Al-Zarqawi urges Sunnis to take on Shiites
(AP)
Updated: 2006-06-02 20:29
The leader of al-Qaida in Iraq urged Sunnis to confront Shiites and ignore
calls for reconciliation in a new audiotape posted Friday on the Web, saying
Shiite militias are killing and raping the Sunni Arab minority.
This is an undated photo of Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi released by the U.S. Department of State. Al-Zarqawi, the
leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, urged Sunnis to confront Shiites and ignore
calls for reconciliation in a new audiotape posted Friday on the Web,
saying Shiite militias are killing and raping the Sunni Arab minority.
[AP] |
The tape was a four-hour sermon by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi against Shiites,
denouncing their top cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani as an "atheist," and
saying the community had collaborated with invaders throughout Iraq's history.
"Oh Sunni people, wake up, pay attention and prepare to confront the poisons
of the Shiite snakes who are afflicting you with all agonies since the invasion
of Iraq until our day. Forget about those advocating the end of sectarianism and
calling for national unity," al-Zarqawi said.
The authenticity of the audiotape could not be independently confirmed. It
was posted on a Web forum often used by his al-Qaida in Iraq for messages and
the voice resembled that of al-Zarqawi's on other confirmed tapes from him.
A written statement said Friday's video was made two months ago and that the
group had intended to post it then, but "circumstances" prevented it from doing
so. The statement, posted with the video, did not elaborate.
It was the first message from al-Zarqawi since April 29, when he appeared in
a video saying that any government formed in Iraq would be merely a "stooge" of
the Americans. That video was the first time al-Qaida in Iraq had released
images showing his face.
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