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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Qaeda-linked group claims attack on Shaukat |
| 2004-08-01 |
| A group claiming to be linked to the Al Qaeda network said on Saturday it had tried to assassinate prime minister-designate Shaukat Aziz and warned of more bloody attacks against pro-US officials, Reuters reported. The Islambouli Brigades of Al Qaeda, a previously unknown group, did not name Mr Aziz in the statement posted on an Islamist website, but said it had targeted one of the men of the "American infidel in Pakistan". "One of our blessed battalions tried to hunt a head of one of America's infidels in Pakistan while he was returning from Fateh Jang, but God wanted him to survive," the statement said, the Associated Press reported. "With this blow, we are delivering a message to the Pakistani government and its treacherous head, Pervez Musharraf, who is still extraditing the mujahideen to America to appease it," the statement said. "Yesterday's attack will be followed by more painful blows if you do not stop blindly obeying the orders of that lowlife President Bush. If you don't stop, the mujahideen will wage a bloody war in Pakistan." The group said it was giving the government a "period of truce" to cease handing over detainees to America, failing which the militants "will behave in a different way". The statement did not say how long the truce would last, but it warned that this message was "the last warning". "Within the coming few days, our brigades will speak with the language of blood which is the only language you understand," the message added. Information Minister Sheikh Rashid said the government was examining the claim. "We are looking into the Al Qaeda aspect, but it is too early to say that Al Qaeda was behind the attack on Mr Aziz at this point since investigations are underway." He said the government was trying to examine the website on which the claim had been posted. "It is the first time that an Al Qaeda-linked group has claimed responsibility for attack on a Pakistani leader," he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 This isn't Aq! It's front line brigoons. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-08-01 9:43:25 PM |