CAIRO, Egypt - A new video of al-Qaida’s No. 2 leader released on Saturday mocks President Bush and U.S. legislation requiring the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, saying the bill would rob the group’s fighters of the chance to kill more Americans.
Osama bin Laden’s deputy Ayman al-Zawahri derided the new U.S.-backed Baghdad security plan, recounting an April 12 suicide bombing in Baghdad’s heavily protected Green Zone when an attacker slipped through security and killed a Sunni legislator in the Iraqi parliament’s cafeteria. An al-Qaida-led amalgam of Sunni insurgents in Iraq claimed responsibility.
“And lest Bush worry, I congratulate him on the success of his security plan, and I invite him on the occasion for a glass of juice, but in the cafeteria of the Iraqi parliament in the middle of the Green Zone,” al-Zawahri said.
The video was obtained Saturday by U.S.-based monitoring groups who released a transcript to media.
U.S. ‘caught in a historic trap’
Al-Zawahri, shown seated before a bookshelf in a white robe and turban, addresses legislation pushed by Democratic leaders, and vetoed by Bush, that would have required the first U.S. troops in Iraq to be withdrawn by Oct. 1 with a goal of a complete pullout six months later.
“This bill will deprive us of the opportunity to destroy the American forces which we have caught in a historic trap,” al-Zawahri said, according to a transcript released by the monitoring group SITE. The bill is evidence of American “failure and frustration,” he added.
“We ask Allah that they (U.S. troops) only get out of it after losing 200,000 to 300,000 killed, in order that we give the spillers of blood in Washington and Europe an unforgettable lesson,” he said.
He made no mention of Bush vetoing the bill on Thursday — an indication the video may have been made beforehand.
Al-Zawahri encouraged minorities around the world to join the holy war, or jihad.
“Al-Qaida is not merely for the benefit of Muslims,” he said. “That’s why I want blacks in America, people of color, American Indians, Hispanics, and all the weak and oppressed in North and South America, in Africa and Asia, and all over the world.”
Wide-ranging message
Al-Zawahri claimed al-Qaida fighters in Iraq were “nearing closer to victory over their enemy, despite this sectarian fighting” that has convulsed the country.
He discussed other topics as well in the 67-minute video, including fighting in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Algeria, and Somalia. He made references to Saudi Arabia, Egyptian constitutional changes meant to cement the government’s hold on power, and the Pentagon’s release of the confessions of al-Qaida No. 3, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed — the alleged Sept. 11 mastermind who was captured in Pakistan in March 2003.
Saturday’s video was the fifth message — including posted video and audio tapes — by al-Zawahri this year. Osama bin Laden has not surfaced in any communications since mid-2006.
LatinLover
It saddens me that the Dems are pushing for failure in Iraq. I sometimes ask myself, how would a withdrawal from Iraq benefit our homeland security? How would a withdrawal benefit Iraqis and their neighbors? Would a withdrawal make the world a safer place?
Q5echo
man he's got some nerve.
he wants to kill as many Americans in Iraq as he has Iraqis.
what a douche.
DEATH CULT
MisterOpus1
quote:
Originally posted by LatinLover
It saddens me that the Dems are pushing for failure in Iraq.
It saddens me that "Independents" such as yourself continue to hold specious arguments with no evidence to support yourself. Again I ask you a very simple question that you've conveniently ignored earlier:
quote:
Given the fact that hardly any predictions made by this Administration and its supporters have come to fruition about this war in Iraq, why the do you think you have an ounce of credibility to make any predictions about the situation in the future? Given your support to the group that's been wrong on almost all accounts with this war, what on earth should compel anyone to start believing your predictions now?
And lastly, again I wonder, do you think it's okay for Bush to call for a timetable of withdrawal against Clinton back in 1999?
I sometimes ask myself, how would a withdrawal from Iraq benefit our homeland security?
Huh, I dunno. Perhaps maybe actually having the ING NATIONAL GUARD back in, uhh, our own nation might be a start?
Or do you always support diverting our attention away from our real enemy, al Qaeda, and attacking other countries that had nothing to do with the bastards that attacked us on our own soil?
quote:
How would a withdrawal benefit Iraqis and their neighbors? Would a withdrawal make the world a safer place?
How does completely ignoring Iraq's neighbors and refusing to engage in any diplomacy laid out by the Bush-appointed Iraqi Study Group strengthen your point any?
