Qaeda vows Christian "seas of blood" over Lebanon Palestinians
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Qaeda vows Christian "seas of blood" over Lebanon Palestinians*
25 May 2007 16:21:44 GMT
Source: Reuters
DUBAI, May 25 (Reuters) - A group calling itself al Qaeda's wing in the
Levant vowed to carry out bombings in Lebanon and attacks on Christians
unless Beirut pulled its army away from Palestinian refugee camps.
"We warn you for the last time, after which there will be nothing apart
from seas of blood," said a speaker identified as the military leader of
the group in a video posted on Friday by a media arm used by Islamist
groups including Qaeda in Iraq.
"What we want is that you order the Christian Lebanese army to pull its
men from around all Palestinian camps and the Nahr al-Bared Camp in
particular," he said addressing Maronite Christian Partiarch Cadrinal
Nasrallah Sfeir.
"If you do not stop we will wrench out your hearts with ... bombs," said
the speaker whose face was covered with a chequered head dress and who
had rifle magazines around his torso.
There have been three bomb attacks in Lebanon this week since clashes
between the army and the al Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam militant group
erupted this week at Nahr al-Bared camp.
At least 33 soldiers and 25 militants have been killed in what is the
worst internal violence since the 1975-1990 civil war. Thousands have
fled the Nahr al-Bared camp, where sources say at least 11 civilians
have been killed and 100 wounded.
The speaker described the army's campaign as a "brutal ... crusade under
the pretext of fighting terrorism" and argued that Palestinians in
Lebanon have always suffered discrimination.
The Qaeda campaign would target businesses "starting with tourism and
ending with other means of making your rotten living", said the militant
who did not sound Lebanese.
Addressing Sfeir, the militant said: "Leash your dogs away from our kin
and stop the fire of your canons, or else... No crusader will be safe in
Lebanon after today. As you hit you will be hit."
A fragile truce held between the army and Fatah al-Islam militants on
Friday despite sporadic overnight clashes.
The United States and Arab allies sent military aid to Lebanon on Friday
and the Lebanese army deployed extra troops to the refugee camp.
"We welcome a battle, and do not be fooled by the support of apostate
Arabs to you," the militant said.