Al-Qaeda threatens 'US lackeys'

[DuctapeFatwa]

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 in its Thursday edition.

"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.

"Our brigades are now preparing for a fresh strike. Will it be the turn of Japan, America, Italy, Britain, the al-Sauds, Australia ...?" it warned.

http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp?news_id=200594

[DuctapeFatwa]

1. hope this isn't a dupe. The Al Qaeda Letter-Writing Service is so prolific

lately, it is hard to keep up.

I wonder if they would write one to VISA for me. I'd like to stop getting bills every month.

[countmyvote4real]

2. Good idea!

On the other hand, if I'm dead, I can't make anymore payments. Plus, I'm a renter and don't have any assets other than my very limited bank account.

Then again, I hope they don't target my branch.

[bemildred]

3. Indeed, very busy writers.

But they need to learn a thing or two, it's "running lackeys"
or "servile running dogs", things like that, not just
"lackeys". Of course, it's probably just the inferior
translation.

[MinnFats]

9. they must have used theSLA handbook...

....
next it will be "death to fascist insect which feeds upon the lifeblood of the people!"
though that may be a little too Marxist in tone.

"Capitalist Roaders?"
No, Mao's Little Red Book won't do either.

[smirkymonkey]

7. I hear they're starting their own

talk show next month, including a special segment called "Osama Speaks."

[PsychoDad]

4. Hard to imagine...

They have time to do anything else with all the letters they have been writing...

[daleo]

5. It would be nice to know who does write these things

Maybe some are Al Queda, maybe some are intelligence agencies, maybe some are other terrorist groups, maybe some are just some kid on a newsgroup. In a properly functioning democracy, our intelligence agencies could probably determine this to a high degree of reliability, and let the public know. But who knows what or whom to believe anymore.

"The authenticity of the statement, which followed last week's train bombings in Madrid that killed 201 people and were claimed by the same group, could not be confirmed."

[July]

8. "Could not be confirmed"?

How, then, does this qualify as news?

Isn't confirmation of the story essential to serious journalism?

This kind of BS has been going on since January '01, with the wholly unsubstantiated "trashing the WH and AF 1" stories. As soon as no pictures were forthcoming, I (and plenty of others) knew it was bull.

Since then, we've seen every sort of rumor reported as news, with unnamed sources and unconfirmed "facts" offered as proof.

I have no idea whether this statement is real or not, but I'm damned sick of an unconfirmed statement being presented as actual news.

Editing to add that I'm talking about U.S. news, though this article is not from the U.S. The "unconfirmed" is what set me off.

[tlcandie]

6. Interesting that they use this term that the US military is using in Iraq.

Coincidence? IRON FIST taken from the following snip

<snip>
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.
<snip>

EDIT: Lackey .. is that a word that people of the ME would use? Seems like an American word to me :shrug: