Abu Musab Al-Zarkavi

Abu Musab Al-Zarkavi

The leader of the terrorist group "At-Tawhid wal-Jihad" of one of the al-Qaeda cells, killed on June 7, 2006
Country: Iraq

Biography of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of the terrorist group "Al-Tawhid wal-Jihad" and a member of Al-Qaeda, was born 38 years ago in a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan. His real name, according to the Arab newspaper "Al-Hayat," is Fadyl Nidal al-Halaylah. In 1999, Jordanian intelligence wanted to prosecute al-Zarqawi for plans to bomb tourist sites in the kingdom. He was sentenced to 15 years, but he disappeared from the country before the end of the investigation. He later resurfaced in Afghanistan, where he was injured in the leg during American bombings in 2001. He was then transferred to Iran and allegedly to Iraq, where his affected leg was amputated.

According to hospital records, until August of last year, al-Zarqawi was located in Baghdad and its surroundings. This information became known to the Jordanian authorities, who demanded his extradition. Jordanian intelligence provided information about al-Zarqawi to their American counterparts. To avoid extradition, al-Zarqawi likely went into hiding and is believed to be hiding in northern Iraq, in the territory of Kurdish separatists who are under the protection of Britain and the United States. It is in this area, outside Saddam's control, that the Islamic fanatic group called "Ansar al-Islam" (Supporters of Islam) operates. Interestingly, even Saddam himself demands the extradition of these terrorists. The leader of the organization, Mullah Krekar, currently lives in exile in Oslo and denies any links to Saddam. Norwegian intelligence agencies, with the involvement of the CIA, are actively questioning Mullah Krekar these days to persuade him to testify against Hussein.

According to US intelligence, al-Zarqawi controls stocks of deadly toxins, including ricin and Siberian plague. He conducted experiments with these chemicals in Afghanistan on dogs, as shown in CIA footage. Al-Zarqawi is also believed to be connected to arrested terrorists from "sleeper cells" in Great Britain and France. However, the French intelligence services were not convinced by the US Secretary of State's statements. The Parisian newspaper "Le Figaro" quotes one of their leaders as saying, "If the Americans think they surprised us, they are mistaken. We conducted our own investigation and did not find any evidence of Baghdad's connections to the terrorists."

In Afghanistan, during intense battles near Najaf and Kufa, the Mahdi Army coordinated its actions with an Islamic group that also consists of many foreigners. This group is based in Fallujah, in western Iraq, and is commanded by a man considered the "second in command" of Al-Qaeda. His name is Abu Musa ibn al-Zarqawi. Zarqawi was born in Jordan in 1966. In the mid-1980s, he went to Afghanistan and fought against the Soviet Army for several years. Upon returning home, he attempted to start an Islamic revolution, which led to his imprisonment. After seven years, he was released and returned to Afghanistan. The Taliban entrusted him with a crucial task: recruiting and training recruits. Musa'ib established a training center in the city of Herat. The Taliban's training facility flourished, and "Al-Qaeda" provided scholarships to outstanding students in combat and political training.

In Afghanistan, while fighting against the Americans, Zarqawi gained command experience and lost a leg. He was transported to Iraq, where he remained silent for a long time. However, in Afghanistan, when the remaining Taliban members incited themselves with simple rhetoric, Zarqawi's name began to be shouted immediately after Osama's. "America is murdabad, Israel is murdabad, long live Osama!" Zarqawi is also currently "alive." Despite the US claims that Musa'ib has been eliminated, he continues to take hostages and appears on screen wearing a mask as frequently as a television star. Zarqawi's television success has led every militant group to feel obliged to capture a foreigner and make a statement. Until recently, their demand to withdraw troops from Iraq seemed impossible.

However, Osama appreciated the persistence of his deputy. The Filipino contingent, although small, left Iraq in full force. Iraq interested the billionaire terrorist as a possible base since, after the fall of Saddam, there was no control over who, how, and when crossed the border. Zarqawi's group was a kind of "test stone" - if they had remained in Iraq, perhaps the next address for Al-Qaeda would have been Iraq.

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