On the Madrid massacre…

MEMRI has posted a translation and commentary on the alleged statement by the Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades of Al-Qa’ida, in which the brigades claimed to be responsible for the bombings in Madrid. The statement was originally published today in the pro-Saddam, pro-bin Laden London daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi.
MEMRI notes that the Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades claimed responsibility for the August 2003 blackout in the U.S. (which was a large-scale technical failure), calling it “Operation Quick Lightning in the Land of the Tyrant of This Generation.” Here is MEMRI commentary on the alleged claim of responsiblity:

The text of this statement includes linguistic usages and concepts that are incompatible with or alien to authentic Al-Qa’ida writings by Osama bin Laden, Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri, and others. The following are some examples, in order of appearance:
* Following the Qur’an verses is the title “The Trains of Death Operation.” This is uncommon in bin Laden’s writing. Also, it is noteworthy that the phrase “Trains of Death” is not reiterated in the text as the name of the operation.
* “Settling old accounts,” both as a linguistic form and as a concept, is alien to authentic Al-Qa’ida writings.
* The use of the concept of “agents” is taken from the vocabulary of nationalist ideology, while bin Laden and his followers relate to their enemies primarily as infidels.
* The phrase “but you did not get the message” is not one used by bin Laden, who does not cast his operations in the light of “messages,” rather, as acts in and of themselves to further the goals of Al-Qa’ida for the sake of Allah. Thus, it follows that:
* The concept of conditionality, as in the statement “And if you renounce [fighting us], we too will stop fighting you” is not a bin Laden concept.
* The term “The Tyrant of the Generation” was used in the previous statement of alleged responsibility by the Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades, for the August 2003 U.S. blackout – which was caused by a large-scale technical failure.
* In authentic Al-Qa’ida writings, the September 11 attacks are not referred to as “events” but as “raids” (the early Islamic term ghazwah).
* The announcement of an operation to begin at “4515 S.B.” or reference to an operation that is “90% completed” is alien to bin Laden’s scholarly Islamist style.
Thus, this statement does not seem to be an authentic Al-Qa’ida document.

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