Al-Zawahri said in the message: "I ask [Bush], why send 20,000 [troops] only - why not send 50 or 100,000? Aren't you aware that the dogs of Iraq are pining for your troops' dead bodies?As I've said before, Al Qaida celebrates America's presence in Iraq in their public statements. And when we eventually leave, under whatever circumstances that happens, if their murderous little cult group is still around, they will claim that as a great victory, too.
"So send your entire army to be annihilated at the hands of the mujahideen [holy warriors] to free the world from your evil... because Iraq, land of the caliphate and jihad [struggle], is able to bury ten armies like yours, with Allah's help and power." (brackets in article)
But what testosterone postures these fanatics take toward America's presence in Iraq tells us little or nothing about whether it's in our interest to keep fighting in the civil war there, or whether it's really beneficial to Al Qaida to have US troops stuck there. Al Qaida's public statements are important because they give a clue about the group's priorities and the type of appeals they are making to other Muslims.
But the Aljazeera headline gets it right; this message is mocking Bush. Gee, Al Qaida hates Bush and hates America. I think we all got that message long ago now.
Tags: al qaida, iraq war, zawahiri, zawahri
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