The Long War Journal: Where's Zarqawi, Redux?

Written by Bill Roggio on April 5, 2006 2:28 PM to The Long War Journal

Available online at: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2006/04/wheres_zarqawi_redux.php

Reports of Zarqawi's demotion is old news, but provides further insight on al Qaeda's view of the state of jihad in Iraq

I've received numerous inquires about the recent reports that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been replaced as the commander of al Qaeda in Iraq, and have been asked why I am not discussing this issue. The reality is I have already discussed this issue, about three weeks ago on March 15th, in a post titled "Civil War" & Where's Zarqawi?. An excerpt:

In the atmosphere of open warfare between al Qaeda and the Sunnis, questions are beginning to arise about the whereabouts of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. SITE Institute's Rita Katz notes that since the Mujahideen Shura Council was formed in Iraq last month, Zarqawi has been virtually silent; "A few days after the council was established, Al Qaeda in Iraq ceased to post communiqués. Abu Maysarah temporarily signed the new council's communiqués, but then he, too, stopped. The baffled jihadi community initially believed that Zarqawi headed the new council. But on Jan. 20, the council posted a communiqué crowning its emir: Abdullah Rashid al-Baghdadi." It appears the Sheikh of Slaughters is no longer a welcome face in Iraq.

The Mujahideen Shura Council is merely al Qaeda's front group in Iraq, and the appointment of Rashid al-Baghdadi as Shura leader is a not-so-subtle attempt by the foreign jihadis to "Iraqify" the war. al Qaeda is the dominant body within the council, and seven other smaller and lesser known (or in some cases unknown) Iraqi Salafist groups participate on the council.

Zarqawi's demotion from the Mujahideen Shura Council means he is no longer the commander of al Qaeda in Iraq. The only new information is that Zarqawi's demotion is reported by Huthayfah Azzam, the son of Sheikh Abdullah Azzam, Osama bin Laden's "spiritual mentor" and founder of the Bait-ul-Ansar (Mujahideen Services Bureau), the forerunner group to al Qaeda, during the Afghan War.

The junior Azzam claims Zarqawi was replaced two weeks ago, and SITE reports it was on January 20th, based on communiqués from the Mujahideen Shura Council. Azzam states Zarqawi has now been demoted to military commander, so he is still active in Iraq, but no longer the face and voice of jihad. There is no greater expression of headquarters’ displeasure with results the than the demotion or firing of a regional commander. Zarqawi's defrocking spells volumes on al Qaeda command's views on the progress of jihad in Iraq.