Al-Qaida in Iraq names successor for al-Zarqawi

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Al-Qaida in Iraq on Monday named a successor to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and said he would continue in the slain leader's path, moving quickly to show it can keep up its campaign of attacks against Shi'ites and US and Iraqi forces. The new leader, identified by the nom de guerre Abu Hamza al-Muhajer in a statement posted on the Web, appeared to be a foreign Arab like his predecessor. But otherwise he is an unknown. The name has not appeared in previous al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda or on US lists of terrorists who have rewards on their heads, suggesting he is a lower-level figure or a more prominent member who has taken a new pseudonym. US President George W. Bush said Monday that al-Muhajer would join those ranks.