AQI names new chief, threatens Shiites, security agencies

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) said on Friday that it has named a new “war minister” for their self-styled Islamic State of Iraq in succession of Abu Ayoub al-Masri who was killed along with the State leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi on March 19. A web posting said that the AQI named al-Nasser Ledin-Illah Abu Soliman, threatening Shiite Muslims and pledging to show them “bloody days ahead”. The AQI did not claim responsibility for operations in several areas in Baghdad as well as attacks in Wassit, al-Anbar, Mosul, Basra and Babel, which all left nearly 600 Iraqis killed or wounded. AmR (P) 4