Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia announced Sunday that Saleh al-Oufi will replace slain leader Abdel Aziz al-Muqrin, according to the Islamist Web site where the group posts its messages. Al-Oufi, a former prison guard, holds the number five spot on Saudi Arabia’s list of 26 most wanted terrorists, although Saudi security sources told CNN that he lacks some of the operational experience of al-Muqrin, who was killed in a shoot-out with Saudi security after the murder of American hostage Paul Johnson.
| I'm sure the Learned Elders of Islam will lend him all the support they can to bring him up to speed... |
On the Web site Saturday, the group vowed to continue to fight "jihad" as it has "promised God," and said the killing of its "brothers" will make the group "stronger."
| Does that mean if the Soddies somehow manage to kill them all they'll become invincable? |
Saudi foreign policy adviser Adel al-Jubeir said the security action was "a major blow" to al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia.
There were conflicting reports on whether Johnson’s body had been found. Saudi security sources told CNN the body was found, but al-Jubeir told reporters in Washington that the body had not been found.
| "Yeah. We have a headless body, but it's not him..." |
A senior state department official also said no body had been found.
| "Only a head, but it's not him..." |
"We are searching for the body," Al-Jubeir said at a news conference. "We believe we know the area where it might be, in the northern outskirts of Riyadh, but haven’t found the body yet." Al-Jubeir said the Saudi confirmation that Johnson was killed was based on an analysis of the photographs by U.S. and Saudi experts.
| I'm not what you'd call a medical expert, but I could just about guarantee he was dead... |
| I am a medical expert. He's dead. |
"This was a major blow to al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia," said Jubeir. "We believe that with this blow to al Qaeda we have substantially weakened their organization. We will continue to pursue them with vigor until we eliminate them from our midst."
| Except that we know that the real leadership is the Learned Elders of Islam, who aren't the ones running around with guns and bombs, don't we? |
The al Qaeda cell and Saudi officials identified the other three cannon fodder militants killed as Faisal al Dakhil, Turki al Muteiri and Ibrahim al Durayhim. Al-Jubeir said al-Dhakil "is believed to be the number two al Qaeda person in Saudi Arabia working closely and immediately under al-Muqrin." |