No winner yet for $25m reward
2006-06-09 08:24
Washington - The US government has not yet identified who will receive the $25m reward offered for helping to capture or kill the late Iraq al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the state department said on Thursday.
"I've seen a lot of news reports that either a Jordanian individual or group provided information or perhaps a neighbour provided information which led to the strike being carried out successfully. I can't confirm those reports," said state department spokesperson Sean McCormack.
"And I don't have any information at this point that would lead to this process starting up ... (it) hasn't been activated at this point," he added.
Zarqawi, who orchestrated a bloody campaign of attacks and beheadings in Iraq, was killed on Wednesday in an airstrike on a safe house north of Baghdad, US and Iraqi officials said.
The state department has offered numerous rewards for people aiding in the capture or death of al-Qaeda leaders. Making the reward involves a formal process starting with a request from an involved government agency and then an investigation to see if the person deserves the reward.
Some $62m has been paid out by the state department's rewards for justice programme to informants and others for helping capture terror suspects. The programme is offering $25m for al-Qaeda leaded Osama bin Laden.