Al-Qaida in Iraq denies appointing al-Zarqawi deputy

A website statement signed in the name of the usual poster for al-Qaida in Iraq today denied the militant group has appointed a deputy to take the lead until Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who has reportedly been wounded, returns.

Its authenticity could not be verified.

The denial quickly followed a statement signed in the name of al-Qaida in Iraq but posted under a previously unheard of name surfaced claiming an Abu Hafs al-Kurani had been appointed “deputy of the holy warriors” in Iraq.

It is impossible to verify the authenticity of such website claims.

“We deny all that has been said about appointing the so-called Abu Hafs or anyone by any other name,” the statement said.

It added that all Muslims know only Abu Maysara al-Iraqi is in charge of al-Qaida’s information dissemination.