Friday, September 21, 2007

Osama declares war on Musharraf: Interesting timing for the threat

Osama declares war on Musharraf
Daily Times, September 21, 2007

DUBAI: Osama Bin Laden has vowed to retaliate against “infidel” President Pervez Musharraf for the killing of Lal Masjid cleric Ghazi Abdul Rashid, US websites said on Thursday.

“We in Al Qaeda call on God to witness that we will retaliate for the blood of Ghazi and those with him against Musharraf and those who help him,” a website quoted Bin Laden as saying.

Zawahri threat: In another video, Al-Qaeda No 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri warned that Gen Musharraf would be “punished” over the killing of Ghazi. He also called on Muslims to fight the US and its allies around the world.

“Let the Pakistan Army know that the killing of Ghazi and the demolition of his mosque have soaked the history of the Pakistani army in shame ... which can only be washed away by retaliation against the killers of Ghazi,” he said.

Pakistan, US undeterred: Pakistan Army spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad said such threats cannot deter the Pakistan Army from fulfilling its national duty.

US State Department spokesman Tom Casey said Bin Laden’s threat would not change “at all our cooperation or our desire to work with President Musharraf and the people and government of Pakistan to confront Al Qaeda”.

He added: “We are going to continue to work with Pakistan ... to confront him and make sure that we keep ourselves and our friends safe from attack from him.” agencies

Also See related Stories in Telegraph , Skynews, BBC

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