Al Qaeda Claims 12,000 Iraq Fighters

In New Audiotape, Terror Leader Also Crows About Republican Defeat In U.S. Midterm Elections

(CBS/AP) 
But he challenged Mr. Bush not to leave Iraq, saying: "We haven't had enough of your blood yet."

"We call on the lame duck (President Bush) not to hurry his escape the way the defense secretary did," al-Muhajir said in reference to Rumsfeld's resignation as Pentagon chief on Wednesday.

"Remain steadfast on the battlefield, you coward," al-Muhajir said to the American leader.

The al Qaeda commander also promised that his militants would not give up their fight until they had blown up the White House.

"We will not rest from our Jihad (holy war) until we are under the olive trees of Rumieh and we have blown up the filthiest house — which is called the White House," al-Muhajir said.

His reference to the "olive trees of Rumieh" was not clear, but Diaa Rashwan, an Egyptian terrorism specialist, said he appeared to be referring to ancient biblical Palestine.

Ben Venzke, head of the Virginia-based IntelCenter, which monitors terrorism communications, said al Qaeda in Iraq was swift to respond to events in the United States.

"It shows a remarkable degree of speed in being responsive," he said.

Rashwan said Rumsfeld's resignation and the Democrats winning both houses of Congress will have a "moral impact" on U.S. troops in Iraq.

"Al-Muhajir realizes this, and that's why he asked Bush to keep his forces and fight," Rashwan said.

But the Egyptian terrorism expert also said al-Muhajir's claim to have 12,000 fighters was "propaganda."

"This number is very big, and it is an extreme exaggeration, because U.S. reports state that most of al Qaeda fighters are non-Iraqis," he said. "If there are all those non-Iraqi fighters, where would they be hiding?"

In the audio tape, al-Muhajir also called on Sunni Muslims to pledge their allegiance to a new state that militants have said they created in Iraq, stating its ruler was Abu Omar al-Baghdadi.

"I vow allegiance to you," he said, addressing al-Baghdadi as the "ruler of believers" and placing al Qaeda in Iraq fighters under his command.

In October, an Iraqi militant umbrella group that includes al Qaeda in Iraq announced that it had established an Iraqi Islamic State, consisting of several Sunni-dominated provinces including Baghdad.

Iraqi authorities have dismissed their claim.

Venzke said al-Muhajir's claim of allegiance to al-Baghdadi shows that there is increased backing among Sunni insurgents for the creation of an Islamic state in Iraq.

"It shows a growing sort of support and organizational presence around this idea," he said.

Iraqi security officials said last month they were close to capturing or killing al-Muhajir and released a captured video showing the terror chief teaching followers how to build a car bomb. The video was the first to show the militant leader's face, though U.S. and Iraqi military officials have shown photos of him.

Al Qaeda in Iraq last released an audio tape purportedly from al-Muhajir in late September, where he called for nuclear scientists to join his group's holy war and urged insurgents to kidnap Westerners.

[feelfree1]

snflwr4real,

You should take your comedy routine to Tel-Aviv. I think you would be a big hit there.

[feelfree1]

The fact of the matter is, no serious analysis of Iraqi resistance groups has ever placed the numbers of "foreign fighters" in Iraq at more than a couple of thousand members. Are we to believe that the entire U.S. military is being defeated by a couple of thousand foreign irregular fighters?

Hardly. The Iraqi people are obviously tired of their friends and familiy being humiliated, wrongfully imprisoned, tortured, raped, and murdered at the hands of U.S. agents.

The Iraqis have every right to defend themselves against the brutal and illegal invasion of their country, and the efforts of the Bush regime apologists to try and blame their horrific failures on the Iraqi-puppet government is beyond belief.

If CBS chooses to dutifully report everything that is "linked" to the non-existent "al-Qaeda-in-Iraq" without investigating, and without challenging these reports, they should not be posing as a News source.

CBS may choosed to accept everything and anything that is "believed" about this obvious PSY-OPS effort, but it is certainly not "believed" by me or anyone else that chooses to determine the facts about these laughable reports.

[feelfree1]

This looks more irresponsible psuedo-journalism from CCBS Newz.

From:

www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Report_Head_of_Qaeda_in_Iraq_0706.html

Egyptian newspaper Al-Masri al-Yawm is reporting that Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, reported successor to of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as head of al Qaeda in Iraq, has been spotted in an Egyptian prison.

According to Mamduh Ismail, an attorney for Islamist groups, al-Muhajir has been in Tura prison in Egypt for the past seven years. "I met him two days ago while I was visiting some of my clients," the lawyer claims.

