Police say would-be suicide bomber caught in Iraq is Syrian

A would-be suicide bomber tackled by guards on the doorstep of a mosque in northern Iraq is a Syrian linked to al-Qaida in Iraq, police said Saturday, detailing the capture that could provide new leads on other insurgent operations. The details emerged a day after Ammar Afif Hamada, 19, was arrested by guards who became suspicious as he approached the main gate of a Shiite mosque in the disputed city of Kirkuk. His capture could give authorities information about insurgent operations in northern Iraq and smuggling routes used to bring people from Syria - long considered one of the main pipelines for insurgents recruits from across the region. It also comes as a welcome success story for Iraqi security forces, troubled by public complaints following a series of recent high-profile bombings in Baghdad and elsewhere.