Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: The ISIS Leader Who Is Now More Powerful Than Al Qaeda’s Chief
By Agence France-Presse
Saturday, July 5, 2014 13:13 EDT
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the enigmatic self-proclaimed “caliph” of a state straddling Iraq and Syria, is increasingly seen as more powerful than Al-Qaeda’s chief.
The leader of the powerful Islamic State (IS) militant group was on June 29 declared “caliph” in an attempt to revive a system of rule that ended nearly 100 years ago with the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
In a video posted online on Saturday, purportedly the first known footage of Baghdadi, he ordered Muslims to obey him during a Ramadan sermon delivered at a mosque in the northern militant-held Iraqi city of Mosul.
“I am the wali (leader) who presides over you, though I am not the best of you, so if you see that I am right, assist me,” he said, wearing a black turban and robe.
“If you see that I am wrong, advise me and put me on the right track, and obey me as long as I obey God.”
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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/05/abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-the-isis-leader-who-is-now-more-powerful-than-al-qaedas-chief/
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