody.
Gadahn is wanted by the US for treason and for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. He was officially charged with treason in a US federal court in October 2006.
