▁of ▁the ▁Sh i ' ite ▁shr ine ▁in ▁Sam ar ra ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁that ▁un le ashed ▁the ▁wave ▁of ▁tit - for - tat ▁kill ings ▁now ▁threaten ing ▁civil ▁war . ▁Ira qi ▁officials ▁bl ame ▁Al - Q a eda ▁for ▁the ▁attack . ▁The ▁group ▁den ies ▁it . ▁R uba ie ▁did ▁not ▁give ▁Su a idi ' s ▁national ity . ▁He ▁said ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁track ed ▁to ▁the ▁same ▁area ▁north ▁of ▁Bag hd ad ▁where ▁US ▁forces ▁killed ▁Al - Q a eda ' s ▁leader ▁Ab u ▁Mus ab ▁al - Z ar q aw i ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁" He ▁was ▁hiding ▁in ▁a ▁building ▁used ▁by ▁families . ▁He ▁wanted ▁to ▁use ▁children ▁and ▁women ▁as ▁human ▁shield s ", ▁R uba ie ▁said . ▁Little ▁is ▁public ly ▁known ▁about ▁Su a idi . ▁R uba ie ▁called ▁him ▁the ▁deput y ▁of ▁Ab u ▁A yy ub ▁al - M as ri , ▁a ▁shadow y ▁figure , ▁probably ▁Egypt ian , ▁who ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁Sun ni ▁Islam ist ▁group ▁from ▁Zar q aw i . ▁ ▁The ▁US ▁military ▁says ▁Al - Q a eda ▁is ▁a ▁" prime ▁inst ig ator " ▁of ▁the ▁violence ▁between ▁Ira q ' s ▁Sun ni ▁minor ity ▁and ▁Sh i ' ite ▁majority ▁but ▁that ▁U . S . ▁and ▁Ira qi ▁operations ▁have ▁" se ver ely