American people responsible for 'blood of Muslims'

A top commander for al-Qaida says American people are as responsible for the U.S. military's ability to "wage war and spill the blood of Muslims" as is the American government.

"Islam does not distinguish between the American people and the American government, since both are in a state of war with Islam," Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid said in a recent interview.

The comments came in a report from Pakistan's independent television network Geo News, which was monitored and translated the Middle East Media Research Institute.

The MEMRI report said al-Yazid is considered al-Qaida's No. 3 man and "top commander in Afghanistan." The interview was in Arabic and broadcast with a voiceover in Urdu, and later was posted on Islamic websites.

(Story continues below)

MEMRI said al-Yazid also is known as Sheikh Sa'id, and he's a 52-year-old Egyptian with two wives and 14 children. The report said he was arrested in 1981 for involvement in the assassination of Egyptian president Anwar al-Sadat but later was released. He later joined al-Qaida and moved his operations to Afghanistan. He was working with Osama bin Laden in the Sudan in 1991 and later handled al-Qaida's financial affairs.

In the interview, al-Yazid said, "After all, these are the people who elect the [American] governments, and who even elected [President George] Bush for a second term in office, despite their awareness of his agenda against Islam. Despite witnessing Bush's many brutal [actions] against the Muslims, these people re-elected him. They are the ones who pay the taxes that enable the American government and army to wage war and spill the blood of Muslims."

Al-Yazid also said al-Qaida's attacks on the U.S. in Afghanistan are becoming more frequent and predicted that the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai will fall.

In other comments during the interview, al-Hazid boasted of al-Qaida's responsibility for an attack on the Danish Embassy in Islamabad in 2007, and said the bomber was a Saudi.

"We are proud to have carried out [this operation], and we congratulated our brothers for completing this task. We timed the attack in such a way that no Muslims were in the vicinity."

He also credited al-Qaida with 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and on a previous occasion had claimed the organization assassinated former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007.

"Al-Qaida is waging jihad against the U.S. because it is the head of the infidels and the pharaoh of our times," he said. "The U.S. is the flag-bearer of the new modern crusade … against the Muslim nation. We are [also] fighting the U.S. because it is standing by Israel and providing it with all sorts of assistance and power."

MEMRI is an independent nonprofit that provides translations of media reports from the Middle East and analysis of those reports.

 

---

Related offers:

Definitive work on Mideast – available only here!

"Everlasting Hatred: The Roots of Jihad"

"Israel in Crisis"

"Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict"

Perfect gift! Compass that points to Jerusalem

 

---

Previous stories:

Children TV viewers: 'Chop off his hand'

U.S. threatened by al-Qaida propaganda

Children's TV says Tel Aviv doesn't exist

'Bush killed' in Palestinian kids TV show

Islamic child: 'We all can be sacrificed'

New Hamas kids' character praises 'jihad'

Hamas' Mickey Mouse lookalike 'martyred'

'Mickey Mouse' promotes jihad

Toddler terrorist touted by jihadis

Cartoon: Palestinian child urinates on Lady Liberty

Hamas kids taught about 'evil Zionists'

Hamas: Kids 'fight in the resistance'

Suicide bomber videos: Footage of hate

Mother sad daughter didn't carry out bombing

Palestinian candidate mother of 'martyrs'

Terrorist moms 'yearn for martyrdom'

Mom of martyr: Sacrifice more of my children

Kids get martyr message in music video

Palestinians glorify child 'martyrs'

Hillary decries brainwash of child 'martyrs'

TV glorified 'martyrs' before attack

Saudis fabricate report of Jews teaching hatred

Poison pens: Kids spew toxic venom

Palestinian children 'dream of martyrdom'

Hamas launches webzine for kids

Palestinian TV urging children to kill

Jerusalem cleric praises child 'sacrifices'

Palestinian kids raised for war