Qaeda group says Iraq a "university of terror"

DUBAI (Reuters) - The leader of an al Qaeda-led group in Iraq said on Tuesday he agreed with those who say the country has become a "university of terrorism" in a growing insurgency since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

"From the military point of view, one of the (enemy) devils was right in saying that if Afghanistan was a school of terror, then Iraq is a university of terrorism," the leader of the self-styled Islamic State in Iraq said in a Web audio recording.

"The largest batch of soldiers for jihad in the path of God in the history of Iraq are graduating and they have the highest level of competence in the world," said the speaker, identified as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of the group set up last year by al Qaeda's Iraq wing and some other Sunni groups.

"The fear of the American Marines has disappeared from the hearts of the people of the world, as the mujahideen have become thousands from the few they were after the fall of the infidel Baath regime," Baghdadi said. "These are just some of the achievements of four years of jihad."

The authenticity of the tape, issued to mark the fourth anniversary of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, could not be verified. But it was posted on Web sites used by al Qaeda and other insurgent groups in Iraq.

Baghdadi called on insurgents to maintain their unity, warning that enemies wanted to cause splits in their ranks. "Our friendship is deep ... and ties between us are stronger than some believe," he said.

Baghdadi's group has claimed responsibility for mass kidnappings and a series of major attacks.