Zarqawi revamps his brand in video debut

Posted By Andrew Kamons Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 5:50 PM Share

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s video debut marks a turning point in his role as the manager of the Iraqi al-Qaeda franchise. Since announcing that he had joined forces with an umbrella organization of insurgents named the Mujahideen Shura (consultative council), analysts had speculated that he had bowed to external pressure and relinquished his role as al-Qaeda spokesman for Iraq. But with this video, released under the Shura logo, he has firmly asserted control over the coalition.

The Mujahideen Shura first gained recognition for its role in the kidnapping of the Australian contractor Douglas Wood in May of last year. Though it claims to be a grand coalition of disparate insurgent groups, terrorism analyst Mahan Abedin reports that most of the council’s member organizations are small Salafi groups that have not had a major impact in the region. Zarqawi’s network is probably bigger than all of the other groups combined, and his joining the coalition does not mean that he has ceded any authority.

In fact, this video probably indicates that he will continue his leadership of al-Qaeda in Iraq despite the rebranding. Its appearance is a direct rebuke to Ayman al-Zawahiri after his attempt to replace Zarqawi with someone carrying more local legitimacy. This internal struggle could be a sign that the al-Qaeda network is weakening, but it is certainly a demonstration once again of how difficult it is to dismantle a terrorist network that has no strict hierarchy of authority.

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