Al-Qaeda Iraq names leader
2006-06-12 16:14
Paris - Al-Qaeda in Iraq has appointed a militant named Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajer to succeed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi who was killed in a US air strike, according to an internet message posted on Monday.
"The shura (consultative) council and al-Qaeda in the Land of Two Rivers have both agreed to appoint Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajer to succeed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the leadership of the organisation," said the statement on al-Hesba website, where al-Qaeda's official statements usually appear.
Its authenticity could not be verified independently.
The statement said: "Sheikh Abu Hamza is a pious brother with a jihadi track record and a solid scholarly background.
"We ask God to bless him and to help him finish what Sheikh Abu Musab has started."
His nationality was not given but the word "muhajer" means immigrant in Arabic.
- AFP