Al-Qaida chief warns Obama of attack

[Deckard]

Al-Qaida chief warns Obama of attack
Bin Laden's right-hand man releases audio tape that warns president-elect not to continue Bush's policies

He has also accused US President-elect Barack Obama of betraying his Islamic roots.

Al-Zawahri warned Obama not to continue the policies of his predecessor, George Bush, on Iraq or he would "face failure", Reuters reported.

Osama bin-Laden's right-hand man called on Islamists to continue attacks against "criminal America" and appeared aimed at convincing Muslims that Obama does not represent a change in US policies.

Al-Zawahri attacked Obama for supporting Israel and "turning his back on his Islamic roots".

Now isn't this just great. The chance of Obama getting away with taking a more radical approach to foreign policy immediately became smaller thanks to the release of this tape.

I used to occasionally wonder if the imperialist forces of neo-conservativism and the warped ideology of al-Qaeda might secretly, at some level, be in cahoots. Assuming this tape isn't such an example of negative psychology, it seems, once again, extraordinarily stupid and a sure-fire way to get your opponent to stick to doing the very opposite of what you appear to want.

[BeautifulBurnout]

Originally Posted by Deckard

I used to occasionally wonder if the imperialist forces of neo-conservativism and the warped ideology of al-Qaeda might secretly, at some level, be in cahoots. Assuming this tape isn't such an example of negative psychology, it seems, once again, extraordinarily stupid and a sure-fire way to get your opponent to stick to doing the very opposite of what you appear to want.

Oooh you little conspiracy theorist, you

The thought has crossed my mind too, though. There is something very bizarre about the whole Al Qaida thing in my mind, most notably that according to the FBIs "Most Wanted" website, Bin Laden isn't even listed as being wanted for 9/11. His family is, of course, very close to the Bush family.....

[Deckard]

Originally Posted by BeautifulBurnout

Oooh you little conspiracy theorist, you

Well putting it into the spectrum of strengths of belief, from certainty to occasional suspicion/gut feeling, it's there right at the bottom. I'm currently more inclined to favour the conclusion that they're just solidly anti-American. But still... the possibility doesn't disappear completely! (Perhaps because I heard someone mention The Power of Nightmares just a couple of days ago)

[Sean]

I also thought it was a nice touch when they called Obama a "house negro".

In al-Qaida's first response to Obama's victory, al-Zawahri also called the president-elect—along with secretaries of state Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice—"house negroes."

Speaking in Arabic, al-Zawahri uses the term "abeed al-beit," which literally translates as "house slaves." But al-Qaida supplied English subtitles of his speech that included the translation as "house negroes."

Although I doubt that any of the rhetoric in this latest release will greatly influence Obama's plans on how to tackle the issue of terrorism.

[jOHN rODRIGUEZ]

WTF w/ the Halloween soundtrack?

Who the hell thought of the grand idea of building a recreation park over a freeway?

8 minutes into part 2, contradiction-o-meter on high.

[cacophony]

Originally Posted by Deckard

I used to occasionally wonder if the imperialist forces of neo-conservativism and the warped ideology of al-Qaeda might secretly, at some level, be in cahoots.

i've had that thought.

[cured]

I don't think much of the tape and I don't think it changes the way Obama plans on pursuing resolutions in the middle east. An olive branch would have surprised me a great deal...al-Queda really hates the US government, not any one president in particular.

[gambit]

I've heard that Obama's pretty popular in the Muslim world, and I think al Qaeda is more scared that they won't be able to recruit as many impressionable young men into their armies with Obama in power.

[Deckard]

True. The Obama presidency could represent something of a strategic threat to al-Qaeda, particularly given the way they've gotten used to benefitting from the last 8 years of the Bush Administration playing into their propaganda trap. The image of America is now on the rise, and that's bound to pose a problem for them.

I hope Obama doesn't ramp up the hawkishness just to create some clear blue water between him and al-Qaeda. He shouldn't have to of course, but the merest hint of a charge of appeasing terrorists is deathly toxic to a politician.

[cured]

It will all take time. Obama wants the US out of Iraq but they'll still be there a year after he takes office. That's the most volatile time, I would think. As they start to leave and as the focus gets shifted to Afghanistan (who knows what the heck will happen there?) then there may be a change in tone from everyone with an interest in the region. Peace, or at least something resembling it, between Israel and Palestine may be a bigger driving factor, I would think.