Al-Qaida in Iraq claims to have 12,000 fighters

Al-Qaida in Iraq claimed in a new audio tape today to have mobilised 12,000 fighters in the waitron country.

“The al-Qaida army has 12,000 fighters in Iraq, and they have vowed to die for God’s sake” said Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, in an audio tape made available on militant websites.

Also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri, al-Muhajir became the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed by the US military in June.

Describing US President George Bush as “the most stupid president” in US history, the al Qaida leader reached out to the Muslim world and said his group was winning faster than expected in Iraq.