Web Site: Zarqawi Pledges Allegiance to Bin Laden

[juliagoolia]

http://olympics.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6521512

DUBAI (Reuters) - A group led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden and said it was in contact with al Qaeda over operations in Iraq, according to an Internet statement posted Sunday.
"We announce that the Tawhid and Jihad Group, its prince and soldiers, have pledged allegiance to the sheikh of the mujahideen Osama bin Laden," said the statement, dated Sunday and posted on several Web sites often used by militants.

Washington says Zarqawi is al Qaeda's link to Iraq but the statement was the first by the group to announce its allegiance to bin Laden's group, which carried out the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

no more..........

[freetobegay]

1. He just gave Bush a blank ckeck.

[FlashHarry]

3. Not so fast--where and when was he "in contact?"

Was it after the US occupation, during which Iraq's borders became a highly porous conduit for Islamist fighters?

Was it in the Kurdish/CIA-controlled northern part of Iraq, out of Hussein's control?

Listen, Al Qaeda is a fanatical religious terror group. Iraq under Hussein was a secular dictatorship that saw groups such as Al Qaeda as a threat to their power. Bin Laden referred to Hussein as an "infidel" and encouraged Iraqis to overthrow the tyrant. I find it very hard to believe that the Hussein government had anything to do with Al Qaeda.

Did Hussein support Palestinian suicide bombers? Yes. Was he a really, really nasty guy? (like Mugabe, Kim Jong Il and other world dictators) You bet! Did this justify the unprovoked invasion of a sovereign Arab nation? No fucking way.

[lynx rufus]

16. I'm going to sell you the Golden Gate Bridge

[maumcc1]

25. I don't know but

I think this could hurt Bush. If true, this only proves he is uniting all terrorists by his war in Iraq. Proves to me that Bush is the terrorists best recruiter.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

2. Bush: "the best way to avoid the draft is to vote for me"

Of course, he made that statement BEFORE the al-Zarqawi "pledge," so all bets are off...right?

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041017/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_rdp_23

[Aidoneus]

4. that is strange

He had pointedly never given allegiance to Sheikh Usamah when he was in Afghanistan, and al-Tawhid members in Europe & the Mideast rather jealously refused to assist "al-Qa`idah" in various affairs, keeping themselves seperate.

If true, a timely shot in the arm for somebody who had almost been made irrelevant by the forces they had unleashed. I say that as the opposite of the connotation--the idea was to become irrelevant, to act only as an example for others to follow. The 'faraway enemy' had made himself quite near, fairly helpless at that, and to strike at it was practically made compulsory--a dream scenario.

Also, of course, a timely shot in the arm for that 'faraway enemy' (coincidentally enough, in some ways, the 'near enemy' to us), but that in itslf only draws it in deeper into what bleeds it.

[tlcandie]

6. Yes... something is odd here.. but what.. eom

[MrPrax]

14. Good points...

Zarqawi and company seem to be doing fine all by themselves.

Why exactly would he want to be subserivient to a hapless and, at present, ineffectual leader hiding in a cave. Wouldn't he be MORE likely to assert leadership over this so-called network via his timely missives issued from presumeably Radio Fallujah?

Osama should get a better media consultant like Zarqawi.

Assuming Zarqawi (or OBL for that matter) are alive and well and not some 'bogeyman' trapped in an Intel 'echo chamber' courtesy of the boys and girls of Bayonnet.

[sadiesworld]

5. How convenient.

[Nicholas_J]

7. To embarass Bush

A tacit statement that there was no link before hand, but the Bush occupation of Iraq has given them common cause. I think that this is another indication that there will be an attempt on U.S. soil soon. But I bet it will be after election day, and not before, particulary if Bush wins to create an even greater embarassment.

[ECH1969]

8. This allows Bush to say that he is fighting Al-Qaeda

in Iraq and that Iraq is a central part of the War on Terror, but the important thing for us to say is that it wasn't that way before the war.

