Al-Qaida blames Blair for London attacks
A senior al-Qaida figure has singled out Tony Blair and his foreign policies as the reason behind the London bombings last month.
Osama bin Laden’s lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahri, issued the warning via a videotape broadcast on Arab satellite channel al-Jazeera. He said Britons should expect more attacks.
“Blair has brought to you destruction in central London, and he will bring more of that, God willing,” the al-Qaida deputy said.
He added: “If you go on with the same policy of aggression against Muslims, you will see, with God’s will, what will make you forget the horrible things in Vietnam and Afghanistan.”
The prime minister has consistently denied that UK military action in Iraq and Afghanistan has anything to do with the London bombings, insisting they are just excuses used by people driven by an “evil ideology”.
But today’s warning is a clear threat to all the western nations with troops in Iraq, whom Al-Zawahri described as the “crusader alliance”.
He offered these nations a truce if they “leave the land of Islam”, adding: “Hasn’t Sheikh Osama bin Laden told you that you will not dream of security before there is security in Palestine and before all the infidel armies withdraw from the land of Muhammed?
“Instead, you spilled blood like rivers in our countries and we exploded the volcanoes of wrath in your countries.”
It concludes: “Our message to you is clear, strong and final: There will be no salvation until you withdraw from our land, stop stealing our oil and resources and end support for infidel (Arab) rulers.”
In previous broadcasts in February and June, Al-Zawahri urged Muslims to take to violent demonstrations, saying peaceful protests are futile. It is believed the Egyptian-born criminal is hiding in the border areas of either Pakistan or Afghanistan.
