| Comes as a surprise, huh? |
 Al Qaida-aligned operatives have launched a campaign to assassinate Shi'ite leaders. Iraqi officials said operatives linked to Abu Mussib Al Zarqawi, head of Al Qaida in Iraq, have been recruiting and planning strikes on Shi'ite leaders and mosques. They said Al Qaida has sought to foment a sectarian war in Iraq that would lead to the early exit of the U.S.-led coalition. "We know for certain that Zarqawi is involved and perhaps even a leader in the effort," an Iraqi official said. "What we don't know is whether he is operating on his own or on behalf of the former regime [of Saddam Hussein]." On March 17, Iraqi authorities announced the capture of an Islamic operative ordered to kill Shi'ite spiritual leader Ali Sistani. The operative was identified as a Kurd from Mosul and directed by Ansar Al Islam, a group controlled by Al Zarqawi. |