Oh, the irony (From the BBC)
Al-Qaeda's deputy leader has claimed that a radical Algerian Islamist group has joined al-Qaeda and is being urged to punish France, it has emerged.
Ayman al-Zawahiri appeared in a video on a website on the fifth anniversary of the 11 September attacks.
In the video, Zawahiri says: "Osama Bin Laden has told me to announce to Muslims that the GSPC [the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat] has joined al-Qaeda," according to the transcript of his message given by the AFP news agency.
"This should be a source of chagrin, frustration and sadness for the apostates [of the regime in Algeria], the treacherous sons of [former colonial power] France."
He urges the group to become "a bone in the throat of the American and French crusaders".
Those of us on the Right have alot of fun at France's expense. We call them cheese eating surrender monkeys, talk about the speed bumps on France's side of the French/German border, and so on on. We know of the anti-America sentiment coming from France. But, they do have their own issues with Muslims, and have been mostly good partners in the war on terror.
Consider:
- Muslims make up almost 25% of the French population, mostly in the bigger cities, and they are poor, out of work, sneered at by the population, and angry. We saw that with the riots.
- "The law about the scarf" has been completely misunderstood and created outrage among the Islamists. They are still upset over it.
- France is participating in the effort in Afghanistan with quite a lot or ressources, specially through special forces, naval and air support. They also participate in other areas in the WoT. Their DGSE and special forces are very good.
- France is the number one provider of anti-terrorist intelligence to the CIA. This is due to the infiltration ability, France is one of the few WESTERN nations able to provide secret agents with arabic background. Their DGSE has had a long history of operations in the Middle East and Africa, plus their large arab population provides for agents.
- France's intervention in Lebanon and support for a non-radical solution in the region, independence towards Israel, is very popular in the Arab world. It alienates both the Islamists and the Hezbollah.
- France is a focus of European politics. Al Queda doesn't care what is said, the French are infidels for not following their way. Period.
Punchline of jokes or not, France would make an excellent target for the terrorists, probably a better one in Europe then Britain, especially if this would enable the muslim population to rise up.