[nmsuip]

To Abu Hamza al-Muhajir:

Bring it on, cupcake.

[POLMARDDaniel]

I am French and when USA decided to attack iraq, I said OK because I thought it was the only way to free the country from dictatorial regime and embargo. Military atack was the only way to make it. Price paid to it is very high. (Human and financial price).
I do not know how all that will finish but I would like to say to American people they can be proud doing it. It is a fight for freedom.
Thank you

[wayfedup]

one_American....

Dude, you and your ilk are SO freakin' pathetic in your refusal to accept that YOU LOST!

George W. Bush was, is and forever will be the most incompetent President to Ever occupy the OVAL OFFICE.
Actually he is nothing more than a PUPPET; controlled by HIS FATHER, CHENEY, ROVE, RUMSFELD
and CONDOLEEZA RICE. HE is a trained Chimp who doesn't possess even the most rudimentary communication skills required to BE the COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
THERE IS NO GREATER EVIDENCE OF THIS THAN his pathetic stumbling press conference on Wednesday. GET OVER IT... WE DEMS WILL OCCUPY THE WHITE HOUSE IN '08 AS WELL, and then you and all of Rush's other "dittoheads" will see how government SHOULD BE RUN.

[bellal-2009]

"Just because some terrorists say they're glad to see Dems elected does not mean Dems are weak on terrorism."

Right.

[alphaa10-2009]

One_American said, "Republicans have been working since 9-11 to clean up the mess, but you Democrats only offered criticism and hate-speech..."

(and only seconds later, in true Archie Bunker style, One_American couldn't help himself as he expostulated, "And for your information, little one, we're gonna share the front seat, unless you like getting pushed out of the car at top speed.")

---

So much for the patriotic unity and bipartisanship Bush likes to preach about, lately. Sounds so, um, 911, you know? (So much for hypcrisy.)

But maybe Bush at least could let his own bozos know what he is saying, first, so they don't embarrass him at every turn. They desperately need training in lip synch, even if they already have the DoubleThink part down pat.

[alphaa10-2009]

One_American said, "Gee, Democrats... the terrorists REALLY LOVE YOU for what you have done for them..."
----

Only hours after losing the election, you can't wait to pass the buck to somebody else-- how typical of Bush and his GOP bozos, and how utterly symbolic of why you lost. Don't you get it? The American people found you incompetent, corrupt and a threat to their own security and well-being. What could be more devastating? You cannot escape their indictment or blame somebody else, because you had the run of government for six long years of virtually total power-- yet still imploded in a fiasco of incompetence and utter corruption. You have met the enemy, and that enemy is you.

[alphaa10-2009]

One_American-- 2
At times, some wonder whether you even can recognize what you have become. Only last year, for example, Bush openly denigrated the Constitution he took an oath to defend, calling it "... nothing but a GD*&#! piece of paper!" before members of his own party (November, 2005). Your Lawbreaker-in-Chief not once but repeatedly violates the very rule of law, denying Americans basic civil rights, privacy and protections under that Constitution. Wiser GOP heads retreat in dismay as they recognize Bush as a shallow, unprincipled and reckless opportunist who has no concept of their conservative (or personal) principles.

On 911, Americans overcome by surprise and grief were patient and trusting even when Bush did not remotely deserve that trust, even as Bush and his party spread deceit and hatred among Americans they had pledged to unite. But that is all over now. At long last, Bush and his camp followers have the reward they so richly deserve.

[alphaa10-2009]

One_American-- 3
A few observations--

1. Al Qaeda Needs Bush and Bush Needs al Qaeda.
It's a working partnership-- al Qaeda needs to show America is a hostile, imperialist "crusader" nation bent on destroying Iraq and other Muslim states. This has a wildfire appeal in the MidEast so long as US troops remain, and al Qaeda grows by legions. Likewise, Bush desperately needs al Qaeda as a constantly growing threat to justify grabbing more power for himself. Bush does whatever he pleases by calling it a "war on terror" and finds raw, emergency-mode political power irresistible (completely ignoring Lord Acton's counsel, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely").

