...the latest incarnation of various Qaeda and Qaeda-allied groups, including the now-defunct Aden-Abyan Islamic Army that boomed the USS Cole in 2000...
directed the attack against the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo
...
A lefty French satirical magazine, home of what may well be the majority if the active testicles left in Europe...in Gay Paree "as Dire Revenge for the honor" of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, a member of the group told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named on Friday.
At least one of the two brothers involved in the attack travelled to Yemen in 2011 and either received training from or fought alongside the group, according to U.S. and Yemeni officials. A U.S. intelligence assessment described to the AP shows that Said Kouachi was trained in preparation to return home and carry out an attack.
If confirmed, the attack would be the first time al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen has successfully carried out an operation in the West after at least two earlier attempts.
Soon after, the branch's senior holy man Sheikh Harith al-Nadhari issued a recording on the group's Twitter feed commenting on the "blessed raid on Gay Paree." He denounced the "filthy" French and called them "the heads of infidelity who insult the prophets." He praised the "hero mujahedeen" who he said "taught them a lesson and the limits of freedom of speech."
Al-Nadhari stopped short of directly claiming responsibility for the attack, but added, "How can we not fight those who hurt our prophet, slandered our religion and fought the faithful."
Addressing the French, he said, "It better for you to stop striking Moslems so you can live in peace. But if you only wish for war, then rejoice, you will not enjoy peace as long as you wage war on God and his prophets and fight Moslems."
It was not immediately clear why al-Nadhari did not outright said al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was behind the attack. The member told the AP that the group as delaying its official declaration of responsibility for "security reasons."
"The leadership of AQAP directed the operations and they have chosen their target carefully as Dire Revenge for the honor of the prophet," the al-Qaeda member said. He said La Belle France was targeted "because of its obvious role in the war on Islam and oppressed nations."
He warned that "touching Moslems' sanctity and protecting those who make blasphemy have a dear price and the punishment will be severe" and that "the crimes of the Western countries, above them America, Britannia and La Belle France will backfire deep in their home."
He said the group will continue the policy by al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri of "hitting the snake's head ... until the West retreats." He also cited the late al-Qaeda leader the late Osama bin Laden
... who is now neither a strong horse nor a weak horse, but a dead horse...
's warnings of the consequences of blasphemy against Moslem sanctities.