 A statement posted on an Islamic militant Web site on Sunday made a rare announcement of the death of a member of the terror group Tawhid and Jihad, said to have been killed fighting the Americans in Fallujah. The announcement, whose authenticity could not be confirmed, said Sheik Abu Hafs al-Libi "fell as a martyr on the field of battle while he was fighting the American forces and their traitorous agents," meaning Iraqi government forces. He was identified as the head of a commission of Tawhid and Jihad, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
It was unclear when al-Libi, which may be a pseudonym, was killed, but U.S. and Iraqi government forces have been attacking targets around Fallujah for the past four days. Tawhid and Jihad, as well as other insurgent groups in Iraq, rarely announce the deaths of members. It also was unusual to declare that he was killed in Fallujah since leaders of the Sunni Triangle city have disputed U.S. and Iraqi government statements that members of the terror organization are fighting there. The announcement was posted on the Web site of Ansar al-Sunnah, said to be a separate insurgent group active in Sunni Muslim areas of the country. The statement vowed to avenge the death of the official.
Ansar al-Sunnah is a "breakaway" from Ansar al-Islam, but it doesn't look like the fracture runs very deep.
Even though I don't know who he is — and it sounds like we should know the name, though that might be because of all the Abu Hafs' running around in the Wonderful World of Terror — because they saw fit to announce it specially, and on the assumption AP's translating "shura" as "commission," I'm giving him a Fat Lady. Let the ululation begin! |
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