Al-Masri: Confused
Al Qaeda is starting a new campaign to bomb Iraqi cities and kill civilians to protest American withdrawal next week.
Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, described the impending withdrawal as detrimental to Al Qaeda’s long term goals of terrorizing the population of the Middle East and destroying Israel.
“America invaded Iraq without asking us, but they have to receive our explicit permission before they can leave. Who do they think they are? They can’t just leave now,” said Al Masri.
The audio recording of Al-Masri’s statements was embedded in a relatively brief 10 minute video produced by As Sahab Media, Al-Qaeda’s propaganda arm, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. It was posted on jihadist web forums only a short while back.
In an apparent implementation of the new policy, Al-Qaeda operatives set off a bomb in the eastern Sadr City area of Baghdad. At least 69 people, mostly Iraqi civilians, were killed and more than 130 people were also reported to have been injured, one of the worst in Iraq this year.
According to the police, the device went off in a market place in the predominantly Shia area of the Iraqi capital. Al Qaeda has repeatedly targeted such areas to incite communal violence in Iraq.
Al-Masri was also apparently embarrassed by the death toll. “69 is haraam! I hope more were killed. Those infidel Shias!”
The attack comes less than a week before US soldiers pull out of all Iraqi cities, a move the US said would not be affected by a recent surge in violence. US officials have not released any statements on Al-Masri’s latest video.
In related news, Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden has pledged in another video posted on jihadi web forums to personally kill Al-Masri for not beginning his campaign to deter American withdrawal soon enough.
