Al-Zarqawi Tape Criticizes Muslim Scholars

BAGHDAD, Iraq Nov 24, 2004 — An audiotape purportedly made by Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi lashed out Wednesday at Muslim scholars for not speaking out against U.S. actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying they have "let us down in the darkest circumstances."

Al-Zarqawi, who leads the feared terror group al-Qaida in Iraq, is believed to have escaped from his headquarters in the insurgent-held stronghold of Fallujah during the massive U.S.-led assault earlier this month.

Al-Zarqawi addressed his comments to the "ulama" religious Muslim scholars on the tape posted Wednesday on the Internet. Its authenticity could not be independently verified.

"You have let us down in the darkest circumstances and handed us over to the enemy… You have quit supporting the mujahedeen," he said. "Hundreds of thousands of the nation's sons are being slaughtered at the hands of the infidels because of your silence."

"You made peace with the tyranny and handed over the countries and the people to the Jews and Crusaders. … when you resort to silence on their crimes, when you refused to hold the banners of Jihad and Tawhid, and when you prevented youth from heading to the battlefields in order to defend the religion," he said.

"Instead of implementing God's orders, you chose your safety and preferred your money and sons. You left the mujahadeen facing the strongest power in the world," he said. "Are not your hearts shaken by the scenes of your brothers being surrounded and hurt by your enemy?"

It was unclear whether his message was intended as a direct threat against religious scholars.

This week, two Sunni clerics who were part of an influential Sunni group that openly called for a boycott of Jan. 30 national elections because of the U.S. offensive against Fallujah were assassinated by gunmen.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=278686

Why are we in his backyard? Alas, we will never know.

Anyway, I was fearing another Bin-Laden tape to send the Republicans backspinning to 9/11 (aw, look at our glorious unity under the fake flight suit...) The news was a relief of sorts?

I digress...

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

Gets around pretty quick for a one-legged man, and certainly was steady and fit during the Berg beheading.
He's a lot like Emmanuel Goldstein II, aka OBL. You know- serious health problems, miraculous recoveries, miraculous escapes.

Well, at least somebody's getting good medical care over there, even if our soldiers and the innocent civilians ain't.

At least that's what I think.

It doesn't make any sense at all. We have no idea who killed these Sunni clerics. More likely that it was the Mossad or some murderers working for Alawi/CIA. We have no proof that Al-Zarqawi is even alive let alone "leading Al Qaeda." This article is totally fabricated by the propaganda machine. "A tape purportedly made by..." "Al Zarqarwi is believed.." This is journalism?

Welcome to the monkey house.

It used to be that Al-Zarqawi was "connected" or "affiliated" with Al-Qaeda. Now he is leading Al-Qaeda?

Guess I missed the promotion party.:crazy:

It's over a year old, and he was trashing Saudi clerics in it, not Iraqis.

This is a blown US psy-op.

And a senior U.S. intelligence official told NBC that the audio was in fact not new, but an old tape originally aimed at Saudi clerics that had been re-edited to make it appear that al-Zarqawi was criticizing Iraqi clerics.

"The tape is nearly a year old and the clerics he was criticizing in that tape were Saudi clerics," the official said. "We would steer you way clear of the notion that he was criticizing Iraqi clerics."

The intelligence community was uncertain about who was broadcasting the statement and the motivation, the official said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6403689/

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