BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's most lethal insurgent group appears to be facing a leadership crisis amid conflicting reports about the fate of its leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and whether a Saudi militant has been named to stand in for him.
Iraq's interior and defense ministers said Thursday they have information that al-Zarqawi has been wounded — apparent confirmation of recent rumors that the Jordanian-born terrorist leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq was injured. But the officials said they did not know how severe the injury might be.
Meanwhile, a host of sometimes-dueling statements posted by militants on Web sites made it clear there could be confusion within the group itself — or perhaps even a leadership struggle — over al-Zarqawi's status.
None of the statements could be independently verified, but many of them were posted on a Web site known as a clearinghouse for al-Zarqawi, thus increasing their chances of being credible.
The first Internet statement, on Tuesday, claimed that al-Zarqawi had been wounded and asked Muslims to pray for him.
A second, on Thursday, signed in the name of Abu Doujanah al-Tunisi of the media committee of Al Qaeda in Iraq — an unfamiliar name from past statements — said an interim leader had been appointed to stand in for al-Zarqawi because of his injury
More at:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,157723,00.html
Iraq's interior and defense ministers said Thursday they have information that al-Zarqawi has been wounded — apparent confirmation of recent rumors that the Jordanian-born terrorist leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq was injured. But the officials said they did not know how severe the injury might be.
Meanwhile, a host of sometimes-dueling statements posted by militants on Web sites made it clear there could be confusion within the group itself — or perhaps even a leadership struggle — over al-Zarqawi's status.
None of the statements could be independently verified, but many of them were posted on a Web site known as a clearinghouse for al-Zarqawi, thus increasing their chances of being credible.
The first Internet statement, on Tuesday, claimed that al-Zarqawi had been wounded and asked Muslims to pray for him.
A second, on Thursday, signed in the name of Abu Doujanah al-Tunisi of the media committee of Al Qaeda in Iraq — an unfamiliar name from past statements — said an interim leader had been appointed to stand in for al-Zarqawi because of his injury
More at:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,157723,00.html
