We Did It: Al-Qaeda (... As If There Had Actually Been Any Doubt...)

The Weekend Australian ^ | 7/09/2005 | From correspondents in Dubai

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

AL-Qaeda has claimed responsibility today for this week's deadly bombings in London in an internet statement posted in the name of the Europe Division of the network's Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades.

"A group of mujahedeen from a division of the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades piled blow after blow on the infidel capital, the British capital, leaving dead and injured," said the statement, the authenticity of which could not be verified.

Shortly after Thursday's attacks on London's public transport network, a statement was posted in the name of the al-Qaeda Organization – Jihad in Europe.

The Masri division congratulated itself on "this laudable conquest" and warned that more attacks would follow.

"The next days will be marked by the biggest demonstrations of jihad (holy war) against those who have declared war on Islam and Muslims," it said.

The statement, the third such claim by various little-known Islamists groups since the blasts on Thursday, did not appear on the major al-Qaeda sites.

The language of all the statements has been vague and does not conform to al-Qaeda language and style.

US officials say Abu Hafs al-Masri's links to al-Qaeda are unclear.

The same group claimed responsibility for the March 2004 Madrid train bombings in which 191 people died and twin bombings in Istanbul in November 2003 that killed 25 people.

"The beginning was in Madrid and in Istanbul. Today, it's London and tomorrow the mujahedeen will express themselves again."

"We will only calm down when security is a reality in the land of Islam and for Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. After the Madrid 2004 bombings, Abu Hafs al-Masri sent London-based newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi an email claiming responsibility for the blasts, but it was quickly discredited.

Another little-known Organisation of al-Qaeda – Jihad in the Arabian Peninsula – yesterday also claimed the attacks and threatened to attack Rome to punish Italy for supporting the United States.

[Prodigal Son]

So how come none of the bombs were suicide bombs?

The one on the bus was a suicide bomber. Witnesses saw him sit down and then explode (that's literally how they described it). He was described as a man with 'olive skin'.

[Non-Sequitur]

The one on the bus was a suicide bomber.

I was watching the press conference yesterday with the police commissioner and all the other higher-ups and they said that there was no evidence that any of the bombings were suicide. I've also heard that police theorize that the bus bombing was a case of bomb going off early so the guy may have been an accidental martyr. Still, in the past al Qaida has depended on suicide squads. This time they didn't. I find that interesting.