Who Leads al-Qaeda?

Iraqi spokesmen reported today that some al-Qaeda commanders were killed in action, and that their leader, al-Zarqawi’s successor was wounded but not apprehended. There is some mystery about this successor, this new leader of Al Qaeda-Iraq. The Salafi Jihadists call him Abu Hamza Al-Muhajjir (Father of Hamza, the Immigrant, which indicates he is a non-Iraqi Arab), coalition and Iraqis call him Abu Ayoub al-Masi, (Father of Job, the Egyptian). An Egyptian lawyer for Islamist groups claims he got that name because of his patience (remember Job?). Now Alarabiya TV reports that a man who is in an Egyptian maximum prison might actually be calling the Al-Qaeda shots in Iraq. His name is supposed to be Sahrif Haza’a Khalifa, and to me the last name does not sound Egyptian- it sounds more like a Saudi name. The lawyer claims that the man is about 50 years old and in ill health. U.S commanders in Iraq have denied any knowledge that the terrorist leader is in an Egyptian prison.

Then of course there is a ‘person’ called Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, (Father of Omar the Baghdadi) whose name indicates that he is a Sunni from Baghdad, almost certainly a concocted name to claim that he is Iraqi.

Where is Muqtada? 

Iraq’s President Jalal Talibani (Kurdish) told a press conference today that Muqtada al-Sadr has told his top commanders to leave Iraq temporarily. Talibani said the departure order was meant to facilitate the new security drive by American and Iraqi forces, hinting that it was part of the government’s new strategy for Baghdad. He said he did not know the whereabouts of the young Shi’a cleric. The Guardian reports that the militia commanders have gone to Iran in order to undergo some training, and for regrouping (perhaps as soon as the surge is over).

Iraq's Debt and the Paris Club:
Alfayhaa Iraqi satellite TV reports that Cyprus has decided to cancel all Iraq’s official debts, within the framework of agreements by the Paris Club (Club de Paris) for official creditors. The Paris Club had agreed in 2004 to reduce all Iraq’s by 80%. The channel reports that so far four countries have reached agreement to cancel their Iraq debts, while 50 countries have ‘solved their financial issues’ with the country. Iraq’s total foreign debt is estimated at near $ 140 billion. I had estimated Iraq's total foreign debt in 1989,  a year before the invasion of Kuwait, at about $ 85 billion. I guessed later that the Persian Gulf War (1990-91), and the reparations obligations, must have pushed it beyond $ 200 billion.
Cheers
Mohammed