Fool me once ... uh, how does that go again?

Good news, good news!:

Al Qaeda in Iraq leader killed: Interior Ministry
Published: Tuesday, May 01, 2007

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, was killed on Tuesday in an internal fight between insurgents north of Baghdad, the Interior Ministry spokesman said.

Brigadier-General Abdul Kareem Khalaf told Reuters "we have definite intelligence reports that al Masri was killed today."

Another source in the ministry also said Masri had been killed. Khalaf said the battle happened near a bridge in the small town of al-Nibayi, north of Baghdad.

Both Khalaf and the other source in the ministry said the authorities did not have Masri's body.

The U.S. military said it could not confirm the reports.

"I hope that it is true, but we want to be very careful to make sure," said Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Garver, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq.

OK, I guess they're sure:

Iraqi officials reported Tuesday that Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the nom de guerre adopted by the head of al-Qaeda in Iraq, had been killed. Early Thursday, Iraqi officials reported the death of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, who also operates under a pseudonym as purported leader of the insurgent group Islamic State in Iraq.

But Caldwell said Masri has not been killed and U.S. officials are not even sure who Baghdadi is. He said U.S. officials, after checking extensively, have no indication that any high-profile target beside Jubouri has been killed in recent days.

The National Post: when you absolutely, positively have to be misinformed overnight.