Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Islamic State of Iraq announces appointment of education minister
Insurgency
(AP) -- A Sunni insurgent coalition in Iraq announced Monday the appointment of an education minister to the group's so-called 10-member "Islamic Cabinet," set up in April to challenge the Iraqi government. In a statement posted on an Islamic Web site, the Islamic State of Iraq, made up of eight insurgent groups, including al-Qaida in Iraq, said its leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi chose Mohammed Khalil al-Badria for the education position.
Al-Baghdadi tasked al-Badria with "protecting our sons against moral and ideological deviation and raising a new generation of sons of Islam based on true Islamic teachings and away from the filth of secular tenets." The authenticity of the statement could not be verified, but it was published by an Islamic Web forum that usually carries announcements by militant groups.
The formation of the Cabinet in April was meant to present the Islamic State of Iraq as a "legitimate" alternative to the U.S.-backed, Shiite-led administration of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki - and to demonstrate that it was only growing in power despite the U.S. military push against insurgents.
The group includes the new leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, as "war minister" and Sheik Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Falahi as "first minister." The U.S. military has identified al-Muhajer by a different pseudonym, Abu Ayyub al-Masri. Al-Qaida in Iraq is blamed for some of the deadliest suicide bombings against Shiite civilians, as well as numerous attacks on U.S. troops and Iraqi soldiers and police.
Al-Baghdadi tasked al-Badria with "protecting our sons against moral and ideological deviation and raising a new generation of sons of Islam based on true Islamic teachings and away from the filth of secular tenets." The authenticity of the statement could not be verified, but it was published by an Islamic Web forum that usually carries announcements by militant groups.
The formation of the Cabinet in April was meant to present the Islamic State of Iraq as a "legitimate" alternative to the U.S.-backed, Shiite-led administration of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki - and to demonstrate that it was only growing in power despite the U.S. military push against insurgents.
The group includes the new leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, as "war minister" and Sheik Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Falahi as "first minister." The U.S. military has identified al-Muhajer by a different pseudonym, Abu Ayyub al-Masri. Al-Qaida in Iraq is blamed for some of the deadliest suicide bombings against Shiite civilians, as well as numerous attacks on U.S. troops and Iraqi soldiers and police.
Labels: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Islamic Cabinet, Islamic State of Iraq, Mohammed Khalil al-Badria, Sheik Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Falahi
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Al Qaeda leader brands Sunni VP a 'criminal'
Insurgency, Politics
(AP) - Al-Qaida in Iraq released a recording Saturday purportedly of its leader, who had been reported killed in recent fighting, branding the country's Sunni vice president a "criminal" for participating in the government. A suicide bomber, meanwhile, struck an army recruitment center outside Baghdad, killing 15 people — among nearly 40 killed or found dead on Saturday.
The statement by Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri, was seen as a warning to Sunnis not to join the political process and legitimize the Shiite-led government and its U.S. backers. Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi has resisted calls by fellow leaders of the main Sunni alliance to pull out of the government.
The statement, posted on a militant Web site, did not directly address reports from Iraqi officials that the al-Qaida leader was killed Tuesday by rivals north of Baghdad.
The U.S. military declined to confirm the report of al-Masri's death and believed it stemmed from confusion over the killing of another al-Qaida militant. There was no indication when the 20-minute statement was recorded, although a transcript posted on the Web site was dated Saturday. It could not be independently verified.
In the statement Saturday, al-Masri sharply criticized al-Hashemi for taking part in politics and legitimizing the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose U.S.-backed security forces are fighting Sunni insurgents and al-Qaida militants. "This criminal relentlessly calls for the occupier to remain," he said, referring to al-Hashemi.
Last week, al-Hashemi spoke to President Bush in a phone call to discuss the Sunni threats to leave the Cabinet. An insurgent statement in March, calling Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zubaie a stooge "to the crusader occupiers," was followed a day later by an assassination attempt against the highest-ranking Sunni government official. The latest statement, however, did not call for attacks against the Islamic Party, which, al-Masri said, would only distract his group from its fight against the Shiites and American forces.
"The leaders of the Islamic Party are renegades but we make it clear that we don't want to fight them and be drawn into secondary battles that only serve the occupier and its Shiite associates," he said.
The statement by Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri, was seen as a warning to Sunnis not to join the political process and legitimize the Shiite-led government and its U.S. backers. Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi has resisted calls by fellow leaders of the main Sunni alliance to pull out of the government.
