The new leader of al-Qaida in Iraq urged Muslims to make the holy month of Ramadan a "month of holy war," in an audiotape posted on Islamic Web site Thursday. He also purportedly said that more than 4,000 foreign fighters have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion. The man on the tape identified himself as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir _ also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri _ the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, though the voice could not be independently identified. He is believed to have succeeded Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who died in a U.S. airstrike north of Baghdad in June. "I congratulate the Muslim nation on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, the month of jihad (holy war). I ask God to make it a month for honor and victory for Muslims," the voice said.
