Al Qaeda No. 2 Calls Obama Racial Epithet

CAIRO, Egypt — Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader used a racial epithet to insult Barack Obama in a message posted Wednesday, describing the president-elect in demeaning terms that imply he does the bidding of whites. The message appeared chiefly aimed at persuading Muslims and Arabs that Obama does not represent a change in U.S. policies.

Ayman al-Zawahri said in the message, which appeared on militant Web sites, that Obama is "the direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like Malcolm X, the 1960s African-American rights leader.

In al-Qaida's first response to Obama's victory, al-Zawahri also called the president-elect _ along with secretaries of state Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice _ "house Negroes."

Speaking in Arabic, al-Zawahri uses the term "abeed al-beit," which literally translates as "house slaves." But al-Qaida supplied English subtitles of his speech that included the translation as "house Negroes."

The message also includes old footage of speeches by Malcolm X in which he explains the term, saying black slaves who worked in their white masters' house were more servile than those who worked in the fields. Malcolm X used the term to criticize black leaders he accused of not standing up to whites.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the latest message was just "more despicable comments from a terrorist."

The 11-minute 23-second video features the audio message by al-Zawahri, who appears only in a still image, along with other images, including one of Obama wearing a Jewish skullcap as he meets with Jewish leaders. In his speech, al-Zawahri refers to a Nov. 5 U.S. airstrike attack in Afghanistan, meaning the video was made after that date.

Al-Zawahri said Obama's election has not changed American policies he said are aimed at oppressing Muslims and others.

"America has put on a new face, but its heart full of hate, mind drowning in greed, and spirit which spreads evil, murder, repression and despotism continue to be the same as always," the deputy of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden said.

He said Obama's plan to shift troops to Afghanistan is doomed to failure, because Afghans will resist.

"Be aware that the dogs of Afghanistan have found the flesh of your soldiers to be delicious, so send thousands after thousands to them," he said.

Al-Zawahri did not threaten specific attacks, but warned Obama that he was "facing a Jihadi (holy war) awakening and renaissance which is shaking the pillars of the entire Islamic world; and this is the fact which you and your government and country refuse to recognize and pretend not to see."

He said Obama's victory showed Americans acknowledged that President George W. Bush's policies were a failure and that the result was an "admission of defeat in Iraq."

But Obama's professions of support for Israel during the election campaign "confirmed to the Ummah (Islamic world) that you have chosen a stance of hostility to Islam and Muslims," al-Zawahri said.

Comments

[TheBride]

Al-Qaeda lost the international discursive war against the US when Barack Obama won.

This is so desperate and unoriginal. They took this one from irrational frothing at the mouth liberal simpleton Harry "I've never seen a white woman I didn't like" Belafonte who called Powell and Rice "house negroes" for working under W. who had the most diverse cabinet and gave more money to African aid than any other Pres in history.

Rhetorically, rabid liberalism often looks a lot like Islamic extremism. This is the latest in a long line of similar examples.

[BubbasBait]

I'm surprised by Al Qaeda...yo­u would think they could get behind someone with the name Hussain.

[SiberianRat]

Hussein is a very common name in much of the world--it would be like saying Americans should get behind someone named John. I guess I don't understand the point. Also, if you're making reference to Saddam, he was hated by Al Qaeda. Seems to me this is a comment to bring up the tired rightwing Obama's-a-terrorist bit.

[ResidentChimpinExile]

What's all the fuss? He was only repeating Bellafonte's racial slur against Powell. No one spoke out then. Why now?

[clsmithj]

Perhaps Bellafonte was a bigger figure or threat to America than Al-Qaeda.

[toochie50]

This has really got to be confusing to poor old Hannity, Rush and Savage :)

[SiberianRat]

Haha, yep, I was just thinking this too.

[NonLeftist]

Why is this even news? It just hammers home that these Islamo Nazis are equal opportunity haters. Don't give these scumbags any more press.

