The military released images today of the man said to be the successor of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--Abu Ayyub al-Masri. CNN:
The Defense Intelligence Agency declassified the photograph on Wednesday, said U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell at a news conference in Baghdad, adding that he had no idea how the DIA got the photo.
In addition to being a senior al Qaeda in Iraq operative and a direct associate of Zarqawi, al-Masri "has been a terrorist since about 1982, beginning with his involvement in the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, which was led by Zawahiri," said Caldwell, referring to al Qaeda's number two leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Caldwell described al-Masri as "an explosives expert, specializing in the construction of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices," and that he went to Afghanistan to receive training before working with al-Zarqawi in Falluja.
Caldwell also noted that a power struggle may still be under way inside al Qaeda in Iraq.
"We're not fully sure who will actually eventually rise and assume the leadership role," Caldwell said. "Our assumption is it will be him," he added, referring to al-Masri.
U.S. intelligence was split Wednesday over whether al-Masri was the same person as Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, who was named as al-Zarqawi's successor in a Web message last week.
Caldwell defended the military's release of al-Masri's photograph, saying that "a lot of discussion" occurred on senior levels about whether to release it and "our intent is not to glorify him or make him more important."
A standard $250,000 reward for information leading to al-Masri's death or capture is still in effect and was in force before al-Zarqawi's death caused by a U.S. airstrike last week, said Caldwell.
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