'Iraq al-Qaeda' welcomes US poll
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/6137082.stm Version 0 of 1. A statement purportedly from the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq hails the defeat of Republicans in the US mid-term polls. The audio message, whose authenticity has not been verified, was published on Islamist websites and was said to be the voice of Abu Hamza al-Muhajir. The Democrats' victory in Tuesday's Congressional elections was a move in the right direction, the speaker said. Outgoing US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had stepped down to flee the Iraqi battlefield, he added. He told US President George W Bush to "stay on the battleground". "I tell the lame duck (US administration) do not rush to escape as did your defence minister. "The American people have taken a step in the right path to come out of their predicament... they voted for a level of reason," the voice said. Muhajir, also known as Ayyub al-Masri, has been identified by US forces as the successor to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, killed in a raid in June 2006. |