[AZWolfster]

This country has a majority of white people, so technically Obama IS doing the bidding of whites. Of course, the fact that what white people did in the election was bid him to lead us all makes it, I'd say, a slightly more honorable situation than slavery.

[jbs902]

The first slaveholders in Africa were Arabs. This loser cant be a house anything as he broadcasts his drivel from a tent.

[bakedalaska2]

Don't be fooled by their "compliments" to Malcolm X.

Al Queda pays its black African fighters less than its fighters of Arabian descent.

According to the Al Queda dictionary, black = slave.

[xxnounxx]

oh and al qaeda let you into there salary books
did no one tell you osama bin ladens father is half black from the yemen??

[Kassam]

We will break Al-Quaida for ever.!!!!

[saltpeter]

Al-Qaeda is getting desperate. They were only emboldened by Bush's imperialist ambitions because they knew that he could not go through pursuing al-Qaeda in Afghanistan since there was nothing in it economically for the US. Obama's plans to go after al-Qaeda leadership directly and leave theUS imperialist ambitions in the Middel East in the past while we wean ourselves from oil does not bode well for al-Qaeda's schemes. They and other terrorist operations in the area rely on American foreign policy being predictable and usually involves us being mired down in their regional concerns. Once we insert ourselves into their regional issues, we become the scapegoat for their leaders failures. Without our willful participation in their issues, their leaders would have to own up to their own people for their lack of leadership. Both al-Zawahri and bin Ladin know that without US intervention that doesn't intend tfor the US to overstay it's welcome, they have no one to blame for not delivery on specific promises. Without our help, their followers will see them for the demogogues that they are and turn away from. This rhetoric is just him misappropriating the words of another strong African-American to bolster his movement that will be in disarray after the US leaves Iraq and props up a pro-democratic Pakistan. See this rhetoric for the desperate plea that it is to keep al-Qaeda relevant long after US presence in the region is diminished.

[htd2009]

They really should send the tapes back, UNOPENED.

[forceblade]

post it!

[tahoegal]

Shucks, Obama was called worse names by McCain, Palin and Lieberman during the campaign. He's no doubt dealt with this all his life. He's tough, and getting tougher. He looks at the big picture, and the name-calling won't bother him.

[bobrobthomas]

Know your enemy and know his history. #2 was kicked out of the Muslim Brotherhood (the
largest Muslim fundementalist resistance group) because his belief in violence and the "long war" were out of step with the reality of the groups 30 year failure to win by use of such tactices.
Al Quidda is the violent arm of Wahabbism (sort of like the KKK is to Christianity or the IRA is to Irish Nationalism) The Wahabbi are the ignorant rednecks of Islam. (and worse yet, they're ignorant rednecks with money.) That is why the Iraqqis kicked them out of Iraq. It was like a bunch if ignorant hillbillies showing up in New York City and saying "we're going to show you how to run this place and if you object, we'll kill you."
#2 shows how ignorance is it's own punishment. America freely elects a president with an African father, a White Mother, a Muslim name and experience growing up in a Muslim country - they freek. They insult Africans, their fastest growing population, they emphasise Arab arragence in a time when Islam is predominently non-arab.
My advise to #2 is crawl back in your cave, you are no longer interesting to the world and irrelevent to the aspirations of Muslims around the world. The only thing the world wants to see of you is when the Pakastani army drags you body through the streets of Islamabaad feet first. That will truely be Alah's will.

[elcojonu]

Clearly the Moslem world wasn't meant as a place for us to hang around in and present a high profile target for every malcontent group that would like to make a name for itself.
The wisest couse of action is for us to reduce our profile in their countries and not get involved in their intrigues, Oil or no Oil. This is one exception to the maxim of keeping your enemies close; let them wallow in their mire.
Wars that cannot be won should be avoided - Master Tzu, The Art of War

[AsianAfricanAMERICAN]

I'm glad these idiots reminded me who the enemy really is. I was starting to think the enemy was the Conservatives.