Posted on 10/17/2004 11:04:39 AM PDT by TexKat
DUBAI (Reuters) - A group led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden and said it was in contact with al Qaeda over operations in Iraq, according to an Internet statement posted Sunday.
"We announce that the Tawhid and Jihad Group, its prince and soldiers, have pledged allegiance to the sheikh of the mujahideen Osama bin Laden," said the statement, dated Sunday and posted on several Web sites often used by militants.
Washington says Zarqawi is al Qaeda's link to Iraq but the statement was the first by the group to announce its allegiance to bin Laden's group, which carried out the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
Your speculation about enhancing the image that Bin Laden is still alive may indeed advance the Reuter agenda. You see, I read an article that claimed that there is an plan for an October Surprise to embarass the Bush administration by a making a false claim that Osama has been captured and then proving that it is the wrong man, just days before the election, leaving voters with the impression that Bush intentionally misled the world.
Who knows?
This is news?
That's like announcing that Castro pledged allegiance to Marx. Who the hell cares; we're going to kill the lot of them anyway, no matter how many allegiances they pledge or in what direction.
(Of curse, I'm sure if Zarqawi gets thrown in jail and finds Christianity under his bed and then pledges allegiance to *that*, there will be scores of people lining up to forgive him for all of his beheadings...)
> ... there is a plan for an October Surprise to
> embarass the Bush administration by a making a
> false claim that Osama has been captured and
> then proving that it is the wrong man ...
With all the false Waldo sightings over the last
3 years, that will be a tough sell.
And I don't see the White House having any desire,
even if OBL turns up, to say anything about it
until 03 Nov. The arguments to keep him "undead"
are just too compelling.
I wonder if he can say "under Allah" in his pledge?
I hadn't thought of the benefits to keeping Osama undead. It's a good point.
I read the DUers are also working on using Valerie Plame as an October Surprise. They're organizing a campaign to contact the media, demanding that they expose Karl Rove as covering up the source of the Plame outing.
Or
if bin Laden calls -- Zarqawi will answer? --- boom.
Either will do :-}
Right, it isn't what you could call NEWs.
If I could just get him in the sights of my new Barrett M82A1 .50cal BMG w/ Leupold glass... just for a second... he'd be dirtnapping with UBL.
Yeh....it does...
OBL is worm meat
What was that again from the Democrats about Al Qaeda NOT being in Iraq?? They've been there for years.
Brilliant analysis!
BUMP!!
Besides, as long as he remains "undead" as opposed to "dead", he'll be less likely to vote for Kerry.
Lets just hope this was his last pledge of allegiance.
We sure do hope that. Our military techniques have recently undergone another...evolutionary change. Let's hope we succeed in making Zarqawi as extinct as Binny is.
I think it is time for the :
Powerline said the other day that the Brit's SAS and our Delta are closing in on Zarkawi. Apparently Tony Blair has had enough of that guy and said to SAS - "get em."
Jordan indicts Zarqawi, 12 others, in terror plot
Web Site: Zarqawi Pledges Allegiance to Bin Laden
Militant Site Announces Fighter's Death
Saudi Arabia arrests 2 terror suspects 10/16/04
Saudi Arabia claims al Qaida official dead 10/16/04
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