PURPORTED AL QAEDA LETTER CALLS TRUCE IN SPAIN! (BLACKMAIL ALERT!)

Yahoooo via Reuters ^ | 3/17/04

[areafiftyone]

CAIRO (Reuters) - A group claiming to have links with al Qaeda said Wednesday it was calling a truce in its Spanish operations to see if the new government would withdraw its troops from Iraq (news - web sites), a pan-Arab newspaper said.

In a statement sent Wednesday to the Arabic language daily al-Hayat, the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, which claimed responsibility for the Madrid bombings that killed 201 people, also urged its European units to stop all operations.

"Because of this decision, the leadership has decided to stop all operations within the Spanish territories... until we know the intentions of the new government that has promised to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq," the statement said.

"And we repeat this to all the brigades present in European lands: Stop all operations."

In a shock election result just days after the Madrid attacks, Spain elected the Socialist party, which has since said it will probably withdraw its troops from Iraq.

The Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades have previously claimed responsibility for bombings in Turkey and Iraq.

"The Spanish people... chose peace by choosing the party that was against the alliance with America," the statement said. The newspaper planned to publish it Thursday.

Outgoing Spanish Prime Minister Josa Maria Aznar was a staunch ally of the United States in the Iraq war, although a majority of the Spanish people were opposed to sending Spanish troops there.

"Praise be to God who gave us this victory in the conquest of Madrid... where one of the pillars of the axis of Crusader evil was destroyed," the statement said, affirming its earlier claim for the Madrid attacks.

A U.S. official in Washington has previously said the group's link with al Qaeda is unclear.

[Getsmart64]

Several thousand took to the streets to protest their new govt and show support for Aznar today.


You have a link??

[Terpfen]

"Jesus Christ, the Spaniards once had the balls to conquer the entire Aztec, Maya and Inca empires. Not to mention kicking the asslamicsTM out of their homeland. Hey Spain, grow a pair already."

The Mayans were long gone by the time Columbus landed. 200 Spanish plus some angry tribes destroyed the Aztecs, and the Incas were beaten just by taking the king hostage. Not only did they have balls, but good strategery as well. Of course, this was before Marx came along...

[swarthyguy]

>>>Several thousand took to the streets to protest their new govt and show support for Aznar today.


And the several million who took to the streets after the Madrid Attacks certainly were effective in shaping public opinion.

Gotta hand it to the socialists for pulling off that classic piece of agitprop.

[Charles Martel]

Jesus Christ, the Spaniards once had the balls to conquer the entire Aztec, Maya and Inca empires. Not to mention kicking the asslamicsTM out of their homeland. Hey Spain, grow a pair already.

Well said. What happened to Spain's famous "machismo"? Bad case of shrinkage, I'd say.

[Angelus Errare]

I think that the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades is the real deal and that the blackout was more indicative of the conspiracy-prone mentality of the Arab mindset than anything else.

My guess is that these communiques are being written up by one of the organization's front groups out in London. The attacks they took credit for Baghdad and Turkey WERE al-Qaeda strikes.

[areafiftyone]

Here you go CLICK

[elbucko]

Now will they agree to let the terrorists cart away some of their fellow citizens. And will they require certain citizens to wear markers, like armbands. And then will they all, en masse, decide to not see what is taking place. This is a very very sad day.

Yes it is. It will be some years before we will have "Peace in our time". In the meantime, many thousands, perhaps a million, will be killed.

[A_Niceguy_in_CA]

Any link between Iraq and Al Queda was concocted in Crawford, Texas.
--Ted Kennedy

John Kerry's military heroism was concocted over many cocktails in Hyannisport, MA after he was refused his request for an education deferment. 3-purple hearts, a silver and bronze star in less than 4-months active duty in country with less than 2-days loss of service for the life-threatning injuries? Until Kerry releases his military records, I'll consider his "decorated military career" a fraud and his post-Vietnam record disgusting and treasonous.
--A_niceguy_in_CA

[livius]

I would die of shame to see this happen here. Die, I mean it.

I just received a very sad e-mail from some friends in Spain who said that they have never felt so humiliated and despairing ever before in their lives. I feel very badly for them - as they pointed out, there are 10 million Spaniards who did NOT vote for AQ (er, I mean, the Socialists). But they said they felt that Spain had disgraced itself and abandoned Western civilization.

The terrible thing is that it could happen here, too, unless we all work really hard between now and November.

[Shermy]

I think that the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades is the real deal and that the blackout was more indicative of the conspiracy-prone mentality of the Arab mindset than anything else.

My guess is that these communiques are being written up by one of the organization's front groups out in London. The attacks they took credit for Baghdad and Turkey WERE al-Qaeda strikes

Could be a teenager with a computer. The video's for real. Heck, with bombings in the Israel area all sorts of whackos try to take credit.

[Peach]

That's a LOT of information in that post and I can't quite digest it all, but thanks for the link.

It IS indeed a sad day when governments do not learn that appeasement has NEVER worked. Never. Although, in this case, should Spain do as requested, and if the letter is genuine, I think AQ is sophisticated enough that they will lay off Spain. Just to prove a point and try to splinter us from our allies.

[elbucko]

This truly bodes ill for Europe...

Afraid so. I hope it doesn't mean a summer of bombings.

[Angelus Errare]

The Palestinian groups take credit for everything that goes on in Israel because there's competition - rival groups, that sort of thing. Claiming to be an al-Qaeda spokesman has a good chance of you getting extradicted to the US these days.

[Getsmart64]

Ok..let me put my tinfoil hat on here. Just had a thought, albiet a small one but a thought nonetheless. A few weeks ago it was reported that some group had been trying to blackmail France by blowing up trains if they didn't get some money. Now, maybe...just maybe....they proved they could do it by blowing up trains in Spain. Am I way out on a limb here??

[livius]

I think it's real, too. I have an article about it from the Spanish press that I will post later on today (when I have translated it).

[Dog Gone]

Good take on the situation.

The interesting thing about this purported letter from al-Qaida is that it obviously demands a response from Spain in public. They can (and probably should) question whether it's a hoax given the past claims from this brigade. Whether they are politically savvy enough to do so is questionable. Everything that has come out of their mouths since the election has been stupid.

If they praise the letter, which they well might, it will cement the perception that they're a bunch of cowards who caved in to terrorists. And they can't very well defy it and reverse the recent announcements regarding Iraq. The hardcore left would abandon them even before they picked out office furniture.

[elbucko]

Kneel and kiss the scimitar, Pedro.

Yes. The Star Chamber will be renamed the "Crescent Chamber".

[Steve_Seattle]

Propaganda. They are simply pretending that the only issue is Iraq, and that if we back down there, everything will be fine. They very well might give Spain a respite, at least until after the American elections, to create the impression that appeasement works. But the idea that they are going to leave Spain alone forever is ludicrous.

[1Old Pro]

That blast in Spain did more for the reelection of Bush than anything else the Arabs could have done, right?

I don't know. But the fact that terrorists are still killing indicates that we need a strong President, not a wimpy French looking cowardly one.

[caisson71]

'If you sleep with dogs you're gonna get flees'.