(AP) CAIRO – Al Qaeda‘s
branch in Yemen praised the killing of the U.S. ambassador in Libya in a Web
statement Saturday and called for more attacks to expel American embassies from
Muslim nations.
branch in Yemen praised the killing of the U.S. ambassador in Libya in a Web
statement Saturday and called for more attacks to expel American embassies from
Muslim nations.
The statement suggests al
Qaeda was trying to co-opt the wave of angry protests in the Muslim
world over a film produced in the United States denigrating the Prophet
Muhammad.
Qaeda was trying to co-opt the wave of angry protests in the Muslim
world over a film produced in the United States denigrating the Prophet
Muhammad.
In a move to try to
end the unrest, the top religious authority in Saudi Arabia said Muslims should
not be “dragged by anger” into violence, suggesting the film could not truly
hurt Islam.
end the unrest, the top religious authority in Saudi Arabia said Muslims should
not be “dragged by anger” into violence, suggesting the film could not truly
hurt Islam.
So far, there has been
no evidence of a direct role by al Qaeda in the protests,
which brought a flurry of attacks on American and other Western diplomatic
missions this week. The protests have been fueled mainly by ultraconservative
Islamists.
no evidence of a direct role by al Qaeda in the protests,
which brought a flurry of attacks on American and other Western diplomatic
missions this week. The protests have been fueled mainly by ultraconservative
Islamists.
But U.S. and Libyan
officials are investigating whether the protests were a cover for militants to
target the U.S. Consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi and kill Ambassador
Chris Stevens and three other Americans on Tuesday.
officials are investigating whether the protests were a cover for militants to
target the U.S. Consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi and kill Ambassador
Chris Stevens and three other Americans on Tuesday.
Al Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula, as the group in Yemen in known, said the killing of Stevens
was “the best example” for those attacking embassies to follow.
Arabian Peninsula, as the group in Yemen in known, said the killing of Stevens
was “the best example” for those attacking embassies to follow.
“What has happened is
a great event, and these efforts should come together in one goal, which is to
expel the embassies of America from the lands of the Muslims,” the group said.
It called on protests to continue in Muslim nations “to set the fires blazing
at these embassies.”
a great event, and these efforts should come together in one goal, which is to
expel the embassies of America from the lands of the Muslims,” the group said.
It called on protests to continue in Muslim nations “to set the fires blazing
at these embassies.”
In a separate
statement, the group claimed that those who attacked the consulate in Libya
were in part acting in anger over the killing in a U.S. drone strike earlier
this year of Abu Yahya al-Libi, al Qaeda’s then-number two.
statement, the group claimed that those who attacked the consulate in Libya
were in part acting in anger over the killing in a U.S. drone strike earlier
this year of Abu Yahya al-Libi, al Qaeda’s then-number two.
“The killing of
al-Libi only increased the enthusiasm and determination of the Libyan people to
take revenge on those who belittled our religion and our messenger, so they
stormed the American consulate and killed its ambassador, and they so, are
rewarded by God, on behalf of Islam, the best reward,” the group said in a
eulogy to al-Libi, posted Friday.
al-Libi only increased the enthusiasm and determination of the Libyan people to
take revenge on those who belittled our religion and our messenger, so they
stormed the American consulate and killed its ambassador, and they so, are
rewarded by God, on behalf of Islam, the best reward,” the group said in a
eulogy to al-Libi, posted Friday.
In the Saturday
statement, the group also reached out to “our Muslim brothers in Western
nations,” urging them “our Muslim brothers in the Western to fulfill their
duties in supporting God’s prophet … because they are the most capable of reach
them and vex them.”
statement, the group also reached out to “our Muslim brothers in Western
nations,” urging them “our Muslim brothers in the Western to fulfill their
duties in supporting God’s prophet … because they are the most capable of reach
them and vex them.”
“If your freedom of
speech is boundless, then let your chests bear the freedom of our actions.”
speech is boundless, then let your chests bear the freedom of our actions.”
Al Qaeda in Yemen is
considered by the U.S. the most dangerous and active of the terror network’s
affiliates after it plotted a series of attempted attacks on U.S. territory,
including the Christmas 2009 failed bombing of a passenger jet. It has suffered
a series of blows since, including the recent killing of its deputy leader in a
drone strike. Yemen’s government, backed by the U.S., has been waging an
offensive against the group, taking back territory and cities I the south that
the group’s fighters seized last year.
considered by the U.S. the most dangerous and active of the terror network’s
affiliates after it plotted a series of attempted attacks on U.S. territory,
including the Christmas 2009 failed bombing of a passenger jet. It has suffered
a series of blows since, including the recent killing of its deputy leader in a
drone strike. Yemen’s government, backed by the U.S., has been waging an
offensive against the group, taking back territory and cities I the south that
the group’s fighters seized last year.
On Friday, protests
against the movie, titled “Innocence of Muslims,” spread dramatically, breaking
out in 20 nations in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. While peaceful in most
places, the protests turned into assaults on U.S. and other Western embassies
in Sudan and Tunis and violent clashes with police in several countries that
left at least six dead.
against the movie, titled “Innocence of Muslims,” spread dramatically, breaking
out in 20 nations in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. While peaceful in most
places, the protests turned into assaults on U.S. and other Western embassies
in Sudan and Tunis and violent clashes with police in several countries that
left at least six dead.
Yemen saw protests
Friday and the day before, when protesters stormed the U.S. Embassy and tore
down the American flag.
Friday and the day before, when protesters stormed the U.S. Embassy and tore
down the American flag.
Trying to contain the
violence, the highest religious authority in Saudi Arabia said Saturday that
“the film does not hurt the Prophet and Islam … We have to denounce it without
anger.”
violence, the highest religious authority in Saudi Arabia said Saturday that
“the film does not hurt the Prophet and Islam … We have to denounce it without
anger.”
“Muslims should not be
dragged by wrath and anger to shift from legitimate to forbidden action and by
this, they will, unknowingly, fulfill some aims of the film,” Saudi grand mufti
Sheik Abdel-Aziz al-Sheik said.
dragged by wrath and anger to shift from legitimate to forbidden action and by
this, they will, unknowingly, fulfill some aims of the film,” Saudi grand mufti
Sheik Abdel-Aziz al-Sheik said.
