'Al Qaida' statement reveals Iraq targets
An internet statement posted today and purportedly issued by al Qaida in Iraq warned all Sunni Muslims to avoid targets in Iraq that militants are likely to attack.
The statement, the authenticity of which could not be verified, appeared unique as it was the first to be written in both Arabic and English. Such statements are normally written only in Arabic.
The statement advised people to stay away from Baghdad International Airport, which the group claimed “is a hideout for the Crusaders and the renegades.”
Al Qaida in Iraq has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks, including suicide car bombings at the checkpoint to Baghdad’s airport.
The group is led by Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Sunni extremist who has vowed to attack Iraq’s majority Shiite population in a bid to start a civil war.
Sunnis, who comprise about 20% of Iraq’s population, lost influence in Iraq after Saddam Hussein was ousted following the US-led invasion.
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