Qaeda warns European nations to quit Iraq by August 15 or risk attacks

[tocqueville]

DUBAI (AFP) - The Al-Qaeda terror network warned European nations to pull their troops out of Iraq within a month or face more attacks like the deadly London bombings, according to an Internet statement.

"This message is the final warning to European states. We want to give you a one-month deadline to bring your soldiers out from the land of Mesopotamia (Iraq)," said the statement signed by Al-Qaeda group the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades and dated July 16.

After August 15, "there will be no more messages, just actions that will be engraved on the heart of Europe.

"It will be a bloody war in the service of God," said the statement, the authenticity of which could not be verified.

"It's a message we are addressing to the crusaders who are still present in Iraq -- Denmark, the Netherlands, Britain, Italy and those other countries whose troops continue to criss-cross Iraqi territory.

"These are our last words. The mujahedeen, who are on the lookout, will have other words to say in your capitals."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1504&e=2&u=/afp/20050719/ts_afp/britainattacksiraqqaedaeurope_050719125022

[underpants]

1. Oh yeah I am sure that is going to work

:eyes:

[tocqueville]

3. only shows that Bush has made the world safer...

not

[iconoclastic cat]

2. How about all of the Muslim extremists and all our fundies get together,

we put them in a huge, airtight underground bunker, strip them naked, and let them beat the crap out of each other until the air runs out. 'k?

[Miss Chybil]

10. Or, just give them a great big battlefield, some rope and some steak

knives. That ought to keep them busy and out of the rest of the world's hair for quite some time.

[VegasWolf]

28. Let's put Bush and Saddam in a bunker naked and let them fight it out.

[RageFist]

29. You're comment does shed light...

on the fact that the fundies and the islamofascists are really not any different from each other...its just a different religion guiding government that they support

[Starbucks Anarchist]

37. I've had the same thought for years.

:hi:

[tubbacheez]

4. What utter fluff! As if Qaeda was "holding back" all this time. LOL! nt

[Lexingtonian]

5. I wouldn't be so blase

AQ has definitely waited and seemingly done little for four years. But the last time they waited this length of time for a major operation, they destroyed the Twin Towers and a good chunk of the Pentagon.

[geek tragedy]

7. Bali, Madrid, Turkey, Tunisia would qualify as major operations

in my book.

[tubbacheez]

27. I think they do what they can, all the time.

I think AQ likes to grab headlines with a big whopper attack, and then go around for a while milking their newfound notoriety. They may be dispersed worldwide, but that doesn't mean they're everywhere in every town with explosives ready to rock.

I think AQ takes the few opportunities it can get each year, winds up making hay with one or two, and then goes on the telly with a big chip on their shoulder saying "do as we say or you'll get some too".

But they aren't magical or superhuman. They have neither unlimited opportunities nor easy money nor infinite personnel (though we could be doing far more to discourage their recruitment).



If they threatened one country, maybe they'd be tipping their hand that they've got something underfoot. But a general threat at Europe sounds to me like they're worried about losing our attention.

[K-W]

8. Yep, just like thier past threats were fluff, right? EOM

[tubbacheez]

25. Given the number of their past threats.... YES!

Al Qaeda seeks political ends. Nevermind the religious or cultural rhetoric they use for framing purposes. They're trying to get the existing world powers to do things. It's a violent form of politics, but it's politics nonetheless.

So they spew oodles of threats. Remember all those videos and tapes and short-lived websites? Compare that to the number of attacks they can do as an underground organization.

Even if you count the smallest of their operations, AQ makes far more threats than they can carry out.


But that's ok in their strategy. They're trying to exert political influence. And a threat, if it causes the desired effect, is far cheaper and more efficient (not to mention less risky) than an actual physical attack.

[wli]

6. what a coincidence, just as W's poll numbers sink

Look for large bank transfers to the ISI.

[daleo]

9. I can believe this.

If the London bombing was done by Al Quada (or something like it), it would make sense from their point of view, as it might ultimately isolate the U.S. in Iraq.

If the London bombing was done by intelligence agencies (or something like it), it would make sense, as it might solidify support for the U.S. in Iraq.

Either way, one could easily expect more bombings. Neither group could predict with certainty the effect on European populations.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[seriousstan]

12. Al-Qaeda gives European states month to quit Iraq

The Al-Qaeda terror network warned European nations to pull their troops out of Iraq within a month or face more attacks like the deadly London bombings, according to an Internet statement.


"This message is the final warning to European states. We want to give you a one-month deadline to bring your soldiers out from the land of Mesopotamia (Iraq)," said the statement signed by Al-Qaeda group the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades and dated July 16.


After August 15, "there will be no more messages, just actions that will be engraved on the heart of Europe.

