THE ANNOUNCEMENT: The highest-ranking Iraqi leader of al-Qaida in Iraq was captured July 4 and told interrogators that Osama bin Laden’s inner circle wields considerable influence over the Iraqi group.

WHY NOW: The White House is stepping up efforts to link the war in Iraq to Sept. 11, with a growing number of Americans opposing the Iraq conflict. Some independent analysts question the extent of al-Qaida’s role in Iraq.

THE LINK: The U.S. says the captured man carried messages from Osama bin Laden and his deputy to the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.

A service of the Associated Press(AP)