|
London blasts linked to al-Qaeda
08/07/2006 08:33 - (SA)
|
|
|
 |
|
| This image released by IntelCentre purportedly shows an English-speaking al-Qaeda member, speaking in a video against British and US involvement in the Middle East and Asia. (AP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dubai - Al Qaeda deputy Ayman al Zawahri
said two London bombers received training in al Qaeda camps,
according to a video posted on the internet on Friday.
Exactly one year ago, four suicide bombers attacked the
London transport system, killing 52 people. Zawahri identified
Shehzad Tanweer and Mohammad Sidique Khan as both receiving
training in al Qaeda camps.
"Shehzad's motivation for going to the bases of Qaeda al
Jihad was the repression which the British are perpetrating in
Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine," he said in the video which was
posted on a website generally used by insurgents.
"And that's why Shehzad came to the bases of Qaeda al Jihad
group and spent a period of time with Mohammad Sidique.
"And they ... returned to Britain where they passed on what
they had learned to their brothers and planned ... their
successful strike which sent Britain into a spin," Zawahri said.
The video also showed footage of Tanweer, who warned of more
attacks unless forces pulled out of Afghanistan and Iraq,
financial and military support was halted to Israel and the US
and Muslim prisoners were freed.
"You will never experience peace until our children in
Palestine, our mothers and sisters in Kashmir, and our brothers
in Afghanistan and Iraq feel peace," Tanweer said.
The 31-minute feature-like video showed masked men
apparently conducting scientific experiments in dishes and
testing a small explosive device.
It also showed interviews with two wounded people who seemed
to be an Iraqi and a Palestinian, who talked about violence from
foreign soldiers that surrounded them.
The video commentary also alluded to the London bombings.
"And after completing their training and preparation the
knights departed for the field of operations."
Azzam the American
The footage appeared to be from the same video that Al
Jazeera television had aired part of on Thursday.
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden could also be heard in parts
of the video. Some of his remarks were similar to ones made in
an earlier audio tape in January.
"... The mujahideen have been able, with the will of God, to
penetrate time and time all security measures undertaken by the
oppressive countries of the alliance as evidenced by what you
have seen in terms of bombings in the capitals of the most
important European states in this alliance of aggression."
The video also featured an excerpt from an American-sounding
bearded Caucasian man wearing a black turban, identified as
Brother Azzam the American.
Intelcenter, a US-based group that monitors Islamist websites, had previously said it expected an appearance from a man
with that name in the video. It said he was also known as Adam
Yahiye Gadahn, an Islamic convert from California wanted for
questioning by the FBI.
"What I am saying is that when we bomb those cities and
civilians like they do ours or destroy their infrastructre and
means of transportation like they destroy ours or kidnap the
non-combatants like they kidnap ours ... no sane Muslim should
shed tears for them," the man said.
His segment seemed to be recently recorded since he referred
to the Iraqi town of Mahmudiya, which has been the focus of
attention over allegations of the rape and murder of an Iraqi
teenager and killing of her family by a US soldier there.
- Reuters
|
