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An Islamist group calling itself "Abu-Hafs Al-Masri Brigades, Al-Qa'idah Organization -- The Europe Unit" has posted a statement on fundamentalist web sites threatening retaliation against America for its reelection of George W. Bush.

The statement reads in part: "Despite the fact that criminal Bush sanctioned the spilling of Muslims' blood during the past four years, and despite the massacres he committed and is still committing in Afghanistan, Palestine, and Iraq, we see that his popularity is rising and the clapping of his people is getting louder. This demonstrates the nature of the American people, who support the campaign launched by the criminal America against Islam... The American people, at the end of the road, are the ones who will bear the consequences of the policy of their president during the coming four years.... The coming days will show you [the American people] that the one you preferred will lead you to an unbearable hell and that rallying behind that criminal will not bring you the security you are looking for and will not prevent the mujahedin from reaching your strongholds. And days will prove this to you." [Translation from Yossef Bodansky, "Osama bin Laden's Real Message: The Trends Following the U.S. Elections," Defense & Foreign Affairs Daily, November 9, 2004.]

Nonetheless, the BBC reports that even some fundamentalists have raised doubts about the credibility of this group's threats. One was quoted as asking: "How would you believe those who claimed responsibility for the power blackout in New York and Canada last year, while later on it transpired that it had nothing to do with any terrorist operations?"

Labels: Abu-Hafs Al-Masri Brigades, al Qaeda, Al-Qa'idah, Al-Qaeda, Al-Qaida, Defense and Foreign Affairs Daily, George W. Bush, Yossef Bodansky