---cut---

It's a message we are addressing to the crusaders who are still present in Iraq -- Denmark, the Netherlands, Britain, Italy and those other countries whose troops continue to criss-cross Iraqi territory.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=14046

[kerryin2004]

13. Iraq is the wrong war at the wrong time but..

fuck whatever Al queada has to say!

[atreides1]

15. It was bound to happen

You know the old saying about laying down with dogs and getting up with fleas, well this is pretty close. Those countries laid down with the US and instead of fleas, which would be preferable, it looks like they're going to getting bombs.

The invasion was illegal, the deaths being caused by both sides in Iraq can be considered murder, and notice they mentioned Iraq and said nothing about Afghanistan.

I'll give one thing to Al Queada, they have more credibility then the current occupant of the White House and his cronies.

All I have to say is that Europe will have to be on the defensive, and keep alert. I hope that this is nothing more then an empty threat.

[reprobate]

34. And I wouldn't be too complacent here in the good ol' US of A neither.

[MnFats]

14. that's just great, fuggin' fundamentalist a**holes....

kill a buncha innocents, give Bush/Cheney an excuse to send U.S. troops everywhere....

but I agree with the above: F*ck Al Queda, F*ck Bin Laden, f*ck 'em all. die slow, motherf*cker!. (with apologies to Tupac.)

[firefox]

17. No European leader said "Bring it on"

We are fighting in Iraq. Stay there and don't come here. Die nicely and give up that oil. We won. Resistance is futile.

[wtmusic]

20. interesting perspective

that they "gave Bush/Cheney an excuse to send US troops everywhere"...

or did Bush/Cheney/Blair give them an excuse to bomb London?

[leveymg]

16. Shrub to UBL: "What took you guys so long?"

"Could've used your help months ago, before everything fell in the shitter.":eyes:

[NorCalDem]

18. I thought the bombing in London

had more to do with cutting off our allies, and less to do with the G8. It appears now, as if I was correct in that assumption.

I based this opinion on what the most logical tactic for terrorist networks would be, and isolating us against them is exactly that.

I agree with response #1 however, F**K Al Qaeda, I don't care what they think, and neither should any of us.

[wtmusic]

19. Aren't they the religious fanatics who don't care about politics

and have acquiesced to our raping of the Muslim world's resources? :crazy:

[CJCRANE]

21. No thanks Al-Qaeda.

And no thanks to Blair. I didn't vote for him and I didn't sign up for his stupid war.

[Dark]

22. THEY FORGOT POLAND! n/t

[seriousstan]

23. Al-Qaeda gives European states month to quit Iraq

This thread has been combined with another thread.

Click here to read this message in its new location.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

24. If we'd finished the job in Afghanistan and destroyed Al-Qaeda

This wouldn't be happening.

[CJCRANE]

26. Yep, instead they've moved onto Iraq

and turned it into a huge terrorist-incubator.

[bemildred]

30. There are two salient points here:

1.) It is a credible threat.
2.) it is a credible threat (just to emphasize that).

[Frederik]

31. Can we trace this message back to

Meyrav Wurmser, like that bogus "Al-Qaida calls women to jihad" message?

[moodforaday]

32. Never a link though!

Why is it that whenever "Al Quaeda" posts a new warning we never see the original URL for the site? Not that I could read Arabic, but it would be interesting to see whether the DNS record traces back to a porn site in Maryland, like was the case with the "previously unknown" terror cell owning up to the London bombings.

(That BTW was www.alneda.com, it doesn't respond anymore, but looking it up via the Wayback Machine makes for a somewhat disconcerting experience. And it's not in the Google cache, either.)

(edited typo)

[leesa]

33. Good. Even if this is more BushCo BS to cloak their complicity in 9-11

and the UK bombings, it will backfire on them.

[reprobate]

35. I'm of two minds about the london bombings.

First, if it's al queda, I would not expect it to be their last. It's been almost four years since they struck here, and they know we are their most powerfull enemy. So it wouldn't be beyond reason to see another attack, or more likely a london, madric style series all over this country occur long about september oh, maybe the 11th?

Second, what with all the trouble Mad George is having with the polls now, if you believe as I half way do that this administration was behind, or at least let 9/11 happen, then it sure seems like a time for them to get to work again.

The difference I think, this time is that the American people will not support Mad George anymore, but will blame him (the man who will keep them safe) for any attacks here.

IOW, any attack here, no matter by whom, will spell the death knell for the bush administration.

[goforit]

36. Way to go PNAC!!!...uping the stakes cause things aren't going well?

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

38. we're screwed... junior will be on vacation

[MetaTrope]

39. Al-Qaeda? Or Blackwater Wackenhut Halliburton Bush Inc.

looking to clear the way for setting up their own little U.S. tax-funded kingdom?