Al Zarqawi pledges allegiance to Osama

WASHINGTON: Al Zarqawi has signed up with al-Qaida, providing the final if belated link for the United States in its tortured efforts to connect Iraq with Osama bin Laden and 9/11.
The Jordan-born insurgent, who has leapt to the top of the world terrorist chart with a $25 million bounty on his head (same as bin Laden), has pledged loyalty to the top al-Qaida fugitive, according to a message posted over the weekend on Islamist web sites.
The message said Abu Musa al-Zarqawi, leader of the group al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (One God and Jihad), believed bin Laden to be ''''the best leader for Islam''s armies against all infidels and apostates.'''' The acknowledgement comes only days after Washington''s lumbering bureaucracy declared al-Tawhid wal- Jihad a terrorist organization.
Some intelligence analysts had previously suggested Zarqawi was a potential rival to bin Laden and the two men did not particularly care for each other although they had been in communication before.
The latest statement said Zarqawi had been in contact with Al Qaida for eight months exchanging points of view before reaching an understanding. ''''We will listen to your orders,'''' the Zarqawi statement said. ''''If you ask us to join the war, we will do it and we will listen to your instructions. If you stop us from doing something, we will abide by your instructions.''''
The development comes as both a relief and concern for the US. According to some accounts, Washington had prematurely linked Zarqawi to Saddam (and therefore Saddam with Al Qaida and 9/11) despite his antipathy to both.