Al-Zarqawi followers vow loyalty to successor, but who that will be is up for debate

(AP) Sympathizers of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi rushed Friday to swear allegiance to his successor on Islamic militant Web sites, but it was still unclear who that would be.

Several militant Web forums were flooded with messages of well-wishers pledging to "hear and obey" the man they claimed was the new "emir," or leader, of al-Qaida in Iraq: Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Iraqi.

Al-Iraqi has appeared in past statements from al-Zarqawi's group as the "deputy emir." His name was on a statement issued Thursday by the group confirming al-Zarqawi's death in a U.S. airstrike and vowing to continue on his path of jihad, or holy war.

But there was confusion over whether he was still alive. The U.S. military said the Wednesday evening airstrike that killed al-Zarqawi also killed his "spiritual adviser," a man U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell identified as "Abdul-Rahman" or "Sheik Abdul-Rahman."

It was not known if "Abdul-Rahman" and "Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Iraqi" were the same person. But there are suggestions they were two different people. Caldwell said the slain man was not Iraqi _ while al-Iraqi's name suggests that he is.

Evan Kohlmann, a New York-based consultant, said he believed al-Iraqi would become the new leader and that the "Abdul-Rahman" killed in the airstrike was a different person.

"It is possible that two guys have the same name," said Kohlmann, whose organization, globalterroralert.com, tracks the hierarchy of al-Qaida in Iraq and other militant groups.

He said al-Iraqi has long been known as an al-Qaida military leader, not a spiritual leader.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has put forward another name. Caldwell identified the "most logical" al-Zarqawi successor as "Abu al-Masri."

Caldwell could likely be referring to Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who was identified in a February 2005 announcement by U.S. Central Command as a close associate of al-Zarqawi. Central Command put a $50,000 reward on al-Masri's head.

Caldwell said al-Masri was believed to have come to Iraq in 2002 after training in Afghanistan. His mission, Caldwell said, was to create an al-Qaida cell in Baghdad. Al-Masri was believed to be an expert at constructing roadside bombs, the leading cause of U.S. military casualties in Iraq.

American military officials did not immediately respond to requests for clarification on Abdul-Rahman and al-Masri.

A U.S. counterterrorism official, who spoke on condition of anonymity while events were unfolding, said it remains unclear who will replace al-Zarqawi because most of the likely successors have either been killed or captured.

Early reports on the Internet may not prove accurate, the official said. Al-Qaida in Iraq is a decentralized organization, and al-Zarqawi's regional commanders could handle day-to-day operations for weeks.

An Iraqi would be a likely successor, but American authorities do not rule out the possibility that another foreigner would take the position, the official said.

Al-Qaida in Iraq has not put out a statement naming a successor to al-Zarqawi. The group issues "official" messages on militant Web forums that are clearly marked as coming from the organization. Though confirming any statements put out on the Internet is difficult, there are consistent markers _ such as repeated names _ that suggest they are authentic.

In the message put out Thursday, al-Iraqi still held the title "deputy emir," suggesting the group had not confirmed he was the new leader.

But sympathizers who often write on the Web forums appeared convinced he was.

"After the appointment of Sheik Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Iraqi, we must all swear allegiance to him," read one posting, signed by a participant calling himself The Syrian Lion. "May God grant us someone even better than Sheik Abu Musab."

On several Web sites, dozens posted messages with the traditional Islamic oath of allegiance to the emir, promising to "hear and obey."

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Thursday it made no real difference who steps in as the terrorist group's leader.

"Whenever there is a new Zarqawi, we will kill him," al-Maliki said.

But it may not be that easy. It took the U.S. and Iraqi military three years to get al-Zarqawi, and there is little likelihood that al-Qaida in Iraq will crumble now that its leader is gone.

"The death of our leaders is life for us," said the al-Qaida in Iraq statement Thursday. "It will only increase our persistence in continuing the holy war so that the word of God will be supreme."

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Associated Press reporters Maggie Michael in Cairo, Egypt, and Katherine Shrader in Washington contributed to this report.