Headless bodies in stopless wars (Islamist busy season or business as usual? Part 2)

Al-Qaida Chief Appointed Minister Of War, Sunni Insurgents Appoint Al-Qaida In Iraq Chief As `minister Of War,' Execute 20 Men - CBS News

CAIRO, Egypt, Apr. 19, 2007 (AP) A Sunni insurgent coalition posted Web videos on Thursday naming the head of al-Qaida in Iraq as "minister of war" and showing the execution of 20 men it said were members of the Iraqi military and security forces.

7 Hostages Beheaded In Philippines, Officials Say Heads Of 7 Hostages Delivered To Army In Philippines - CBS News

MANILA, Philippines, Apr. 19, 2007 (AP) The heads of seven men believed to have been kidnapped by the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group on a volatile southern island were delivered to a Philippine army detachment Thursday, the military said.

The men _ six road project workers and a dried-fish factory worker _ were kidnapped at gunpoint in two separate incidents Monday near the town of Parang on Jolo island, where U.S. troops have been involved in counterterrorism training and campaigns to draw local support away from Muslim rebels.

Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael, commander of military forces on Jolo, said a group of civilians was ordered to take the heads to Parang by Abu Sayyaf commander Albader Parad, who operates in Jolo's mountainous forests.

Jolo Gov. Ben Loong and other officials confirmed the grisly delivery.

Somalia Violence Intensifies , Minister Blames Al Qaeda For Car Bomb At Ethiopian Military Base, 12 Killed In Fighting - CBS News

MOGADISHU, Somalia, April 19, 2007 Hawiye clan soldiers fire towards Ethiopian troops in Mogadishu, Somalia, on April 19, 2007. (AP Photo/Mohamed Sheikh Nor)

Somalia's deputy defense minister has blamed al Qaeda elements for a suicide car bombing at an Ethiopian army base on the outskirts of Mogadishu. A witness said earlier that a car bomb had exploded at a base of hundreds of Ethiopian soldiers on the outskirts of the Somali capital. Ahmed Mohamed Shardi, who was driving a minibus, saw a car behind his vehicle pull into the Ethiopian army base, about 30 miles south of Mogadishu, and then explode.