TA-ANALYSIS: Al Qaeda Letter Calls Truce in Spain, Supports Bush

A group claiming to have links with Al Qaeda have made a statement calling a truce with Spain and has said it will cease all operations until they learn of the intentions of the new Spanish leadership. They also claim to support Bush's relection campaign because, "it was not possible to find a leader "more foolish than you (Bush), who deals with matters by force rather than with wisdom."

news.yahoo.com

In a statement sent 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.

The statement said it supported President Bush in his reelection campaign, and would prefer him to win in November rather than the Democratic candidate John Kerry, as it was not possible to find a leader "more foolish than you (Bush), who deals with matters by force rather than with wisdom."

In comments addressed to Bush, the group said: "Kerry will kill our nation while it sleeps because he and the Democrats have the cunning to embellish blasphemy and present it to the Arab and Muslim nation as civilization."
"Because of this we desire you (Bush) to be elected."

A very bizaare read in my opinion. I must question the validity of this, considering how many different groups that have laid claim for the attack in Spain.

Even more strange is the support for Bush's reelection. Many things can be thought of this article. Could it be a liberal conspiracy? Or could it be that terrorist groups are being helped, either by fault or by purpose, by the current administrations short-comings.

It also makes me wonder how well these groups know our political system and current events for them to refer to Bush, Kerry and Democrats as an everyday thing.

It makes me wonder just how many terrorist supporters and affiliates we have in this country, and what, if any, level of office they may hold...

[Edited on 18-3-2004 by Banshee]

If this turns out to be authentic, and Spain's new leadership does pull it's troops out of Iraq, it will set precedence and possibly lead to a standard of capitulation for other nations.

DC

Seems to me its a little reverse psychology. If they really wanted Bush would they really admit it, I think they are afraid of him because he unlike Kerry is more of a Hawk and will not think twice about bombing the # out of AQ. If I was a terrorist I sure as hell would rather have Kerry instead of Bush, Kerrys supposed policies seem a little "weak" to me.

That's possible. But you have to consider what this war on terror has and has not accomplished.

A bomb-first-ask-questions-later policy has done no good. Terrorist groups ranks continue to swell. Attacks are still occuring in Iraq and are becoming more and more bold and disasterous. Attacks are occuring in other nations with better organization.

Attacks don't need to happen on US soil for the US to be affected now. Every group that has a bone to pick with the US merely has to go to Iraq and take pot shots at our people...

I think what al Queda is eluding to with regard to the Democrats is their ablity present democracy in a way that is more appealing to those in their potential camp.

The liberal view of acceptance and tolerance of people would undermine the hard-line approach the current administration is taking. Al Queda is relying on the conservative way of conducting business in order to more easily convince people to join their cause or at least sympathize with it.

DeltaChaos

I can agree that the liberal approach would just make things worse...just like the current approach currently is making things worse. Appeasement is not the way, nor is carpet bombing them the way. They are people that are dead-set on their goals.

The only solution I can think of it to make them feel forgotten and eventually obsolete. Stop giving them the media attention that they crave. Cut their funding by severing the American-Saudi marriage and the Isreal-American association.

But there are far too many corporations and politicians involved for that to be a reality.

If people in this country can be labeled as tinfoil-hat wearing, conspiracy theorists and be cast to the side as irrelevant, then why can't these terrorist groups be cast to the side as irrelevant also?

The homeless can be forgotten. Iraqi civilians can be discounted as collateral damage. Saudi ties to Al Qaeda can be ignored. Massacre in the Congo can be pushed to the back of the news, yet terrorist groups merely have to release a tape to get the worlds attention. Terrorists have power because we give them power.

It's surreal in the fact that terrorist groups can practically hold world wide press releases. Yet we can't find them to take them out? Something is very fishy here.

I believe that there is something very sinister going on. How could so many terrorist groups continue to exist in the public eye, but be so hard for the worlds largest intelligence community to find?

They are being allowed to exist for a reason. Will the US and other countries be put on a permanent state of emergency because of these groups? It would be a means to power.

World history is full of conquerors. There must be people out there who are in control and taking more control, it's happened many times. I think that conquest is now done behind closed doors just like your average business dealings...



[Edited on 18-3-2004 by Thorfinn Skullsplitter]

Group tying self to blasts may not be real
WASHINGTON -- A group purporting to be part of Al Qaeda that claimed responsibility for the Madrid train bombings and warned of a looming attack on the United States seems to be a phantom organization, according to US intelligence officials and terrorism specialists.

In a 24-hour news cycle dominated by fears of terrorism, the latest e-mail from the Abu Hafs al Masri Brigade to a London-based Arabic newspaper sowed anxiety and drew instant headlines all over the world.

But specialists say there is no evidence the organization exists. E-mail messages purporting to be written by the group previously claimed responsibility for everything from the North American blackout to a suicide attack that killed 20 Italian policemen in Iraq. But none of those claims has proved true, intelligence specialists say.








[Edited on 18-3-2004 by Ocelot]