An American member of Al-Qaida was picked up in a raid in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi, Pakistani officials said Monday, but they reversed earlier assertions that the detained man was the terror network's US-born spokesman.
They identified the suspect as Abu Yahya Majadin Adam, but gave no details on his background or role within Al-Qaida.
A name very close to that is listed on the FBI's Web site as an alias for Adam Gadahn, the 31-year-old spokesman who has appeared in several videos threatening the West since 2001. The resemblance led to confusion among officials Sunday to believe that the suspect was Gadahn, an army officer and a senior intelligence officer said.
"The resemblance of the name initially caused confusion but now they have concluded he is not Gadahn," a Pakistani intelligence officer said.