Al-Qaida in Iraq announces new leader
Al-Qaida in Iraq announced in a web statement posted today that a militant named Abu Hamza al-Muhajer was appointed the group’s new leader to succeed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
The name was not immediately known. The name al-Muhajer, Arabic for “immigrant”, suggested he was not Iraqi.
“Al-Qaida in Iraq’s council has agreed on Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajer to be the successor for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the leadership of the organisation,” said a statement signed by the group on an Islamic militant web forum where it often posts messages.
It said al-Muhajer was “a beloved brother with jihadi (holy war) experience and a strong footing in knowledge.”
The authenticity of the statement could not be independently confirmed.
Al-Zarqawi, who founded the group, was killed on Wednesday in a US airstrike northeast of Baghdad.
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