All Blair's Fault

It's the main item on the BBC website, and it was given top billing on the 6 o'clock news:

Osama Bin Laden's lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahri has warned London will face more attacks because of Tony Blair's foreign policy decisions.

His comments were made in a videotape which was broadcast on Arab satellite channel al-Jazeera.

The al-Qaeda deputy said: "Blair has brought you destruction to the heart of London, and he will bring more destruction, God willing."

Mr Blair denies his policies provoked the 7 July bombs, which killed 56.

Al-Zawahri also warned the US that Iraq would be worse than Vietnam.

Nothing but the facts....and Al-Zawahri's pronouncements are no doubt of some significance. So why do I feel like the BBC are playing his game?

MEMRI provide a link to the actual broadcast, and a translation:

"As for the English, I say to them: Blair has brought destruction upon you, to the center of London, and he will have more of it, Allah willing. Oh the peoples of the Crusader coalition, we have offered you, at least, to stop your aggression against the Muslims. We have offered you... The lion of Islam, the mujaheed Sheik Osama bin Laden, may Allah protect him, has offered you a truce, so you will leave the lands of Islam. Did Sheik Osama bin Laden not tell you that you could not dream of security before we live it as a reality in Palestine and before all the infidel armies leave the land of Muhammad? But you have made rivers of blood in our countries, so we blew up volcanoes of rage in your countries. Our message to you is clear and unequivocal: You will not be saved unless you withdraw from our land, stop stealing our oil and our resources, and cease your support of the corrupt (Arab) rulers."

And from an earlier broadcast:

"I would also like to stress that the expulsion of the invading Crusader and Jews from the lands of Islam will not be accomplished merely through demonstrations and hoarse throats in the streets. Reform and expelling the invaders from the lands of Islam will only be accomplished by fighting for the sake of Allah.

It would be asking too much, I suppose, for the BBC to emphasise that Al-Zawahri is not a nice man. When he says, for instance, "you could not dream of security before we live it as a reality in Palestine", he's not talking about any two-state solution. That we're not dealing here with a man with reasonable demands about the West ceasing to meddle in the Muslim world, but a theocratic fascist who's willing to see as much blood shed as it takes to turn back the clock to some medieval caliphate. It's just that I can't help thinking many viewers - and many inside the BBC as well, perhaps - will be thinking, well, there you go. It was all about Iraq. Get our troops home, apologise, and everything'll be OK.

Comments

[Anthony]

To be fair, the New Statesman beat Al-Zawahri to it.

http://www.blacktriangle.org/blog/?p=1116