[Carla in Ca]

42. That is how I look at it

If * had gotten OBL when he could have...
If * would have sent enough troops....
If * was a good commander-in chief...
this would not be happening now...this is proof of how badly he has done

[Zhade]

9. Maybe they met in the hospital?

You know, where ObL was getting dialysis and al-Zarqawi was getting his leg amputated after the missle strike that nearly killed him?

Oh, wait - isn't al-Zarqawi actually DEAD?

So much propaganda, so little time - and so many fools falling for it all.

[0007]

33. FEAR and LIES and propaganda rule the airways

[FlemingsGhost]

10. Who's Hot: Zarqawi ... Who's Not: Bin Laden

The buzz around Terrortown, is all the Z-man. Anybody who's anybody knows Osama is so 2001.

[Darranar]

11. An "internet statement"?

Not that difficult to fake....

And even if it's real, it's unclear that this actually means anything beyond a symbolic endorsement of Bin Laden.

[Eurobabe]

22. That's why the West WIng was smoking....

Rove et al, gears turning in heads: okay the economic shit is killing us, SWITCH TO FEAR FACTOR NOW....

[USA_1]

40. WHY WASN'T THERE A NEWS CONFERENCE???

This news was supposedly announced via Internet.

Oh, really? How do we know if it is true and not just another Bushshit/B_LIAR hoax?

Did anyone actually see the one-legged Abu Musab stand up and say these words or are they being ascribed to him in order to make Bush look like a "hero" who is fighting terrorism? If this character is Musab and is now loyal and subservient to OBL, why don't they appear on TV together? And why be subservient if OBL has had all of his assets confiscated? Where did he get the money to organize and consolidate these disparate groups?

Somebody explain to me --- how is it that the one-legged Musab appears on those hostage tapes on TWO legs? If he is Musab, why not just show his face like Ansar al-Salaam members do (they are reportedly big time allies)? Why hasn't that group also joined with OBL? How is it that he does not speak with a Jordanian accent?


Something about this news item doesn't sound exactly Kosher to me.

[Career Prole]

12. A few more details here

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041017/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_al_qaida
The statement, which began with a Quranic verse encouraging Muslim unity, said the Jordanian al-Zarqawi, leader of the Tawhid and Jihad group, had been in contact with bin Laden eight months ago and "viewpoints were exchanged" before the dialogue was interrupted.

"God has soon blessed us with a resumption in communication, and the dignified brothers in al-Qaida understood the strategy of Tawhid and Jihad," the statement said.

It announced the "allegiance of Tawhid and Jihad's leadership and soldiers to the chief of all fighters, Osama bin Laden," declaring that it would follow his orders without question.

From this it appears the dialogue between the two groups opened only eight months ago, hab been interrupted and only recently resumed...
Shrub is indeed a uniter after all.

[trueblew]

13. Another thing in common...

Bush had a chance to take out al-Zarqawi when al-Zarqawi was still in the part of Iraq not controlled by Saddam.

Bush had a chance to take out Osama when Osama was still in the part of Afghanistan not controlled by anyone.

God musta told Bush to let al-Zarqawi get away,
just like God musta told Bush let Osama get away.

[progressivedancer]

15. hold your horses people,

Al-zarqawi was not in power when Hussein still ruled. Hussein had no link to Al-Qaeda. Once Hussein was ousted, Al-zarqawi made inroads to power and in order to increase his leverage against the US he allied himself with Al Qaeda. I think this alliance is old, but definitely developed after the fall of Hussein. Let's not jump to conclusions that there was a link before hand- if we do then we are acting with the same irresponsible brevity of paranoia as the Republicans.

[Jazzgirl]

17. I think it's called sarcasm.

n/t

[Mary0505]

38. This is bad for Bush!!

Imo

[daleo]

18. This is suspicious timing, among other things.

Exactly what do we know about these mysterious websites anyway. This is awfully handy for Bush - Evil One (II) swears allegiance to Evil One (I) just in time for the U.S. election. Just in case anyone was having doubts about either of them.

I have come to automatically suspect that this stuff is more likely planted by western intelligence agencies. Just cynical I guess.

