CAIRO, Egypt — Al Qaeda in Iraq announced in a Web statement posted Monday that a militant named Abu Hamza al-Muhajer was appointed the group's new leader to succeed the slain Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The name was not immediately known. The name al-Muhajer, Arabic for "immigrant," suggested he was not Iraqi.
"Al Qaeda in Iraq's council has agreed on Sheik Abu Hamza al-Muhajer to be the successor for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the leadership of the organization," 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." | "During a period of austere manning, Sheik al-Muhajer gained knowledge, insight and experience while acting as car bomb supervisor. He used innovative management techniques to keep all sections operating smoothly in spite of skill level shortfalls. Promote ahead of his peers" |
The authenticity of the statement could not be independently confirmed. Zarqawi, who founded the group, was killed Wednesday in a U.S. airstrike northeast of Baghdad. |