Any idea that the only reason that al Qaeda attacks the West is because of American foreign policy should be thrown out the window now that Osama bin Laden has essentially declared war on Western Civilization:
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Osama bin Laden warned in a new audiotape of a ‘’severe” reaction for Europeans’ publication of cartoons of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad in what experts saw as a direct threat of a new attack in Europe.
The message, posted late Wednesday on a militant Web site that has carried al-Qaida statements in the past and bore the logo of the extremist group’s media wing al-Sahab, showed a still image of bin Laden aiming with an assault rifle.
”The response will be what you see and not what you hear and let our mothers bereave us if we do not make victorious our messenger of God,” said a voice believed to be bin Laden’s, without specifying what action would be taken.
Ben Venzke, the head of IntelCenter, a U.S. group that monitors militant messages, called Wednesday’s video a ”clear threat against EU member countries and an indicator of a possible upcoming significant attack.”
And apparently, they’ve got Pope Benedict in the cross hairs this time:
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican rejected on Thursday fresh accusations from Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden that the publication of cartoons mocking Islam’s Prophet Mohammad was part of a “new crusade” involving Pope Benedict.
“These accusations are totally unfounded,” the chief Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi told Reuters, in response to an audio recording by bin Laden which was posted on the Internet to coincide with the birthday of the founder of Islam.
The Saudi-born militant leader said Europe would be punished for the cartoons, which were first published by a Danish paper in September 2005 and unleashed a bloody reaction after other newspapers around the world reprinted them the following year.
Last month several Danish newspapers republished one of the cartoons in solidarity with the cartoonist after three men were arrested on suspicion of plans to kill him. This sparked a fresh outburst of protest by Muslims.
Because, you know, the thought that they’re only cartoons never occurred to these fascists.
March 20th, 2008 at 10:35 am
I guess it didn’t occur to Christians, either, considering the Cavalier Daily cartoon brouha.
March 20th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Gandhi’s criticism (”I think it’s a wonderful idea”) to the contrary aside, the real question may be how much of “Western Civilization” is left to defend. The far Left in America says “War is not the answer,” demonstrating more than anything that they don’t even know what the question is, and much of rapidly-deChristianizing Europe seems to be taking a pass.