[bemildred]

19. Does this mean we get a Bin Laden desecration amendment? nt

[Ohio rules]

20. There is no Zarqawi

never has been.

[Eurobabe]

21. too fucking convenient...

andrea mitchell on NBC now spewing how ALARMING this is...FEAR FACTOR FEAR FACTOR. Tie Zarkawi, Iraq and big boog OSAMA Bin Forgotten.

Is THIS the October surprise?

[Say_What]

23. "..posted on several Web sites often used by militants."

a website would be easily created by the NeoCons to post anything they wanted the US public to believe--just in time for election.

This is BUllSHit!!

[Aidoneus]

34. Actually, al-Tawhid has their own page

apparently it was first reported there and was picked up elsewhere.

It is probably as legit as anything else that comes out, which may be not much. Strange, though. Prof.Cole's remarks on the matter are worth checking out, and confirm much the same as I had written out above.

[Zhade]

35. Cole's a must-read.

But I have to say, so are posters such as yourself. Though many here do not like your insight and perspective, I want to thank you for sharing it with those of us who recognize it as valuable.

Likewise, I'm very glad DuctapeFatwa has returned.

[Aidoneus]

43. Now, wait a minute..

Who are these people??--names & addresses, please. I have ways of dealing with these shady suspects.

...thanks for the kind words.

DTF is also haunting DU's parody/rival/whatever site. The scene is riddled with mutilated bodies and I will have the DVDs of the massacre on the market by end-of-business, with BitTorrents available later in the night. He wears kid gloves around here, but I swear it is a beautiful sight.

[NoMoreMsNiceGirl]

24. How long before this Iraq connection gets tied to 9/11

How would that play into the election?

[Nordic]

26. and we're supposed to believe this because .......?

All I know is this. This is pure Rove. This is pre-election propaganda.

Seymour Hersch says Al-Zarqari might not even exist. He may be a figment, a composite.

I'm WAY more likely to believe Seymour Hersch than some website that could have been put together by the CIA.

The timing is simply too transparently convenient.

[ECH1969]

27. This has me a bit worried

Given how easily the general public mixes up Iraq/Al-Qaeda/911/Saddam/Bin Laden/Zarqawi it could help Bush more then a little bit. Rove would have to be stupid not to make it an issue tomorrow in Bush's speech.

Even for the people that aren't that confused it will further link the War on Terror to Iraq. And, even the really smart that understand that Saddam and Zarqawi weren't allies even though he was in Iraq before the war will be more supportive of the Iraq War because of something like this. ABC, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, all have Zarqawi on their front page right now.

[Nordic]

29. that's exactly what they're doing

anyone who believes it's true is a fool.

I know, that's a strong statement, but I'm not in my right mind. :)

[illuminaughty]

31. There ya go!

Translation: Freddy Kreuger meets Jason and they're coming to get you if you don't vote for Bush.

[eriffle]

28. already backfired here

Canvassed today, talked to a person who we had flagged as undecided but when I talked to him today he said, "I was voting for Bush, even had his sign in my yard until today when I saw of Fox news (cringe) that that Zarqawi guy and Bin Laden are in cahoots now. Bush missed bin laden and now this guy who's lopping our boy's heads off, this guy has messed up for the last time"

[Lakerstan]

30. BUSH KEPT HIS PROMISE!!!

He's a uniter, not a divider after all.

[acmavm]

32. How convenient. Right before the election we have the world's two

major 'evil doers' partnering up. And going public as well.

Does this make them a P.C., or an LLC? Or do you think they'll go public and sell shares?

For two guys that nobody ever sees, and chances are one or both are dead, they sure get around.

[Zhade]

36. Abu Musab al-Goldstein strikes again!

So Orwell was off by 20 years. We all make mistakes.

[VegasWolf]

37. Ahh! The smell of napalm in the morning!! n/t

[Cocoa]

39. and they both endorse Kerry! n/t

[Justice]

41. bush is a uniter

bush united Zargawi and bin laden