As this fairly comprehensive account from The Australian [2] makes clear, the notion that the London attacks were carried out by a heretofore unheard-of "Secret Organization of the Jihad of al-Qaeda in Europe" originates from reports on the websites of Germany's Der Spiegel and the Italian news agency ANSA that a communique claiming responsibility in that name appeared on an unnamed Islamic militant website. The quoted rhetoric is entirely plausible:
"Rejoice, Islamic nation. Rejoice, Arab world. The time has come for vengeance against the Zionist crusader government of Britain in response to the massacres Britain committed in Iraq and Afghanistan."
"The heroic mujaheddin carried out a blessed attack in London, and now Britain is burning with fear and terror, from north to south, east to west."
"[The attacks were] in response to the massacres carried out by Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan."
"We have repeatedly warned the Government and people of Britain, and we have now fulfilled our promise and have carried out a sacred military attack in Britain."
"We continue to warn the governments of Denmark, Italy and all the crusaders that they will meet the same punishment if they do not withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan."
But the quotes are presented in a patchwork; the complete text of the communique is not given. Nor is either the name or the URL of the website on which it allegedly appeared. Why?
The reports always say the statement "could not be authenticated."
This July 7 account from ANSA [3] says only the website is based in Egypt, and that Italian "intelligence sources" have dismissed it as "unreliable."
Are the reports intentionally vague at the request of the authorities pending an investigation? If so, what is the logic of witholding information from the public? Isn't a clear sense of the evidence as to who is behind this atrocity far more important than endless photos and accounts of carnage?
See our last post [4] on the London attacks.
