Osama bin Laden endorsed the successor to slain militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in an Internet posting on Saturday and warned Shi’ites in Iraq against collaborating with the United States in its fight against Sunni insurgents.In his fifth message this year and his second in two days, bin Laden threw his support behind Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, tipped earlier by the group as the replacement for Zarqawi.The message came as Iraqi Shi’ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki started a regional tour seeking support from Sunni Arab countries for his national reconciliation plan.‘‘I pray to god to make him (al-Muhajer) the best successor to the best predecessor,’’ bin Laden said in the message. He urged Muhajer to step up ‘‘the struggle’’ to transform Iraq into the centre of an Islamic Caliphate.In his warning to Iraqi Shi’ites, bin Laden referred to them indirectly as ‘‘sons of the South.’’‘‘We say that many sons of the South cannot just take part with America and its allies in invading Falluja, Ramadi, Baqouba, Mosul, Samarra, Qaem and other (Sunni) cities and villages, and expect that their areas will be safe from a reaction and harm,’’ he said.Titled ‘‘an address to the Islamic nation in general and Islamist fighters in Iraq and Somalia in particular,’’ the message showed that bin Laden views Iraq as a lynchpin in the group’s regional ambitions.Bin Laden said Muslims worldwide were looking up to al-Qaeda in Iraq.‘‘Your Muslim nation is looking to you and praying for your victory. You are their hope after God. You are God’s trusted soldiers who will liberate the nation from the serfdom of the crusaders in our countries.’’Bin laden also urged the leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq to work with other militant groups operating there, saying they should maintain membership in the Mujahideen Shura Council, an umbrella organization grouping Islamist militants fighting US troops and the Iraqi government.SALAH NASRAWI
