Masri dead again?

IraqSlogger is reporting the death of al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Ayub al-Masri at the hands of Sunni tribesmen (al-Jazeera has the story, but no additional information;   more here).  The story is based on a statement from an official in the Iraqi Interior Ministry. I'm skeptical;  reports like this come and go, and usually don't pan out.  Wait for confirmation.  If it is true, it would be great in terms of getting rid of someone responsible for a lot of the worst outrages in Iraq.  Politically, however,  the most likely effect will be similar to the Zarqawi hit.  Like Zarqawi, Masri has been increasingly divisive in the insurgency - hence all the intra-Sunni arguments I've been writing about for the last few weeks, and all the senior Sunni figures such as the Islamic Army of Iraq and Hareth al-Dhari directly appealing to bin Laden to rein in his misguided lieutenant.  If he's gone, it may be exactly what the insurgency factions need to repair their frayed ties and to refocus on fighting the American occupation rather than each other.  It might also put an end to whatever self-interest Sunni tribal leaders had in cooperating with the Americans - and throw open my repeatedly posed question as to whether the turn (such as it was) was specifically against al-Qaeda, rather than against the insurgency as a whole.    We'll see - whether he's really been killed, and what the effect is.

UPDATE:   It's kind of interesting that Masri had just released a blistering statement the other day, under his title Minister of War in the Islamic State of Iraq (not as a collective statement from the ISI as a whole).   In addition to challenging American claims that Anbar had become safer, Masri spent some time savaging tribal leaders - who he calls "Kuffar al-Anbar" -  and pointed to their appearances on al-Hurra and al-Iraqiya TV as evidence of their true loyalties to "the crusaders" and to the Maliki government.   He also mocked Bush for saying that he would review American policies at the end of the summer for success or failure.  Mujahideen don't set deadlines, says Masri.  Their only deadline is the achievement of God's sharia as they march to victory or martyrdom.   If these reports are true, this will be his epitaph.

UPDATE:  Evan Kohlmann, who follows the same sites I do, is also skeptical - pointing out that the Islamic State of Iraq has yet to issue any response, either to confirm or deny. Neither has any other insurgency faction.    He points to other insurgency factions, rather than tribal leaders, as the alleged killers (as does this NYT brief)  - something which would make a big difference, but it's entirely unclear which is correct, if he's even really dead.  What fun.

LAST UPDATE:  the Islamic State of Iraq has issued a denial of the story;  confusion now seems to rein, both over the identity of the alleged killers (tribes?  insurgents?) and whether he's been actually been killed.   Wake me up when we know for sure. 

Comments

[TM Lutas]

I don't think that Zarqawi or Masri were being divisive because that was their personal, suicidal whim. I think that the head of AQ in Iraq might just have to be divisive and abrasive for institutional reasons that will have to be replicated by AQI's next leader. Twice is coincidence but if a third AQI leader replicateds the division and abrasive moves, there's a strategy underneath it, one that we would do well to understand.

[Ali]

Probably a big Iran fish instead.

Earlier reports of DNA had to be done... so who's the body?

[quick_draw21]

Just heard your comments on NPR today. However doesn't this tie in with Ansar Al-Sunnah's previous messages to AQ. especially in regards to the letter released via Internet?