US Central Command Confirms Capture of Abu Abbas in Baghdad

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, April 16, 2003

US Central Command Confirms Capture of Abu Abbas in Baghdad

The US Central Command Tuesday confirmed Monday's capture of Abu Abbas, a most wanted Palestinian hijacker and leader of the Palestinian Liberation Front, in Baghdad by US special forces.

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The US Central Command Tuesday confirmed Monday's capture of Abu Abbas, a most wanted Palestinian hijacker and leader of the Palestinian Liberation Front, in Baghdad by US special forces.

In a statement, the Central Command said that Abbas, also knownas Mohammed Abbas, was caught in a raid in southern Baghdad Monday evening.

Abbas was sentenced in absentia in Italy to life imprisonment for masterminding the 1985 hijack of Italy's Achille Lauro cruise ship in the eastern Mediterranean. During the hijacking, an elderly American passenger was also killed.

The Central Command statement said that one of the key objectives of the Iraq war had been to "search for, capture and drive out terrorists who have found safe haven in Iraq."

"This mission success highlights the US and our coalition partners' commitment to defeating terrorism worldwide," it added.

The capture of Abbas, who has been taken into US custody in Baghdad, was first reported by CNN earlier Tuesday.

Abbas has spent much of his last 17 years in the Iraqi capital since 1985.

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