[Peace-discuss] Who did the Ashura bombings? [2]

[C. G. Estabrook]

Purported Qaeda Letter Denies Role in Iraq Blasts

Reuters
3 March 2004

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=
1N01FQBOVMGS4CRBAE0CFFA?type=worldNews&storyID=4486705

DUBAI (Reuters) - A letter purporting to come from Osama bin Laden's al
Qaeda network denied any role in Tuesday's anti-Shi'ite Muslim explosions
in Iraq and blamed the attacks that killed 185 people on the United
States.

The letter, signed by the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades with "al Qaeda" in
parenthesis, was sent to the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper. It
was obtained by Reuters Wednesday.

"U.S. troops have committed a massacre against the innocent Shi'ite people
to set sectarianism ablaze among Iraq's Muslims," the letter said.

"We, and with God as our witness, say we are innocent of this act and of
anything that will drive the Shi'ites away. Our mujahideen (holy warriors)
love God and his prophet and will not do anything that will harm the Iraqi
people."

Suicide bombers, mortars and concealed explosives killed at least 185
people and wounded more than 435 in Baghdad and Kerbala during the holy
Shi'ite mourning period of Ashura.

The attacks on the mass gatherings made Tuesday the bloodiest day since
U.S. troops toppled Saddam Hussein in April.

Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council blamed the blasts on Abu Musab
Zarqawi, a Jordanian who Washington says works for al Qaeda and whom it
accuses of trying to fuel chaos in Iraq.

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