The mutual dependency of Bush and al Qaeda is hard to deny. Al Qaeda didn't exist in Iraq until Bush and his neocon bozos let it slip the noose in Afghanistan, and then opened the door for al Qaeda by invading Iraq. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush repeatedly stumbled, and al Qaeda deftly exploited his multiple blunders of tactics and overall strategy. In the years since Bush dropped the ball in Aghanistan, al Qaeda developed a literally booming franchise in both war zones.
One_American-- 4

[alphaa10-2009]

One_American-- 4
2. The GOP Struggles for Power but Denies Responsibility
Even months before the Democrats touch the wheels of power, the GOP cannot wait to excuse itself by all manner of specious accusations. But having struggled to gain control of all branches of government for six years in a most un-American, bitterly partisan manner, the GOP cannot deny it bears the burden for what went wrong on its watch.

3. A Serious Mistake to Argue with Enemy Propaganda
It shouldn't surprise that al Qaeda wants to claim a victory-- al Qaeda is also at war, and wants and needs to deceive. So, who should take their words at face value? Likewise, GOP partisans cannot have it both ways-- if a message is propaganda, they cannot wave it about literally, since it hides the core of its true meaning. Likewise, to argue a Bush election defeat benefits al Qaeda ignores the fact Bush already has bungled his own war, and in a way al Qaeda never could have done for him. Most Americans polled say Bush and his inept "war on terror" is a threat to American security by its very incompetence.

[alphaa10-2009]

One_American-- 5
4. The Argument of Vietnam
As some historians doubtless recall, when Johnson was politically defeated at home, North Korea claimed Tet was proof it controlled US elections. They also loudly favored Nixon over Johnson. But is anyone prepared to argue Nixon, by defeating the Democrats and Johnson, worked for the enemy and undid Johnson's efforts to wage war? Interesting idea, considering Nixon later opened trade with China. But in any case, the GOP partisan cannot argue both ways.

5. True Sibling Rivalry Starts at Home
The al Qaeda statement is also a claim to leadership. US intelligence agencies closely follow internal struggles for power inside al Qaeda for that reason, and such chest thumping declarations are entirely for home consumption.. Witness the fact the video also tries to interpret 2006 as a flat rejection of Israel. This not only stretches the truth, but reveals how eager Abu Ayyub al-Masri is to preach to his own choir, taking credit where none is due. Al-Masri is very interested in seeming to be in control-- after all, he is the second al Qaeda leader, already, after Zarqawi's death.

Executive summary-- judge by what they do, not what they say.

[one_american]

stevex47:

"Our plan is to try our best to clean up the huge mess you made."

Republicans have been working since 9-11 to clean up the mess, but you Democrats only offered criticism and hate-speech. Now YOU need to shut up and get you butt in gear and help out!

You should remember, the terrorist made the mess, or were you born yesterday?

And for your information, little one, we're gonna share the front seat, unless you like getting pushed out of the car at top speed.

[duffyn]

They could have been thinking that mutilating people is a way to control people. As I said, you can't find anything they've done that we haven't. After Israel bombs people, they find the most sickening things you can imagine, people with their faces burned to liquid then soldified. Anger and killing just begets more anger and killing. And sure, in some cases, it's best to just take some people out but the current policies are clearly not working.

[duffyn]

Oui... I just read all the comments below. This got to be one emotional post. Just because some terrorist says they're glad to see Dems elected does not mean the Dems are weak on terrorism. They may remember back when Clinton was prez and the whole middle east was a lot calmer. I sincerely belive the Democrats will eventually make us safer. Right now all the violence and hatred is peaking (I hope). How did we get here? Clearly policies that have been in place are not working. The Democrats gaining power give us a chance to change the policies. Everyone including those who hate us are now waiting for a changes to make all our lifes better.

[bellal-2009]

Duffynight, what do you suppose the Taliban were thinking when they beat and shot Muslim women in soccor stadiums. Little girl, you need to grow up.

[stevex47]

One-American,
Our plan is to try our best to clean up the huge mess you made. Now get in the back seat and shut up ! And stop hitting your brother.

[duffyn]

I actually don't think these people (arabs) are insane. I think there is an incredible amount of anger due to all their people we have either directly or indirectly killed. When somone kills your wife, brother, sister, etc you could certainly go "insane" enough to want to get even. It looks sick when they cut off someone's head but you have to remember when we or Israel bomb places. They do find their wive's etc with missing heads, limbs, etc. I certainly hope that the Dems can work and find a solution to lowering the level of violence in the world. WAR WAR WAR is not the answer. Maybe we need someone to shout PEACE PEACE PEACE????? I know one thing, the Dems WILL defend this country with everything they can, maybe we can try some new approaches.

[pakaal]

One_American, al-Muhajir said the Democratic success was a referendum on Israel. Since we know this isn't true (as General Pace also notes in the story - if you had read it), your logic turns out to be as flawed as his.