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

[Pismo]

Who cares what an enemy of the POTUS says? Listen! I don't care much about George W. Bush at all, but he's my Commander In Chief so, when someone who is a confessed enemy of my country says anything against MY PRESIDENT it pisses me off. I feel the same way about our President-elect. As Americans, we can argue about OUR LEADERS, but when an enemy says something about them its OUT of BOUNDS. Especially when its someone who's trying to take a high moral road through their religion, while they bomb, kill and maim innocent men, women and children all over the world and even those of their own race and religious persuasion. These are murderous, psychotic cowards, who just like seeing blood spilled. They kill people because killing is what they enjoy doing. They search their religious books to justify their murderous lust. As bad as that is, it doesn't really bother me, because I understand that crazy is crazy. What does bother me is the fact that our news media seems to feel its not only important, but necessary to post their psychotic rants.
I say, let them talk all they want and no one write a single word of it, especially no one from the USA. That to me would be patriotic. That would be the way to respond to the cowards that killed three thousand innocent American citizens, whose only crime was that they went to work on the morning of September 11th.

[MikeElPaso]

OK John, go git em!

[silentreader]

another massive failure from Bush...why do cave dwellers have access to the Internet when so many in our own country do not?

[Diomedes374]

WOW. I thought we only called each other that?!! I've never heard a non-Black person sling that one. WOW. I have to just laugh and continue on with my bid'ness.

[southernsepia]

Too funny.

That was my initial reaction too. I just had to laugh.

[jdmba]

I was thinking the same thing! Who taught him that term? D@mn internet.

[kawreader]

"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."

I'm the first to admit America has many serious flaws, but this mind frame makes absolutely no sense when Al Qaeda simply turns around does exactly what he claims America does. It's bizarre, whenever I see these things I feel like we are living in the Middle Ages.

[BIG JOHN]

AL QAEDA'S NUMBER 2, I ALWAYS THOUGHT NUMBER 2 WAS A PIECE OF SHI= WELL NOW I KNOW IT IS.

[CarbonDate]

That's the sound of AQ's shrinking relevance in the Muslim world. Bush was their greatest recruiting tool. With Obama at the helm, they may just finally fade into obscurity.

[conniedogs]

This isn't a racial slur, had he called BO the N word he'd be in for an "a" whooping. There are people in this country who've called PE O far worse things. There's been several at tem pts made on his life by Amurikans.­...another one today to be exact, He didn't thr eaten PO bama or the US. Wonder what is his motivation for calling him a HN.

[Julie02]

I wonder if he can see my middle finger from his house?

[The Lorax]

AAAAAAAAHA­HAHAHHAHAH­AHA!. I'll hold mine up too, heck I'll. hold up both of mine.

[timetorevolt]

only if you live in Alaska. lol

[Susej]

On a closer look, that picture seems to be taken at Langley. He is a double agent; Boosh forgot to prop him during the last week of the election campaign.

[Knowitall]

Wait a minute! For 2 years we've been told the terrorist wanted Obama to win! Lately we've been told that Obama was "palling around" with them! What happened? Or.......c­ould it be.......s­omebody was lying to us?????

[research]

Bingo!

[levibatgirl]

Not to mention the insistence that Obama is a Muslim.

He favorably mentioned Malcolm X because he was a Muslim.

Could he know Obama is not a Muslim?
Old man hiding in a cave thousands of miles away is better informed than some Americans.

[agpaul]

THESE OLD FARTS JUST WANT ATTENTION!!

BOMB THE MIDDLE EAST , EXCEPT ISRAEL

[Susej]

You era is expiring soon; January 20th to be exact.

[Hawka]

Like you're any better, what's with the captions exactly? Trying to garner attention maybe?

[chewie2008]

McCain and Palin tried to smear him and it didn`t work. "Chicago-Way " coming your way,Al-Hide-out.

[darthdarcy]

Bush let this jerk and bin-Laden escape Tora Bora even gave them a truce to do it, so now we have to listen to this piece of human excrement because Bush was such a wimp loser...Co­mmander in Chief..

[JC22]

This is the voice of a man without hope. The great majority of the Moslem world has hope that things can change and are willing to give life to that expression. It may be that President Obama will be ineffective in making substantial changes in this situation, but it is in everyone’s interest that he not only be given an opportunity to do so, but assisted in that process.
Keep hope Alive!