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| Iraq |
| Al-Qaida in Iraq: 'Insurgent Tape' Fake |
| 2006-10-16 |
| Al-Qaida in Iraq said Saturday that a recent video tape made by a man claiming to be an insurgent who called for the replacement of the head of the terrorist group was fabricated. The Mujahedeen Shura Council _ an umbrella organization of insurgent groups, including al-Qaida in Iraq _ said in a statement posted on its Web site that the video was 'a lie and a media trick.' The statement could not be independently confirmed. On Friday, a man who said he was an Iraqi Islamic insurgent released a video tape urging Osama bin Laden to replace al-Qaida in Iraq's leader with an Iraqi national. The man, who claimed to be Abu Osama al-Iraqi, said in the 17-minute video tape posted on a Web site commonly used by insurgents that there were 'deviations' by al-Qaida in Iraq under its new leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri. Al-Masri _ whose pseudonym means 'the Egyptian' _ took over the leadership after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed by a U.S. airstrike in June. Other Sunni insurgents had criticized al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian, for turning Sunni Iraqis against the movement by killing civilians. The Shura Council said the false video tape 'shows the great dilemma that the Crusader's coalition is passing through in Iraq especially after the calls for withdrawal that were released by the British army.' The group was referring to Britain's top soldier, Gen. Richard Dannatt, who said Thursday that British troops should withdraw from Iraq. On Friday, he backpedaled from the comments, saying he meant troops should leave within years. |
| Posted by:Oztralian |
| #2 Welcome back, Atomic Conspiracy! You were very much missed. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-10-16 05:54 |
| #1 This is probably the work of pro-government free-lancers and militia groups, as are many of the killings we see in Iraq these days. The institutional media cannot admit this, since they do not admit that such groups exist. Admitting as much would require that the government has popular support, which violates all standard media memes about this conflict. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2006-10-16 01:50 |