Iraqi Sunni hurry to express their condolences for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi dead

Iraqi Sunni hurry to express their condolences for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi dead, because they are afraid Sunnis will reject to cooperate with the Iraqi government. One insurgent group, Ansar al-Sunna, posted a gruesome video showing militants interrogating and then beheading three Iraqis said to be members of a Shiite "death squad" that killed Sunnis.

Photo: Iraqi Sunni hurry to express their condolences for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi dead

Iraqi Sunni hurry to express their condolences for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi dead

Such beheading videos have become rare in the past year, and the posting of one now on a militant Web forum could aim to show that insurgents will remain as fierce as ever after al-Zarqawi's death. The condolence statements came from Ansar al-Sunna and the head of the Mujahedeen Shura Council, an umbrella organization of five insurgent groups including al-Qaida in Iraq that al-Zarqawi helped found last last year.

Omar was "deeply sad over the martyrdom of Abu Masab al-Zarqawi " but his death would not weaken the resistance in Iraq, "as it is the people's resistance and every youth can become al-Zarqawi," the Pashto-language statement said. The authenticity of the statement could not be confirmed. It was forwarded to an Associated Press reporter in Pakistan by e-mail from Dr. Mohammed Hanif, who claims to speak on behalf of the Taliban. His exact ties to the hardline militia's leadership is unclear, reported “Pravda.ru” yesterday.

"They (the Sunnis) were beheaded by those who took and detained them," one, who identified himself as Ali Adnan Hamid, said.

After their confessions were extracted, the three were seen laying on the ground outdoors, and the camera showed a militant sharpening a knife. Then militants sawed off the three men's heads, one by one, and moved the heads away from their bodies.

At the end of the tape, the group showed identification papers for the three men and warned Iraqis against joining the security forces. "Otherwise, you will live in terror until we eliminate you and your fate will be in Hell," it said, reports the AP.

N.U.