Al Qaeda Kidnaps Two Austrians
“Al Qaida’s North Africa wing said on Monday it was holding two Austrian tourists it had abducted in Tunisia on Feb. 22, linking its action to an Israeli offensive in Gaza,” the Israeli newspaper the Haaretz reports.
Al Jazeera television aired an audio recording by a man who identified himself as Salah Abou-Mohammad - a spokesman of al Qaida Organization in the Islamic Maghreb - and said the group will soon announce its demands in exchange for the release of the abducted tourists.
“The spokesman said in the tape that the group will announce its conditions for the release of the two tourists at a later stage,” an Al Jazeera presenter said. The channel did not broadcast that part of the recording. Abu-Mohammed said the hostages were kidnapped in retribution to the West’s cooperation with Israel, but added that the two were in a good condition. He warned Western tourists against visiting the north African state, which attracts visitors from several European countries.
“We tell Western tourists … the hand of the mujahideen can reach you wherever you were on Tunisian soil,” he said. “This apostate Tunisian state cannot protect you,” he said.
The real apostates are, of course, these Al Qaeda rogues who think that kidnapping, torturing and killing innocent people is fine with God. They’ve brought some Muslim countries back to the stone age, and they seem determined to cause even more suffering.
What’s fascinating about this is that Austria has nothing - and I do mean nothing - to do with whatever it is Israel does. Once again proof that Muslim terrorists don’t need reasons to commit terrorism, all they need are excuses.
So what will Austria do? Negotiate about the release? Pay ransom? Talk to Israel?
I agree that The real apostates are Al Qaeda. That goes without saying. It seems that Al Qaeda will terrorise anyone that comes from a "Westernized" country, regardless of that countries /persons actions. Al Qaeda, and newer terrorist organizations that are spinoffs of Al Qaeda, see all westernized countries as the enemy, not just the ones that interact with Israel, or assist in the war on terror. They claim retribution for specific acts of the West, but these are just excuses. It is very difficult to destroy an idea (the West is inherrently bad) by force. In my view, I’m afraid the Al Qaeda "bees nest" will just keep moving around the globe, wherever the West is seen as "evil" even if our "intentions of spreading democracy are are good".