The statement, posted on a militant Web site, did not directly address reports from Iraqi officials that the al-Qaida leader was killed Tuesday by rivals north of Baghdad.
The U.S. military declined to confirm the report of al-Masri's death and believed it stemmed from confusion over the killing of another al-Qaida militant. There was no indication when the 20-minute statement was recorded, although a transcript posted on the Web site was dated Saturday. It could not be independently verified.
In the statement Saturday, al-Masri sharply criticized al-Hashemi for taking part in politics and legitimizing the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose U.S.-backed security forces are fighting Sunni insurgents and al-Qaida militants. "This criminal relentlessly calls for the occupier to remain," he said, referring to al-Hashemi.
Last week, al-Hashemi spoke to President Bush in a phone call to discuss the Sunni threats to leave the Cabinet. An insurgent statement in March, calling Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zubaie a stooge "to the crusader occupiers," was followed a day later by an assassination attempt against the highest-ranking Sunni government official. The latest statement, however, did not call for attacks against the Islamic Party, which, al-Masri said, would only distract his group from its fight against the Shiites and American forces.
"The leaders of the Islamic Party are renegades but we make it clear that we don't want to fight them and be drawn into secondary battles that only serve the occupier and its Shiite associates," he said.
Labels: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Al Qaeda in Iraq, Iraqi Islamic Party, Tariq al-Hashemi
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Confusion over al-Masri's fate
Insurgency, Tribal
(Al Jazeera) - An al-Qaeda-linked group has denied that Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the purported leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, has been killed. Amid confusion within the government about whether al-Masri, also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, had been killed, the self-styled Islamic State in Iraq said in an internet statement on Tuesday that he was alive and safe.
Iraq's government had said that al-Masri had been killed either by rivals in al-Qaeda or by Sunni tribesmen. Later, however, Brigadier-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, spokesman for the interior ministry, said al-Masri's death had not been confirmed. Another senior official, Major-General Hussein Kamal, said the government was "trying to investigate and confirm the report" that al-Masri had been killed in a battle within his own group. The internet statement by the Islamic State in Iraq "assures the Islamic nation about the safety of Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, may God save him, and that he is still fighting the enemies".
Late on Tuesday, the leader of a Sunni Arab group opposed to al-Qaeda told Iraqi television that his fighters tracked down and killed al-Masri along with seven of his aides, two of them Saudis. "Eyewitnesses confirmed his death and their corpses are still at the scene," Abdul-Sattar al-Rishawi, head of the Anbar Salvation Council, said. Another member of the Anbar Salvation Council, an alliance of Iraqi tribes that are opposed to al-Qaeda's presence in the Iraqi insurgency, told the AFP news agency that al-Masri had been killed by members of the al-Dulaimi tribe.
"The clashes started between the Dulaimi tribe, which is part of the Salvation Council, and Al-Qaeda at 9am (05:00 GMT) and continued until 11," Sheikh Hamid al-Hayis, head of the Anbar Salvation Council, said. "They killed him along with two Saudi leaders and three Iraqis." Iraq's interior ministry said on Tuesday it had received intelligence information on al-Masri's apparent death, and that Iraqi security forces were not involved.
Iraq's government had said that al-Masri had been killed either by rivals in al-Qaeda or by Sunni tribesmen. Later, however, Brigadier-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, spokesman for the interior ministry, said al-Masri's death had not been confirmed. Another senior official, Major-General Hussein Kamal, said the government was "trying to investigate and confirm the report" that al-Masri had been killed in a battle within his own group. The internet statement by the Islamic State in Iraq "assures the Islamic nation about the safety of Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, may God save him, and that he is still fighting the enemies".
Late on Tuesday, the leader of a Sunni Arab group opposed to al-Qaeda told Iraqi television that his fighters tracked down and killed al-Masri along with seven of his aides, two of them Saudis. "Eyewitnesses confirmed his death and their corpses are still at the scene," Abdul-Sattar al-Rishawi, head of the Anbar Salvation Council, said. Another member of the Anbar Salvation Council, an alliance of Iraqi tribes that are opposed to al-Qaeda's presence in the Iraqi insurgency, told the AFP news agency that al-Masri had been killed by members of the al-Dulaimi tribe.
