Jihadists See Re-Election as a Declaration of War

Quoting a translation from the SITE Institute Intelligence Service, the National Post (Canada) reported that “radical jihadists are portraying the re-election of George W. Bush as a ‘declaration of war’ by Americans, raising concerns that al-Qaeda and its followers may respond with further acts of terrorism.”

Following is the full text of the article, written by Stewart Bell:

Radical jihadists are portraying the re-election of George W. Bush as a "declaration of war" by Americans, raising concerns that al-Qaeda and its followers may respond with further acts of terrorism.

According to postings on Internet message boards monitored by intelligence agencies, Islamic extremists are interpreting the election results as a license to continue attacks against the United States and its allies.

"The American people have declared war, Allah is the greatest," said an Arabic-language posting by Abdessamad. "The American people approve and endorse this pig's actions.

"Thank Allah as we will not find someone more stupid than him. Sons of Islam! This is a call to jihad. Listen and answer the call: Go to the jihad!"

The messages, posted the day after the election and translated by the SITE Institute, a U.S. research group that monitors jihadist Web sites, varied in their reactions to Mr. Bush's victory but all agreed that terrorist violence would continue.

"Thanks to God!" declared Abu Maarek Al-Sunni. "He wanted that the idiot Bush continue his policy ... Without Bush, there will be no chance for the deployment of the American army in Somalia. This is what the mujahedin want."

An e-mail posted by "Commander" said it did not matter whether "this dog or that miserable one" won the U.S. presidency. "It is the same difference, as they are all blasphemers, and our jihad will continue against one or the other."

Another posting, by Abdul Fattah Ismael, said simply: "Allah! Destroy them!"

Osama bin Laden surfaced last week in a videotaped message in which he mocked Mr. Bush but said regardless of who won the election there would be "a repeat" of Sept. 11 unless the U.S. changed its policies toward the Muslim world.

Parts of the video were broadcast on Arab television, but in his entire statement, translated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and obtained by the National Post, bin Laden says his strategy is to draw the U.S. into war and bankrupt its economy.

The FBI is urgently hunting for a self-proclaimed American jihadist named Azzam the American, who released a videotaped statement vowing that "the magnitude and ferocity of what is coming your way will make you forget all about Sept. 11th."

www.nationalpost.com