Zarqawi's wife says she urged him to leave Iraq

However, Zarqawi refused to "betray" his religion despite warnings from his wife Um Mohammed.

The wife of slain Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said she feared for her husband's life and warned him to leave Iraq, but that he refused to "betray" his religion, in a statement posted on the Internet on Thursday.

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The woman -- who identified herself only as "Um Mohammed," which means "mother of Mohammed" -- said she advised al-Zarqawi to leave Iraq temporarily and give orders to his deputies from outside the country.

But she said he "gave me an angry look and said, 'Me, me? I can't betray my religion and get out of Iraq."'

The statement appeared on an Islamic website that frequently airs militant messages.