Al-Qaida in Iraq Announces "Mighty Raid on the Soldiers of the Crusaders and the Apostates"

By Evan Kohlmann

In response to yesterday's audio message from Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, commander (or "emir") of the Al-Qaida-led "Islamic State of Iraq", Al-Qaida and its Iraqi insurgent coalition partners have announced the start of a "Mighty Raid on the Soldiers of the Crusaders and Apostates." A statement circulated today by fighters loyal to the "Islamic State" declared, "We are at your service, Our Emir" and indicated that "new strikes by the legions of mujahideen--at their head, the Martyr Brigades, the Anti-Aircraft Brigades, the Assault Brigades, and the Fixed Weapons Brigades--are in progress targeting the fortresses of the crusaders and apostates."

While the statement did not list any specific targets, there are general ongoing concerns about Baghdad's international zone, otherwise known as the "Green Zone." Only two months ago, the U.S. military announced that it had dismantled an Al-Qaida cell in Baghdad that managed to infiltrate the high-security Green Zone and was "in the final stages" of preparing to launch suicide bomb attacks.

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