CAIRO, Egypt – An online Al Qaeda magazine is urging Sunni Muslim fighters in Iraq to join hands with Usama bin Laden to defeat its enemies.
"We are urging all the leaders of Sunni holy warriors to fight for God's word to prevail over that of the infidels, to join hands with the leader of Islam's soldiers today, Usama bin Laden," said an editorial in the bimonthly Al Qaeda military publication Al-Battar Camp.
It said bin Laden would bring "victory [over] infidels from the atheist Crusaders."
Al-Battar, Arabic for "sharp sword," is a slick Web magazine featuring a table of contents and op-ed page and a letters to the editor section.
The leaders of Sunni Muslim fighters in Iraq "should follow the lead of holy warrior leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (search), may God keep him, who initiated this good precedent, may God reward him," the magazine said.
Al-Zarqawi's militant group, Tawhid and Jihad (search), believed to be behind many deadly attacks in Iraq, declared its allegiance to Usama bin Laden two weeks ago, citing the need for unity against "the enemies of Islam." The group now calls itself Al Qaeda in Iraq (search).
"That the leader of Tawhid and Jihad group announced his allegiance to the sheik of holy war and holy warriors in our time ... is good omen for victory," the editorial said.
Al-Zarqawi is believed to lead a loose, yet powerful, band of insurgents in Iraq who have wreaked havoc on U.S. efforts to stabilize the country.
In June, the United States increased the reward for information leading to his killing or capture to up to $25 million, the same as for bin Laden.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox