U.S. military: Al Qaeda bag man smuggles $100 million into Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- An al Qaeda bag man smuggled $100 million into Iraq during the past few months to finance terrorist operations, according to the U.S. military.

U.S. troops inspect vehicles destroyed in a bombing Wednesday that wounded the Polish ambassador.

 The unidentified man, arrested Tuesday near Baghdad, allegedly employs 40 to 50 extremists at $3,000 per job for bomb attacks against coalition forces, using money from supporters outside Iraq, the military said.

"The extremist financier is suspected of traveling to foreign countries to acquire financial support for terrorist activities and is suspected of supplying more than $50,000 to al Qaeda each month," the military said.

The suspect, captured during a coalition raid in Kindi, operates a network of financing cells across Iraq , the military said.

"He is believed to have received $100 million this summer from terrorist supporters who cross the Iraq border illegally or fly into Iraq from Italy, Syria and Egypt," a Pentagon release said.

 

Complete article: U.S. military: Al Qaeda bag man smuggles $100 million into Iraq

 

Thomas Braun, Lima, Peru