The_Right_Honourable_Brit
High Tory
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2004
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Read more: Canada.com
OTTAWA - An al-Qaeda strategist has warned Canada to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan or face terrorist attacks similar to 9/11, Madrid and the London transit bombings.
The threat, attributed to a member of the al-Qaeda information and strategy committee, condemns Prime Minister Stephen Harper for refusing to pull out of Afghanistan.
It also refers to Canada's "fanatic adherence to Christianity" as well as its purported attempts to "damage the Muslims" and its support for the "Christian Crusade" against al-Qaeda.
"Despite the strong, increasing opposition to spread its forces in the fire of South Afghanistan, it seems that they will not learn the lesson easily," Hossam Abdul Raouf writes.
The document, written in July, was obtained and translated by the SITE Institute, a U.S. non-profit group that monitors terrorist Web sites for clients, many of them in government.
It is the second reference in recent weeks to al-Qaeda singling out Canada because of its role in Afghanistan.
Last month, Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, referred to Canadian troops in Kandahar as "second-rate Crusaders."
The increasing focus on Canada in jihadist propaganda follows last June's arrest of 17 terrorist suspects in Toronto and comes as Canada is debating its role in NATO-led combat operations in southern Afghanistan.