Terrorist Brigade Issues Eerie Warning to U.S., Other Countries

U.S. officials in Washington say Wednesday's huge bomb blast in Baghdad also may be the work of al Qaeda

Thursday, March 18, 2004
By David Brody

CBN Congressional Correspondent

"Iraqi people cannot tolerate these criminal acts, they will respond to it. Iraqi people are known for their patience but when they respond, they respond seriously, fiercely. We're all together in this battle against terrorists, and we will win."

WASHINGTON -- CBN
A terrorist group with ties to al Qaeda may be responsible for Wednesday's deadly hotel bombing in Iraq. The al Qaeda splinter group that claimed responsibility for the Madrid bombings is now warning that other countries may be next, including the United States.

They call themselves the Brigade of Abu Hafs al-Masri, which is considered a splinter group of al Qaeda. In a statement to an Arabic newspaper, they signal a warning: "Our brigades are getting ready now for the coming strike. Whose turn will it be next? Is it Japan, America, Italy, Britain, Saudi Arabia or Australia? And it goes on to say, "We change and destroy countries. We even influence the international economy, and this is God's blessing to us."

The U.S. says the group lacks credibility, but the editor of the Arabic paper says the statement is authentic. The statement also appeared on an Islamic web site. And in the past, this group has claimed responsibility for bombings in Istanbul and the UN headquarters in Iraq.

(More: CBN.com / The War on Terrorism)

2004 © The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc.

Dan