"The clashes started between the Dulaimi tribe, which is part of the Salvation Council, and Al-Qaeda at 9am (05:00 GMT) and continued until 11," Sheikh Hamid al-Hayis, head of the Anbar Salvation Council, said. "They killed him along with two Saudi leaders and three Iraqis." Iraq's interior ministry said on Tuesday it had received intelligence information on al-Masri's apparent death, and that Iraqi security forces were not involved.
"Some information ... needs confirmation, but this information is very strong," said Brigadier-General Abdel Karim Khalaf, interior ministry operations director. "The clashes took place among themselves. There were clashes within the groups of al-Qaeda. He was liquidated by them." Khalaf said that al-Masri was apparently killed in a battle near a bridge in the town of al-Nibayi, north of Baghdad. He said that Iraqi authorities did not have al-Masri's body.
A US military spokesman could not confirm the report, and said that several previous reports of al-Masri's death were found to be false. "I hope it's true, we're checking, but we're going to be doubly sure before we can confirm anything," Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Garver said. In March, Iraqi media reported that al-Masri had been wounded in a shootout with Iraqi soldiers, but the information proved unfounded.
US officials have said al-Masri is an Egyptian who specialises in car bombings. He has allegedly headed al-Qaeda's operations in Iraq since the death of then-leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a US air-raid in June 2006.
A US military spokesman could not confirm the report, and said that several previous reports of al-Masri's death were found to be false. "I hope it's true, we're checking, but we're going to be doubly sure before we can confirm anything," Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Garver said. In March, Iraqi media reported that al-Masri had been wounded in a shootout with Iraqi soldiers, but the information proved unfounded.
US officials have said al-Masri is an Egyptian who specialises in car bombings. He has allegedly headed al-Qaeda's operations in Iraq since the death of then-leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a US air-raid in June 2006.
Labels: Abdul-Sattar al-Rishawi, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Al Qaeda in Iraq, al-Dulaimi tribe, al-Nibayi, Anbar Salvation Council, Brigadier-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, Islamic State in Iraq, Sunni tribesmen
Al-Masri's fall
Insurgency
(RFE/RL) - Abu Hamzah al-Muhajir -- also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri -- a leading figure in Al-Qaeda in Iraq has reportedly been killed in an internal struggle among militants, according to Iraq's Interior Ministry. A militant group connected with al-Muhajir posted a statement today denying the rumors. Nonetheless, it is clear that Al-Qaeda, which currently operates under the name Islamic State of Iraq, has been increasingly at odds with homegrown Iraqi insurgent groups in recent months.
Al-Muhajir was named the successor to Mujahedin Shura Council leader Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi in June, following al-Zarqawi's death in a U.S. bombing near Ba'qubah. In December, Iraqi National Security Adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubay'i told reporters intelligence indicated that Al-Qaeda was in the midst of a leadership crisis and al-Muhajir's men did not trust him.
The Eqyptian-born Al-Muhajir was described in a June 12, 2006, Internet statement identifying him as al-Zarqawi's successor as a "seasoned fighter." U.S. officials have said he spent time in Afghanistan before his arrival in Iraq, where he headed up Al-Qaeda's first cell. A close aide of al-Zarqawi -- some accounts say he was No. 2 to al-Zarqawi -- al-Muhajir was reportedly a major recruiter for Al-Qaeda in Iraq. The U.S. government has placed a $5 million bounty on his head.
In the months that followed, the Mujahidin Shura Council, which largely comprises foreign fighters, faltered in terms of legitimacy and support inside Iraq. This faltering was part of a downward spiral that began in 2005 under al-Zarqawi, under whose leadership foreign fighters terrorized civilians, seized their money and property, and killed clerics and community leaders that opposed him.
Al-Zarqawi ignored the warnings of Sunni Islamist thinkers that his group's actions were in violation of Islamic law and were alienating the Islamic and Iraqi communities. The fact that al-Muhajir, like al-Zarqawi, was a foreigner who appeared willing to sacrifice Iraqi civilians in his quest to kill coalition forces, was a red line for many Iraqi insurgent groups. It was also a red line for Al-Anbar's Sunni Arab chieftains who had once given shelter to the Mujahedin Shura Council.