Just wondering again, have you actually read the bill? Because if you did, it would kinda hurt your point about enabling al Qaeda a wee bit. This passage in the bill you might find a bit interesting:
quote:
(f) After the conclusion of the 180-day period for redeployment specified in subsections (c) and (d), the Secretary of Defense may not deploy or maintain members of the Armed Forces in Iraq for any purpose other than the following:
(1) Protecting American diplomatic facilities and American citizens, including members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
(2) Serving in roles consistent with customary diplomatic positions.
(3) Engaging in targeted special actions limited in duration and scope to killing or capturing members of al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations with global reach.
(4) Training members of the Iraqi Security Forces.
Funny that - actually wanting to still go after the bastards that actually attacked us, since some of them are now in Iraq as a result of our invasion.
And how about that, part 4 - actually training Iraqi Security Forces? What a thought, huh?
And what compelling evidence other than the rhetoric of the al Qaeda leaders in Iraq do you have to believe that al Qaeda can somehow overtake and control Iraq? Because by all accounts, a growing number of the Sunni factions are becoming more and more sick of their :
So what evidence do you have that al Qaeda has a much bigger hand in the balance of Iraq AFTER we decide to redeploy most of our troops (except the ones left behind to specifically go after al Qaeda)?
Besides, I can think of 3,364 reasons, actually, 24,314 selfish reasons alone that we should pull out of Iraq:
Have you given to these charities to truly help our troops? If so, wonderful. If not, perhaps you should consider it. Again, it's tough as on these brave soldiers. In fact a recent study by the Army puts their hardships into a pretty big perspective:
quote:
“the strains placed on troops in Iraq are in some ways more severe than those borne by the combat forces of World War II. ‘A considerable number of Soldiers and Marines are conducting combat operations everyday of the week, 10-12 hours per day seven days a week for months on end,’ wrote Col. Carl Castro and Maj. Dennis McGurk, both psychologists. ‘At no time in our military history have Soldiers or Marines been required to serve on the front line in any war for a period of 6-7 months.’”
The situation in Iraq is a dead end, period. There's no way we can continue being caught in the middle of a civil war while supporting a fundamentalist Shiite regime in leagues with Iran with a leader that does this:
quote:
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's prime minister has created an entity within his government that U.S. and Iraqi military officials say is being used as a smokescreen to hide an extreme Shiite agenda that is worsening the country's sectarian divide.
The Office of the Commander in Chief has the power to overrule other government ministries, according to U.S. military and intelligence sources.
Those sources say the 24-member office is abusing its power, increasingly overriding decisions made by the Iraqi Ministries of Defense and Interior and potentially undermining the entire U.S. effort in Iraq.
“This bill will deprive us of the opportunity to destroy the American forces which we have caught in a historic trap,” al-Zawahri said, according to a transcript released by the monitoring group SITE. The bill is evidence of American “failure and frustration,” he added.
“We ask Allah that they (U.S. troops) only get out of it after losing 200,000 to 300,000 killed, in order that we give the spillers of blood in Washington and Europe an unforgettable lesson,” he said.
Huh. How 'bout that? Al qaeda wants us to stay in Iraq. Bush wants us to stay. The neocons want us to stay. Most Americans and Independents (save our LatinLover friend), and most of the world wants us out.
Strange. You're either with us, or uhh, with the terrorists?
Groundhog Boy
quote:
Originally posted by MisterOpus1
Wait a second, did Zawari really say this?:
Huh. How 'bout that? Al qaeda wants us to stay in Iraq. Bush wants us to stay. The neocons want us to stay. Most Americans and Independents (save our LatinLover friend), and most of the world wants us out.
Strange. You're either with us, or uhh, with the terrorists?
Apparently, for 300-500 more years at the rate they're killing Americans in order to reach the levels he's talking about.
I have a hard time determining which side has the bigger bullters when i listen to anyone talk about the war on terror.
M.Johan
quote:
Originally posted by Groundhog Boy
Apparently, for 300-500 more years at the rate they're killing Americans in order to reach the levels he's talking about.
I have a hard time determining which side has the bigger bullters when i listen to anyone talk about the war on terror.
Groundhog Boy
quote:
Originally posted by M.Johan
We're not doing to well on that timetable, either. It's been more than 5 years and we've only got 1 of 7.
