(al Qaeda) Iraq militants blame govt, Iran for shrine attack

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L23788906.htm

Iraq militants blame govt, Iran for shrine attack

DUBAI, Feb 23 (Reuters) - An Iraqi militant grouping led by al Qaeda blamed Baghdad's government and Iran on Thursday for the bombing of a major Shi'ite shrine and vowed reprisals after retaliatory attacks on Sunni Muslim mosques.

Sectarian violence swept the country after the bomb attack destroyed the Shi'ites' Golden Mosque in Samarra on Wednesday, unleashing attacks on Sunni mosques and dozens of killings.

"The Mujahideen Council declares that it will not allow this overt aggression and violation on the Sunnis and their mosques. The answer will be jolting," the body, set up by Iraq's al Qaeda and other Sunni militant groups, said in statement posted on a Web site often used by militant groups.

...

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice suggested al Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, could have launched Wednesday's attack to trigger sectarian war.

[Webster Green]

1. BushCo Inc. must be happy...

They thrive on chaos, so they will be pleased with these events.

[skooooo]

2. I thought al Queda were in cahoots with Iran??

[IndianaGreen]

4. Bin Laden sees the Shias as heretics

and Saddam saw all religious wackos, including bin Laden, as a threat.

The US government has yet to tell the truth about anything!

[Voice1]

3. It seems the rebels weren't responsible

They usually admit carrying out their attacks. An article posted earlier said that there were 4 people who entered the Mosque and planted the explosives, 1 in military unifrm, and 4 clad in black, since when did you hear of militants in Iraq wearing military uniforms?

[EuroObserver]

9. Interesting. Spanish press says

3 masked men, one unmasked. Hmm.

[Voice1]

11. Can you provide any links EuroObserver? nt

[IndianaGreen]

5. and Iranian President Ahmadinejad blames the US and Israel

Iran blames US, Israel for shrine blast

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, says the US and Israel blew up the Shia shrine in Iraq.

In a speech in front of a crowd of thousands in southwestern Iran, the president referred to the destruction of the Askariya mosque's golden dome in Samarra on Wednesday.

Of the US-led forces in Iraq, Ahmadinejad said: "They invade the shrine and bomb there because they oppose God and justice. These passive activities are the acts of a group of defeated Zionists and occupiers who intended to hit our emotions."

Addressing the US, he said: "You have to know that such an act will not save you from the anger of Muslim nations."

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/CD1FC321-C15C-4F92-BA21-8D11A120E5BC.htm

[sabra]

6. lots of finger pointing...

[tatertop]

8. Have you any opinion on who is behind these bombings?

I would not be surprised if the US has their dirty little hands
in this, one way and another. Seems there is no evil we are not capable of.

[IndianaGreen]

19. The only opinion that counts is that of the Iraqis

The Shia leadership in Iran and among the more radical Iraqis is that the US and the Zionists (their words) were behind the bombing.

Al-Qaeda is always quick to take credit for their bombings, so far they haven't claim this one.

[MrPrax]

7. AQ check in...

AQ didn't do it, but condemns it and hates Shi'ites and says the Iranians, who are Shi'ites, did it themselves, but IF, the Iranians, who dislike Sunnis, get the idea to retailiate for a bombing they did, then AQ, who are Sunnis, will answer that retaliation.

AND Rice enters the fray saying it was AQ?

OK--fails basic smell test...

[EuroObserver]

10. Pretty transparent special/psyops, imho n/t

[sablefish]

12. Who Done It?

What country wants Iraq broken into thee little pieces? That's who done it.

[tatertop]

13. From the Newspeak Dictionary (1st edition) AQ + Zarqawi = Goldstein

Every stupid American knows to blame al Qaida and Zarqawi
for pert near everything. It's 1984 coming to life.

[ECH1969]

14. Al-Qaeda has changed its name in Iraq

And, it changed its leader to a man name Baghdadi.

Zarqawi no longer leads al-Qaeda in Iraq.

[tatertop]

15. I think you entirely missed my point

Ever read "1984" by Orwell?

[ECH1969]

16. Why would the US change the name of his group and change leaders?

Last month, something unusual happened: Al-Qaeda in Iraq changed its name. Or it seemed to. Al-Qaeda in Iraq announced that it had joined something called the Mujahadeen Shura, a council of insurgent leaders that was headed — surprise — by an Iraqi. The leader's name, in case anyone missed the point, was Abdullah al-Baghdadi.

The communiqué was signed by Abu Maysara al-Iraqi, the same name that has been attached to messages issued by Al Qaeda for months. Now, instead of Al Qaeda's taking credit for an attack, the Mujahadeen Shura does.

Not everyone is convinced. A senior Iraqi security official, who insisted on not being identified by name, said he had been following "Mr. Baghdadi's" writings, and found them remarkably similar to those of Al Qaeda's leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/05/weekinreview/05filkins.html?ex=1140843600&en=245119b1e3c7a7b6&ei=5070

[sablefish]

18. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been dead for years along with Bin Laden.

We need a new boogyman and shadow group, composed of cia and mossad agents, like the last one, Al Qaeda, but put in regional Iraq area. People are starting to think Bin Laden and al-Zarqawi are dead, because the vast amount of audio and visual tapes they have provided have been fakes.

[cantstandbush]

17. This is even more fishy than the original story. Wait for Al-Zwari to

clear it up in a new video. (don't know the spelling of his name).