In November, al-Muhajir pledged allegiance to Abu Umar al-Baghdadi, the head of the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella organization purportedly established in October that now includes the Mujahedin Shura Council and several smaller jihadist groups In reality, the Islamic State is probably no more than a rebranding of the Mujahedin Shura Council, to make it more "Iraqi" in nature. In December, Iraqi national security adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubay'i told reporters intelligence indicated that Al-Qaeda was in the midst of a leadership crisis and al-Muhajir's men did not trust him.
Al-Muhajir pleaded with homegrown Iraqi insurgent groups to join the Islamic State [Al-Qaeda] in Iraq. However, the disdain in which Iraqi groups held the Islamic State was on the rise. Islamic Army in Iraq spokesman Ibrahim al-Shammari told Al-Jazeera television in an April 17 interview that the Islamic State of Iraq should first prove they have changed their ways before an apology would be accepted. Just days later, the Islamic State of Iraq announced the formation of its cabinet, with al-Muhajir -- apparently the only non-Iraqi -- named minister of war.
Al-Muhajir was named the successor to Mujahedin Shura Council leader Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi in June, following al-Zarqawi's death in a U.S. bombing near Ba'qubah. In December, Iraqi National Security Adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubay'i told reporters intelligence indicated that Al-Qaeda was in the midst of a leadership crisis and al-Muhajir's men did not trust him.
The Eqyptian-born Al-Muhajir was described in a June 12, 2006, Internet statement identifying him as al-Zarqawi's successor as a "seasoned fighter." U.S. officials have said he spent time in Afghanistan before his arrival in Iraq, where he headed up Al-Qaeda's first cell. A close aide of al-Zarqawi -- some accounts say he was No. 2 to al-Zarqawi -- al-Muhajir was reportedly a major recruiter for Al-Qaeda in Iraq. The U.S. government has placed a $5 million bounty on his head.
In the months that followed, the Mujahidin Shura Council, which largely comprises foreign fighters, faltered in terms of legitimacy and support inside Iraq. This faltering was part of a downward spiral that began in 2005 under al-Zarqawi, under whose leadership foreign fighters terrorized civilians, seized their money and property, and killed clerics and community leaders that opposed him.
Al-Zarqawi ignored the warnings of Sunni Islamist thinkers that his group's actions were in violation of Islamic law and were alienating the Islamic and Iraqi communities. The fact that al-Muhajir, like al-Zarqawi, was a foreigner who appeared willing to sacrifice Iraqi civilians in his quest to kill coalition forces, was a red line for many Iraqi insurgent groups. It was also a red line for Al-Anbar's Sunni Arab chieftains who had once given shelter to the Mujahedin Shura Council.
In November, al-Muhajir pledged allegiance to Abu Umar al-Baghdadi, the head of the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella organization purportedly established in October that now includes the Mujahedin Shura Council and several smaller jihadist groups In reality, the Islamic State is probably no more than a rebranding of the Mujahedin Shura Council, to make it more "Iraqi" in nature. In December, Iraqi national security adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubay'i told reporters intelligence indicated that Al-Qaeda was in the midst of a leadership crisis and al-Muhajir's men did not trust him.
Al-Muhajir pleaded with homegrown Iraqi insurgent groups to join the Islamic State [Al-Qaeda] in Iraq. However, the disdain in which Iraqi groups held the Islamic State was on the rise. Islamic Army in Iraq spokesman Ibrahim al-Shammari told Al-Jazeera television in an April 17 interview that the Islamic State of Iraq should first prove they have changed their ways before an apology would be accepted. Just days later, the Islamic State of Iraq announced the formation of its cabinet, with al-Muhajir -- apparently the only non-Iraqi -- named minister of war.
Labels: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Abu Hamzah al-Muhajir, Al Qaeda in Iraq, Anbar Salvation Council, Islamic State of Iraq
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Interior Ministry - leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq killed by own people
Insurgency
(Al Jazeera) - Iraqi authorities are investigating reports that Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the alleged leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, has been killed in a battle within his own group. Iraq’s interior ministry said on Tuesday it had received intelligence information on al-Masri's apparent death, and that Iraqi security forces were not involved.
"Some information... needs confirmation, but this information is very strong," said Brigadier General Abdel Karim Khalaf, interior ministry operations director. "The clashes took place among themselves. There were clashes within the groups of al-Qaeda. He was liquidated by them." Khalaf said al-Masri was apparently killed in a battle near a bridge in the town of al-Nibayi, north of Baghdad. He said that Iraqi authorities did not have al-Masri's body. Another interior ministry source said Masri had been killed.
