Al Qaeda has threatened to strike a number of countries, including Australia, in a statement sent to an Arabic newspaper.
A statement attributed to al-Qaeda has threatened “America’s lackeys” with attacks similar to those in Madrid last week, singling out Japan, Italy, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Pakistan, an Arab daily reported today.
“To America’s lackeys we say: a lackey of America has destroyed his future by allying himself with the tyrant of the century,” said the text signed by Abu-Hafs al-Masri/al-Qaeda Brigades received by al-Qods al-Arabi newspaper.
“Jose Marie Aznar will be chucked into the dustbin of history,” said the statement, referring to the Spanish prime minister who was swept out of power in general elections last Sunday.
“Learn your lesson, you lackeys of America, the brigades of death are at your gates,” it warned.
“We will strike you with an iron fist, at the appropriate place and time,” said the statement, condemning “Arab and Muslim lackeys like (Pakistani President Pervez) Musharraf and the al-Saud” family which rules Saudi Arabia.
While this seems like just another threat from Al Qaeda, the wording of this statement is quite revealing.
The first thing I noticed was the reference to Jose Marie Aznar. In a statement threatening to strike other countries, it seems odd that Al Qaeda would waste ink gloating about the downfall of the former Spanish Prime Minister. Wouldn’t mentioning the Madrid bombings have been more appropriate in the context of a threat?
The reference to Aznar is, I believe, indicative of the fact that Al Qaeda are very pleased that they achieved the main objective of the Madrid attack, which was to expedite their own political agenda. They achieved this by driving the ruling Popular Party out of office and replace it with an anti-war government that would withdraw troops out of Iraq and not “play ball” with the US and her allies.
Now, Al Qaeda want to achieve a similar thing in Australia, Britain, and most of the other countries mentioned in the threat. While I have no doubt that they intend to carry out this threat, I believe that the threat is also designed to spring Al Qaeda’s “allies” in these countries – the Left – into action. This is reinforced by the use of the word “lackey”, which is constantly used by the Left when describing US allies.
Australia, in particular, has every reason to worry, considering the Federal elections later this year. Al Qaeda will most likely attempt to influence these elections through terror. However, what I suspect (and certainly hope) is that the majority of Australians are made of much sterner stuff than the terror appeasing countries in Europe.
