Extremist group announces split from al-Qaeda

The Telegraph ^ | 7/9/2009 | David Blair

[bruinbirdman]

North African extremist group, whose senior leaders were crucial allies of Osama bin Laden, has denounced terrorism and become the first organisation ever to leave al-Qaeda.

The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), which once sought to overthrow Col Muammar Gaddafi, dealt a blow to bin Laden by reversing a decision made in 2007 to join al-Qaeda.

A statement from the LIFG leadership criticised "indiscriminate bombings" and the "targeting of civilians", saying that violence "did not achieve the aims of the group in removing oppression".

Al-Qaeda has come under mounting pressure in recent months. Missile attacks executed by American drones in Pakistan's Tribal Areas have taken a heavy toll on its core leadership.

Meanwhile, there are tentative signs of a backlash against bin Laden's ideology in the wider Muslim world. A former extremist leader, Sayyid Imam al-Sharif, better known as "Dr Fadl", has condemned al-Qaeda from inside an Egyptian prison.

The LIFG appears to have judged that the balance of advantage lies with leaving al-Qaeda. Officials doubt whether this will, on its own, have a significant impact on al-Qaeda's ability mount attacks.

But one official pointed out that LIFG figures had "graduated to become major players" in al-Qaeda and the group's withdrawal amounted to a "moral blow" to the network.

Abu Yahya al-Libi is among the battle-hardened Libyan members of al-Qaeda's core leadership. He won renown by escaping from an American detention centre at Bagram air base in Afghanistan in 2005 and regularly appears on al-Qaeda's propaganda videos, most recently a fortnight ago when he urged the overthrow of Somalia's new government.

Another LIFG veteran, Abu Laith al-Libi, organised a suicide attack at Bagram in 2007 which left 23 dead and coincided with a visit to the base from Dick Cheney, then US vice-president. Al-Libi was killed in

[jackibutterfly]

"A statement from the LIFG leadership criticised "indiscriminate bombings" and the "targeting of civilians", saying that violence "did not achieve the aims of the group in removing oppression"."

Well... DUH!

[Celerity]

“.... besides, the american vote did more harm to the infidels than we could ever do. Obama has pretty much made us obsolete. Allah be praised”

[himno hero]

I love that part
“saying that violence “did not achieve the aims of the group in removing oppression”.”

Does that mean they want to overturn every dictatorship throughout Africa in the name of democracy?

WOW! Pretty lofty stuff!

[SuperLuminal]

When I saw the title of this post, I figured it had to do with the obamacrat muslims looking to do even more damage to the U.S. by demanding a second stimulus.