The suspect was arrested recently in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, the officials said.
The New York Times reported that US and Pakistani officials identified the man arrested as Abu Yahya Mujahdeen al-Adam, who was described as having been born in Pennsylvania and thought to be affiliated with the operations division of Al Qaeda, commanding fighters in Afghanistan. Associated Press sources said Gadahn also goes by the aliases of Yahya Majadin Adams and Azzam al-Amriki.
The conflicting reports could not be immediately explained, and there was no way to independently verify the identity of the man in custody.
The reported arrest follows the recent detention of several Afghan Taliban commanders in Karachi, including the group’s second in command. Those detentions have been seen as a sign that Pakistan, which has been criticized as an untrustworthy ally, was cooperating more fully with Washington.
“If this is [Gadahn], it’s a big capture and a morale-booster,” said Patrick Rowan, the former top antiterrorism official in the Bush Justice Department. “It’s a blow to Al Qaeda and a boost to the US when a guy that has been taunting the US for years has been captured.”
Gadahn has appeared in more than half a dozen Al Qaeda videos, taunting the West and calling for its destruction. The video that surfaced yesterday showed him urging American Muslims to attack their own country.
According to two officers who took part in the operation, Gadahn was arrested in the sprawling southern metropolis of Karachi in recent days. The intelligence officials said Gadahn was being interrogated by Pakistani officials. Pakistani agents and those from the CIA work closely on some operations in Pakistan, but it was not clear whether any Americans were involved in the operation or questioning.
In the past, Pakistan has handed over some Al Qaeda suspects arrested on its soil to the United States.
Gadahn could offer valuable intelligence about Al Qaeda’s second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and maybe even Osama bin Laden, Rowan said.