A US military spokesman could not confirm the report, and said that several previous reports of Masri's death were found to be false. "I hope it's true, we're checking, but we're going to be doubly sure before we can confirm anything," said Lieutenant Colonel Chris Garver. In March, Iraqi media reported that Masri had been wounded in a shootout with Iraqi soldiers, but the information proved unfounded.
US officials say Masri, who is allegedly also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, is an Egyptian who specialises in car bombings. He has allegedly headed al-Qaeda’s operations in Iraq since the death of then-leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a US air-raid in June 2006.
"Some information... needs confirmation, but this information is very strong," said Brigadier General Abdel Karim Khalaf, interior ministry operations director. "The clashes took place among themselves. There were clashes within the groups of al-Qaeda. He was liquidated by them." Khalaf said al-Masri was apparently killed in a battle near a bridge in the town of al-Nibayi, north of Baghdad. He said that Iraqi authorities did not have al-Masri's body. Another interior ministry source said Masri had been killed.
A US military spokesman could not confirm the report, and said that several previous reports of Masri's death were found to be false. "I hope it's true, we're checking, but we're going to be doubly sure before we can confirm anything," said Lieutenant Colonel Chris Garver. In March, Iraqi media reported that Masri had been wounded in a shootout with Iraqi soldiers, but the information proved unfounded.
US officials say Masri, who is allegedly also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, is an Egyptian who specialises in car bombings. He has allegedly headed al-Qaeda’s operations in Iraq since the death of then-leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a US air-raid in June 2006.
Labels: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Al Qaeda in Iraq, al-Nibayi, Brigadier General Abdel Karim Khalaf, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Garver, Ministry of Interior
Friday, April 20, 2007
Islamic State of Iraq announces establishment of cabinet
Insurgency
(SITE) - The Islamic State of Iraq announced in a 5:10 minute produced and issued to jihadist forums on Thursday, April 19, 2007, by its al-Furqan Foundation for Media Production, the establishment of the cabinet of the “first Islamic administration”. An individual indicated to be the official spokesman for the Islamic State sits at a desk with his face blurred, naming the ten Ministers in the group’s “cabinet” beneath the emir, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi:
Sheikh Abu Abdul Rahman al-Falahi as First Minister for the Emir of the Believers
Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, Minister of War
Professor Sheikh Abu Uthman al-Tamimi, Minster of Shari’ah Affairs
Professor Abu Bakr al-Jabouri, Minister of Public Relations
Professor Abu Abdul Jabar al-Janabi, Minister of Security
Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Mashadani, Minister of Information
Professor Abu Khadr al-Eissawi, Minister of Martyrs and Prisoners Affairs
Engineer Abu Ahmed al-Janabi, Minister of Oil
Professor Mustafa al-A’araji, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
Professor Dr. Abu Abdullah al-Zabadi, Minister of Health
From prior communications from the Islamic State of Iraq and its Emir, the group portrays itself as functioning as a state and governing body, possessing means of taxation and jurisprudence, the Mujahideen acting as arbiters, and providing security to Muslims. This latest propaganda of naming ministers is another step within these actions. The announcement unveiling an "Islamic Cabinet" for Iraq appeared to have multiple aims. One was to present the Islamic State of Iraq coalition as a "legitimate" alternative to the U.S.-backed, Shiite-led administration of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and to demonstrate that it was growing in power despite the U.S. military push against insurgents.
It also likely sought to establish the coalition's dominance among insurgents after an embarrassing public dispute with other Iraqi Sunni militants. The Islamic State of Iraq is a coalition of eight insurgent groups, the most powerful of them al-Qaida in Iraq. It was first announced in October, claiming to hold territory in the Sunni-dominated areas of western and central Iraq.
Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, the "war minister" is the name announced as the successor of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq who was killed in the summer of 2006. The U.S. military and Iraqi government have identified him by another pseudonym, Abu Ayyub al-Masri. The names listed by the spokesman were all pseudonyms and their real names were not known, though the pseudonyms included the names of some major Sunni Arab tribes. The video came on the heels of a rare public dispute between the coalition and other insurgent groups.
