Two Iraqi insurgent groups called on president-elect Barack Obama [2] to withdraw US forces from Iraq, an Internet monitoring service reported Nov. 7. Abu Omar al-Baghdadi of the Islamic State of Iraq said it would be better "for you and us" to "withdraw your forces," according to the SITE Intelligence Group. "You do not interfere in the affairs of our countries," he continued in an apparent reference to Muslim nations. "We, in turn, will not prevent commerce with you, whether it is in oil or otherwise."
Al-Baghdadi blamed the global financial crisis on the wars "launched in Muslim countries" adding that he was issuing the call on behalf of "my brothers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Chechnya."
The US military says al-Baghdadi is an actor who provides a voice for al-Qaeda in Iraq [3] propaganda.
In a separate statement, the Mujahedeen Army urged Obama to withdraw US forces from Iraq or face "days that will be more difficult than the nightmare experienced by his predecessor."
The authenticity of the statements couldn't be verified. (AP [4], Nov. 7)
See our last posts on Iraq [5], al-Qaeda [6] and the insurgency [7].
