Al Qaeda has named Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir as successor to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a massive air strike last week.

Contacted at a safe house near Baghdad, Muhajir, who was found wearing Groucho glasses and an orange fright wig, stopped packing his suitcase long enough to suggest that the vote had been rigged. He also hinted that he might demand a recount.

Muhajir was not among the names that al Qaeda experts had expected to succeed Zarqawi. However, his name was high on the list of those that TV news anchors could actually pronounce, which accounted for the story being repeated almost hourly through several news cycles.

Al Qaeda, which is Arabic for "over-achiever," makes up about five percent of Iraq's Sunni Arab insurgency but its suicide bombers have been responsible for the most spectacular violence.

Al Qaeda is far more extreme than any other militant or insurgent group. It comprises Iraqis and Arab militants who travel to Iraq to wage what they see as a holy war against U.S. occupation troops. A questionnaire sent to all potential members shows that "being my own boss" and "excellent dental plan" rate highly among those choosing an extremist militant group. "Choosing my own hours/targets" and "prospect of instant martyrdom" were also frequently mentioned.