Who Will Be Al-Qaida's Next Agent of Evil?

AMID western world celebrations of the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaida chieftain in Iraq, there seems little certainty about who will succeed the brutal killer.

Egyptian-born, Afghanistan-trained Abu al-Masri is likely to take the helm, according to U.S. military predictions.

Major-General William Caldwell said al-Masri - whose name is an obvious alias and means father of the Egyptian - was the "most logical" successor, but he offered no details on why.

General Caldwell, the chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, said al-Masri was thought to have come to Iraq in 2002 after training in Afghanistan. His mission, General Caldwell said, was to create an al-Qaida cell in Baghdad.

Al-Masri was believed an expert at constructing roadside bombs, the number one cause of U.S. military casualties in Iraq.

But al-Masri's resume does not read like that of the next most-wanted Iraqi terrorist, leaving the succession question a mystery. U.S. and Iraqi officials announced that al-Zarqawi's spiritual adviser, Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Iraqi, was among others killed with the Jordanian-born terror mastermind when U.S. war planes bombed a safehouse northeast of Baghdad on Wednesday night.

But an al-Qaida internet statement on Thursday, to confirm al-Zarqawi's death, was signed by a man with the same name, casting doubt on al-Iraqi's death or, as one terrorism expert postulated, pointing to a mistaken identity. "My perception is that if they released a statement in the name of Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Iraqi, then he is still around and, as the deputy head of al-Qaida in Iraq, he presumably is the new leader," said Evan Kohlmann, a New York-based terror consultant and founder of globalterroralert.com.

"Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Iraqi has never been identified as a spiritual leader, always as a military leader," he said.

General Caldwell said the U.S. military had discussed the succession question with the Iraqi Government even before al-Zarqawi was killed in an air strike on his safehouse near Baqouba.

But it may not be so easy. It took the U.S. and the Iraqi military three years to get al-Zarqawi and there is little likelihood that al-Qaida in Iraq will crumble now that he has gone.

"The death of our leaders is life for us," said the al-Qaida in Iraq statement. "It will only increase our persistence in continuing the holy war so that the word of God will be supreme."

General Caldwell agreed that the organisation might respond to al-Zarqawi's death by launching an series of attacks to assert its "viability" as a organisation.

It had already taken Islamic militancy to levels never seen in modern times. From the outset, the terrorists declared their goal was to drive out the heathen, referring to non-Muslims, and form a new Islamic caliphate throughout the Muslim world.

Some experts on Islamic extremism said they suspected there might not be a ready successor for al-Zarqawi, whose organisation has been reeling from the death or capture of scores of middle and top operatives in recent months.

Al-Zarqawi's death, said Italian researcher Andrea Nativi, may deal morale a body blow, but that will not stop the organisation from producing a successor.

"Even if they kill Osama bin Laden, it doesn't mean al-Qaida will stop existing," he said.

Another expert, Rime Allaf of London's Chatham House, an international affairs think tank, said a successor was anyone's guess at this point. But, she said, it would happen sooner rather than later.

"Recent statements had suggested some al-Qaida figures were unhappy with al-Zarqawi's brutality and targeting of civilians," she said. "It could be that his replacement, or replacements, will adopt a very different style."

Whichever terrorist wants the job, needs to murder hundreds of civilians as quickly as possible by targeting huge crowds with car bombs and releasing a video on the Internet taking responsibility.

That terrorist, instead of being condemned in the press as a mass murderer that committed atrocities against innocent civilians with car bomb massacres, will instead be inflated by the MSM as the "new leader of the armed struggle against the occupying force."

While his message is translated for mass consumption and you will not hear a single peep about the horrendous crimes he committed other than the most basic generic descriptions of 100 people killed here by car bombs and 100 people killed there by car bombs.

Then once that terrorist is inflated by the MSM, then Al-Qaida will rubber stamp him.

You beat me to it lol! How do you like them already questioning the death of this pig? I guess they are upset because their hero is dead.

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: All right, ladies and gentlemen, it is fascinating to see what is happening now out there in the Drive-By Media. I know that some of you who have seen this today are probably a little bit upset about it. Drive-By Media has just learned, they learned earlier today that Zarqawi was still alive after the two bombs pummeled his safe house, and that led to all kinds of probing questions of Major General William Caldwell, the spokesman for the US military in Iraq and Baghdad. We have a montage of some of those questions.

BARBARA STARR, CNN: You can confirm that US troops themselves saw that Zarqawi was alive, would you describe that as an attempt to escape at that point? Was he strong enough for anyone to have to resecure him? Did US troops try and render medical assistance?

BOB BURNS, AP: Could you give us the rationale for choosing to take Zarqawi out, kill him outright rather than try to capture him?

JIM MIKLASZEWSKI, NBC: Will there be an autopsy performed? Was Zarqawi able to speak? Did he say anything either to the Iraqi police or the American soldiers? How possibly could he have survived after two 500-pound bombs were dropped on that facility? Was he thrown clear? Is there any visibility on why he was able to survive those two bombs?

PAM HESS, UPI: What's going to happen to Zarqawi's body after the autopsy? Does he get returned to his family?

TONY CAPPACIO, BLOOMBERG: In the planning that went into this, was there any going-in assumption that you would try to take Zarqawi alive rather than kill him?

JEFF SCHOGOL, STARST AND STRIPES: How can you be sure that Zarqawi died as a result of the wounds without a formal autopsy? When you were cleaning him up, did you have to Photoshop his face? Did you have to digitally enhance the photos at all to clean him up, to show him to the world?

WILL DUNHAM, AL-REUTERS: How long, how many minutes was Zarqawi alive after the bombing and before he eventually expired, and had he been shot?

RUSH: Had he been shot? I was hoping that we would get in this news conference the question from the Drive-By Media, "Was he tortured?" But we didn't get that. We got close to it, but we didn't get that. Here is what [Maj. Gen William] Caldwell said in response to the question, "If you would explain to us the condition of Mr. Zarqawi when forces arrived at the scene."

CALDWELL: We were not aware yesterday that in fact Zarqawi was alive when US forces arrived on the site. The Iraqi police had arrived first. They had found him in the rubble. They had pit him on a gurney of some type of, stretcher kind of thing, and about that time the first US forces, part of the coalition effort arrived on the ground, and actually did identify him as Zarqawi, but he died shortly thereafter.

A quick Summary of Z Pig's last day and what his replacement, Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajer will face:
Z Pig, Monster was betrayed by his closest allies (Zarqawi location tipped off by captured deputies) {Why the libs don't want WOT prisoners questioned!} Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, which one of your closest allies will turn you in for the money that will be offered for your death?
"Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey...!"
Hi. My name is Abu Boohoo Zarqawi and I'm dead now.
Happy Iraqis celebrate the death of Z Pig:

Some more. "What is good for Americans and Iraqis, is bad for al Qaeda Serial Killers and their Democrat buddies..."

When the Z Pig entered hell, he found out that his 72 virgins were clones of Helen Thomas. They are having their way with him now.
Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajer son of a pig wants to be the next Z Pig? Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, our warriors will find your "Safe House" after your buddies roll over on you. Then our warriors will send you to hell to be with the original Z pig! Your 72 Helen Thomas Virgins are waiting for you.
No Problem! Here comes your Bomb!
Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhaje, Z Pig replacements! Enjoy your eternity in hell with your special 72 virgins!

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