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Abu Musab al-Zarqawi May Be Wounded or Dead - no Zarqawi Images or Zarqawi Pictures
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq and one of Washington's most wanted men, has been wounded, a web posting said on Tuesday in an announcement that could mark a breakthrough against the two-year insurgency.
The statement, which U.S. officials said could be a ruse, was posted on an Islamist site that often publicizes Zarqawi's group. It was released on another day of violence in Iraq, with three U.S. soldiers and two Iraqis killed in car bombings.
"O nation of Islam... Pray for the healing of our Sheikh Abu Musab al-Zarqawi from an injury he suffered in the path of God," said the posting by al Qaeda Organization for Holy War in Iraq.
"You are the beloved of the mujahideen, and may God heal you and make you steadfast," the statement said.
The announcement follows unconfirmed reports this month that Zarqawi, a Jordanian for whom the Americans have offered a $25 million bounty, was wounded in fighting in western Iraq and had sought treatment at a hospital in Ramadi, west of Baghdad.
Those reports followed the capture of one of Zarqawi's drivers, an aide and his laptop computer during raids in western Iraq, when the U.S. military said it almost also caught Zarqawi.
Zarqawi and Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda's overall leader, are Washington's two most-wanted man.
Tuesday's web posting did not say how or where Zarqawi was wounded, but urged his followers to pray for his recovery. The language used indicated his injuries could be severe.
"The injury of our leader is an honor and an incentive to tighten the noose on the enemies of God and a reason to step up our attacks on them," the statement said, citing Koranic verses that referred to the Prophet Mohammad being wounded in battle.
If Zarqawi were captured or killed it would mark a significant breakthrough for U.S. and Iraqi forces, although analysts also warn it would not put an end to the insurgency.
"I think it's pretty credible....I wouldn't be surprised if within a couple of days he ends up being dead and they end up proclaiming his martyrdom," David Claridge of Janusian Security Risk Management in London said of the web posting.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq and one of Washington's most wanted men, has been wounded, a web posting said on Tuesday in an announcement that could mark a breakthrough against the two-year insurgency.
The statement, which U.S. officials said could be a ruse, was posted on an Islamist site that often publicizes Zarqawi's group. It was released on another day of violence in Iraq, with three U.S. soldiers and two Iraqis killed in car bombings.
"O nation of Islam... Pray for the healing of our Sheikh Abu Musab al-Zarqawi from an injury he suffered in the path of God," said the posting by al Qaeda Organization for Holy War in Iraq.
"You are the beloved of the mujahideen, and may God heal you and make you steadfast," the statement said.
The announcement follows unconfirmed reports this month that Zarqawi, a Jordanian for whom the Americans have offered a $25 million bounty, was wounded in fighting in western Iraq and had sought treatment at a hospital in Ramadi, west of Baghdad.
Those reports followed the capture of one of Zarqawi's drivers, an aide and his laptop computer during raids in western Iraq, when the U.S. military said it almost also caught Zarqawi.
Zarqawi and Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda's overall leader, are Washington's two most-wanted man.
Tuesday's web posting did not say how or where Zarqawi was wounded, but urged his followers to pray for his recovery. The language used indicated his injuries could be severe.
"The injury of our leader is an honor and an incentive to tighten the noose on the enemies of God and a reason to step up our attacks on them," the statement said, citing Koranic verses that referred to the Prophet Mohammad being wounded in battle.
If Zarqawi were captured or killed it would mark a significant breakthrough for U.S. and Iraqi forces, although analysts also warn it would not put an end to the insurgency.
"I think it's pretty credible....I wouldn't be surprised if within a couple of days he ends up being dead and they end up proclaiming his martyrdom," David Claridge of Janusian Security Risk Management in London said of the web posting.
