Iraq: Alleged World Cup Plotters Arrested

Iraqi officials said May 17 that they had arrested militants from Islamic State of Iraq who had planned to stage an attack during the World Cup. The militants had worked with al Qaeda deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri in planning the attack, according to Iraqi authorities, but few other details have emerged on the plot thus far. The language used in the announcement was unclear — leaving it questionable as to whether the plot intended to target Iraq or South Africa. South African officials had not received any word from the Iraqis concerning the arrests and associated intelligence on the threat, undermining the likelihood that the purported attack would be staged in South Africa.