Al Qaeda names new leader in Iraq

BAGHDAD - Al Qaeda named a new leader of its Sunni Islamist insurgency activities in Iraq, a statement by the group posted on Islamist forums said Sunday.

It named Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi al-Hussieni al-Qurshi as the new “emir” and Abu Abdullah al-Hussieni al-Qurshi as his deputy.

The statement comes one month after the death of Sheikh Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Sunni Islamist insurgency, in a joint US-Iraqi military operation.

Friday, Al Qaeda named al-Nasser Lideen-Illah Abu Suleiman as the new “war minister”.

Deadly attacks that left dozens of Iraqis killed in recent weeks were described as acts of revenge by Al Qaeda for the arrest or killing of several of its senior leaders.