Al Qaeda Claims Slaying Of U.S. Aid Worker

(AP)  Al-Jazeera TV said Al Qaeda's North Africa branch claimed responsibility Thursday for the killing of an American aid worker who was shot dead this week in Mauritania's capital.

The Arab satellite TV station said it had received an audio statement from al Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb in which the group said 39-year-old Christopher Ervin Leggett was killed Tuesday for allegedly trying to convert Muslims to Christianity.

"Two knights of the Islamic Maghreb succeeded Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. to kill the infidel American Christopher Leggett for his Christianizing activities," the group said.

The statement's authenticity could not be independently verified.

Mauritania's Interior Ministry said Thursday it was investigating the death and security forces were doing "all they can to catch the criminals."

Leggett was shot several times by at least two unidentified gunmen who rushed up to him on a Nouakchott street, witnesses said. An AP correspondent at the scene saw officials from the U.S. Embassy arrive as the body lay on the pavement. U.S. officials have so far declined to comment.

Leggett grew up in Cleveland, Tennessee, and taught at a center specializing in computer science and languages in El Kasr, a lower-class neighborhood in Nouakchott, according to his neighbors in the United States.

The Rev. Jim Gibson, co-pastor of First Baptist Church of Cleveland, said Leggett was a church member and attended on return trips, but worked independently in the African nation. Gibson said Leggett had lived for six years in Africa with his wife and four children.

Extremist violence in Mauritania, a moderate Muslim nation, has increased in recent years.

In 2007, a group of French picnickers was killed. The gunmen were believed to be linked to al Qaeda's North Africa branch and the incident prompted organizers of the famous Dakar Rally to cancel the trans-Sahara car race.

[trapbreaking]

What is the right way to deal with Muslim terrorist in southern Philippines, southern Thailand, Kenya, India, Pakistan, Semolina, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Russia, Afghanistan, China, and the 30 countries elsewhere where Muslim terrorist are killing? If they can?t kill Jews, or Hindus, or Brits, or Americans, or the government forces of the counties they live in, then they will just kill each other, like the Sunni woman who suicide bombed and killed 40 Shiite pilgrims, now a roadside bomb kills more.

Jihadi terrorist violence goes by many names, but it is all terrorism and murder by any name. They call themselves Hamas or Islamic Jihad, or Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Palestine , Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines, Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM); in Pakistan, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) in Bangladesh, Taliban-HEI-Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Hezbollah in Lebanon, there are many more, they have different names in different places in the world, but you must understand that Jihadi terrorists recognize no honor, no agreements, only murder.

[1notrub11]

"The Arab satellite TV station said it had received an audio statement from al Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb in which the group said 39-year-old Christopher Ervin Leggett was killed Tuesday for allegedly trying to convert Muslims to Christianity."

OH, I get it now! It's not ok, on pain of death, to have a religious opinion and to support it if you are a Christian. But if you are Muslim, you are required to both "cure" the world by converting all to Islam, or kill them if they don't. My apologies, I am particularly "slow" lately.

If I was a member of "peaceful" Islam I would take a stand here. Either do something about your "brothers" or quit touting yourselves as a religion of peace. It is very much one thing to rail against a crusade or crusader. It is very much another to kill someone for stating and supporting an opinion, religious or not.

[Sloughfoot]

"Religion of Peace"--BS. Do a little reading, Muhamad organized a group of thugs to attack a combined Arab and Jewish oasis of merchants he was jealous of in about 500 AD. From those self serving origins the Muslim religion was born. What you see is what you get.

[1notrub11]

Apologies, if people misconstrued my statements. The use of peaceful was definitely sarcastic. I, for one, have seen very little evidence that Islam is all that peaceful.

[government_control]

In response obama will bow to bin laden, wish al queada happy new year, and invite them to american embassies around the world to attend 4th of july festivities.

Obama is the enemy.

[speakinup22]

"Two knights of the Islamic Maghreb succeeded Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. to kill the infidel American Christopher Leggett for his Christianizing activities," the group said.


It took two !?!

What, one to hold him down while the other sawed his head off ?



Or did the first suicide bomber his him ?






Anyone that supports this bunch of thugs will surely go to hell.

[ToolMangler1]

'government_control' supports them, and anybody that wants to kill Americans. Read his/her posts and you will see what I mean..

[speakinup22]

ToolMangler1 - without a doubt some of the posters on this site are foreigners posing as Liberals or Conservatives. Thanks for the heads-up.

[gravyboat3000]

He was murdered," for his Christianizing activities".

But this story doesn't say if he was involved in such activities in Affrica.

Thanks for nothing, AP.

Not that his death would be justified if he was, but it would have made for a much more complete story. The mention of his memborship in the Baptist church sorta,"suggests", that he was, but that's just shoddy reporting. IMO.

[ToolMangler1]

I am a Christian that would rather people see my faith by my works rather than my words, maybe he was one also. Just being a Baptist does not mean he was 'evangelizing'.....

[speakinup22]

agreed.