#2 Al Qaeda Expresses Fear of Withdrawal Bill

In a recent video taped interview, Ayman al-Zawahiri expressed his fear that the funding bill which included a withdrawal timeline would "deprive [Al Qaeda] of the opportunity to destroy the American forces which we have caught in a historic trap." I suppose he was quite happy to hear of Bush's veto.

The American Congress recently passed a bill which ties the funding of American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan to a timetable for the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq which ends next March. What is your comment on this resolution?

"This bill reflects American failure and frustration. However, this bill will deprive us of the opportunity to destroy the American forces which we have caught in a historic trap. We ask Allah that they only get out of it after losing two hundred to three hundred thousand killed, in order that we give the spillers of blood in Washington and Europe an unforgettable lesson which will motivate them to review their entire doctrinal and moral system which produced their historic criminal Crusader/Zionist entity."

If Bush and the congressional neocons continue to get their way, al-Zawahiri may get his as well. This is of course being promoted by the neocons as an example of Al Qaeda and Democratic opinions being one and the same in this instance, but I ask you which is worse: saving American lives at the expense of Al Qaeda's claims of victory or waiting until two hundred to three hundred thousand die just so we can say we won? We have to pull out sometime; when that happens, Al Qaeda will claim they've won regardless.

"And lest Bush worry, I congratulate him on the success of his security plan and I invite him on the occasion for a glass of juice -- but in the cafeteria of the Iraqi parliament!"

They mock, yes. But they have mocked before, and they will always mock. Should we throw more of our finest into the grinder to stop the mean, mean words?