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Zark deputy admits Abu Azzam was a major loss
Al Qaeda in Iraq conceded on Thursday that senior operative Abu Azzam had been "martyred" almost a month after U.S. forces said they had killed him in Baghdad, according to an Internet audio statement."The lion of Iraq Abu Azzam al-Iraqi has died a martyr. He wrote the word of monotheism with his blood," said the recording by one of al Qaeda's leaders. It was posted on a Web site often used by Islamist militant groups. The U.S. military said last month Abu Azzam who it described as the second-in-command of Iraq's al Qaeda was shot dead in Baghdad after being tracked down. Last month, al Qaeda said it was not yet sure if Abu Azzam died in the clash, but denied he was Zarqawi's deputy. In the eulogy, a man identified as Abu Abdul Rahman al-Iraqi pledged allegiance to Zarqawi and said the nation of Islam would produce more men such as Abu Azzam. "He dedicated his life to jihad against the rejectionists, (Shi'ites) and crusaders, and enemies of God. He is a hero and will go down in history as a guardian of Islam." Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-10-20 |
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