Sheikh Abu Abdul Rahman al-Falahi as First Minister for the Emir of the Believers
Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, Minister of War
Professor Sheikh Abu Uthman al-Tamimi, Minster of Shari’ah Affairs
Professor Abu Bakr al-Jabouri, Minister of Public Relations
Professor Abu Abdul Jabar al-Janabi, Minister of Security
Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Mashadani, Minister of Information
Professor Abu Khadr al-Eissawi, Minister of Martyrs and Prisoners Affairs
Engineer Abu Ahmed al-Janabi, Minister of Oil
Professor Mustafa al-A’araji, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
Professor Dr. Abu Abdullah al-Zabadi, Minister of Health
From prior communications from the Islamic State of Iraq and its Emir, the group portrays itself as functioning as a state and governing body, possessing means of taxation and jurisprudence, the Mujahideen acting as arbiters, and providing security to Muslims. This latest propaganda of naming ministers is another step within these actions. The announcement unveiling an "Islamic Cabinet" for Iraq appeared to have multiple aims. One was to present the Islamic State of Iraq coalition as a "legitimate" alternative to the U.S.-backed, Shiite-led administration of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and to demonstrate that it was growing in power despite the U.S. military push against insurgents.
It also likely sought to establish the coalition's dominance among insurgents after an embarrassing public dispute with other Iraqi Sunni militants. The Islamic State of Iraq is a coalition of eight insurgent groups, the most powerful of them al-Qaida in Iraq. It was first announced in October, claiming to hold territory in the Sunni-dominated areas of western and central Iraq.
Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, the "war minister" is the name announced as the successor of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq who was killed in the summer of 2006. The U.S. military and Iraqi government have identified him by another pseudonym, Abu Ayyub al-Masri. The names listed by the spokesman were all pseudonyms and their real names were not known, though the pseudonyms included the names of some major Sunni Arab tribes. The video came on the heels of a rare public dispute between the coalition and other insurgent groups.
Labels: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, cabinet, first Islamic administration, Islamic State of Iraq
Friday, February 23, 2007
Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader vows retaliation after Sunni women rape allegations
Insurgency
(Reuters) - The leader of al Qaeda's wing in Iraq vowed militants would avenge a Sunni woman who said she had been raped by members of Iraq's Shi'ite-dominated police, according to an audio tape posted on the Internet on Thursday. "More than 300 militants asked to go on martyrdom (suicide) operations in the first 10 hours of hearing the news," said the speaker on the tape identified as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri.
It was the first recording purported to be from Masri since some Iraqi officials said he had been wounded in a clash last week. The U.S. military said it had no indication he had been hurt. Charges by a Sunni woman in Baghdad that she had been raped by the policemen have set off a political furor in Iraq and highlighted the growing friction between the two sects. A second woman has accused soldiers of attacking her in her home in northern Iraq.
"(Government leaders) have cheated the nation and committed so much treason that honor is being violated in the name of politics," said the speaker. The authenticity of the 12-minute recording, entitled "To your rescue, sister" could not be verified but it was posted on a Web site often used by Islamists.
A group called Islamic State in Iraq, which includes Sunni Islamist al Qaeda and several minor insurgent groups, earlier vowed an "earth-shaking response" to the alleged rapes. The group is blamed for some of the worst bombings in Iraq. The mayor of the northern city of Tal Afar said an army officer and three soldiers had been detained in connection with the second rape case. Masri, an Egyptian, assumed the leadership of al Qaeda in Iraq after Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. air strike in June 2006.
It was the first recording purported to be from Masri since some Iraqi officials said he had been wounded in a clash last week. The U.S. military said it had no indication he had been hurt. Charges by a Sunni woman in Baghdad that she had been raped by the policemen have set off a political furor in Iraq and highlighted the growing friction between the two sects. A second woman has accused soldiers of attacking her in her home in northern Iraq.
"(Government leaders) have cheated the nation and committed so much treason that honor is being violated in the name of politics," said the speaker. The authenticity of the 12-minute recording, entitled "To your rescue, sister" could not be verified but it was posted on a Web site often used by Islamists.
A group called Islamic State in Iraq, which includes Sunni Islamist al Qaeda and several minor insurgent groups, earlier vowed an "earth-shaking response" to the alleged rapes. The group is blamed for some of the worst bombings in Iraq. The mayor of the northern city of Tal Afar said an army officer and three soldiers had been detained in connection with the second rape case. Masri, an Egyptian, assumed the leadership of al Qaeda in Iraq after Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. air strike in June 2006.
Labels: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Islamic State of Iraq, rape, video tape
