US officials are taking a sober view of a recent pledge of loyalty to Osama bin Laden from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most wanted terror leader in Iraq.
Some consider his pledge over the weekend to be an effort to elevate his status and improve his resources and fund-raising. Others view it as an attempt to broaden his audience and improve recruitment.
While US authorities try to sort out just how close al-Zarqawi is to bin Laden, many agree that al-Zarqawi's motives are worrisome.
"It is certainly not a positive development, but in terms of what it means in practical terms, it isn't clear at this point," said a US counterterrorism official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Al-Zarqawi and his movement, now named Tawhid and Jihad, are believed to be behind dozens of attacks and much resistance to Iraqi and US-led forces in Iraq. That includes a series of beheadings.
The counterterrorism official said al-Zarqawi's statement, posted on a Web site known for carrying militant Islamic content, is viewed as credible. It came at the start of Ramadan, although some US officials have tried to play down any connection to the holy month of fasting and prayer.
A defense official, also speaking anonymously, said the military is trying to determine why al-Zarqawi made the statement now, as the US military steps up attacks against the insurgency in Iraq, and what the statement means.
In recent days, US air strikes have targeted safe houses used by the al-Zarqawi network in Fallujah, the central Iraq city believed to serve as the group's base. US officials have said the attacks are believed to have killed major leaders of al-Zarqawi's organization.
The defense official said al-Zarqawi may be trying to appeal to a larger audience and adopt bin Laden's broad objective to attack the US. But "we are not in his head," the official added.
A Palestinian born in Jordan, al-Zarqawi has been a known terror operative for some time. He was a shadowy figure until he made a name for himself as the most dangerous terror plotter in Iraq.
Al-Zarqawi's previous goal had been to overthrow the government of Jordan, his home country, US officials believe. After the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, he has focused his efforts there.
The US is offering US$25 million for information leading to al-Zarqawi's death or capture.
By so brazenly challenging the US, al-Zarqawi has made himself a hero to Islamic militants in Iraq and elsewhere.
The pledge of support to bin Laden "enables him to tap into resources that were previously not available," said Daniel Byman, a senior fellow at the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution.
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