Al-Zarqawi Denies Weddings Targeted (Al-Qaeda Apologizes)

Al-Zarqawi said the target was US and Israeli intelligence Al-Qaida in Iraq's leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said in an internet audiotape the group did not intend to target Muslim wedding parties in deadly bomb attacks in Jordan last week.

In the tape, posted on a website often used by groups in Iraq, al-Zarqawi defended the blasts on three hotels saying al-Qaida had inside information that they were home to US, Israeli and Jordanian intelligence agencies.

"We ask God to have mercy on the Muslims, who we did not intend to target, even if they were in hotels which are centres of immorality," the voice on the tape said.

"The idea that they blew up inside wedding ceremonies is a lie by the Jordanian regime... The target was a meeting of intelligence agencies, but a roof collapsed on a wedding party from the blast," he said.

The triple bombings killed 54 people in the Amman hotels, sparking outrage in Jordan. Most of the victims were Jordanians attending wedding parties.

Al-Qaida in Iraq is one of the main groups fighting against US forces and the US-backed government.

"We chose these hotels after over two months of thorough checks with trusted sources inside the hotels and elsewhere showed that they were centres for Jewish, US and Jordanian security apparatus," al-Zarqawi said.

ON THE NET...

INTERNET-HAGANAH.US: ""ZARQAWI: 'I READ IT IN THE LOS ANGELES TIMES'" (November 19, 2005)

"www.internet-haganah.us/hmedia/19nov05-zarqawi-latimes.mp3"

"trackingalqueda.blogspot.com/2005/11/new-al-zarqawi-audio-out-this-am.html"

INTERNET-HAGANAH.US: "HE SPENT TIME IN IRAQ AND RAN ONE OF ZARQAWI'S WEBSITES" (November 19, 2005)

WTOP.com (AP): "AL-ZARQAWI TAPE THREATENS JORDAN'S KING" (Updated November 18, 2005)

JAMESTOWN.org - Terrorism Monitor: "AL-ZARQAWI'S RISE TO POWER: ANALYZING TACTICS AND TARGETS" by Murad Al-Shishani (Part 1) (November 17, 2005)

INTERNET-HAGANAH.US: "WE PLEDGE ALLEGIANC TO OSAMA...AND TO THE UNITED JIHAD OF AL-QAIDA" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: ""We pledge allegience to Osama... ...and to the United Jihad of al-Qaida, http://alfirdaws.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8135 ...and to the Caliphate for which we kill - one Ummah, under Allah, with Beneficence and Mercy for all." Al-'ilam al-Islami - founding father of the Global Islamic Media Front - today published a call for the believers to pledge an oath, or bay'aa, to the "commanders of the Muslim armies": Sheikh Osama Bin laden, Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri, Mullah Omar, and Abu mus'ab al-Zarqawi.") (November 14, 2005)

DANIEL PIPES.org (NEW YORK SUN): "PALESTINIANS TASTE A DOSE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE" (November 15, 2005)

FOX NEWS.com (AP): Amman, Jordan - "WOULD-BE JORDAN BOMBER MAKES TV CONFESSION" (November 13, 2005)

INTERNET-HAGANAH.US: "9-11-2005 AMMAN JORDAN: ZARQAWI EXPANDS HIS REACH (OR OVER-REACHES) (November 10, 2005)

"www.alfirdaws.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7868"

"www.alfirdaws.org/forums"

ASSIST NEWS SERVICE: "56 DIE IN TRIPLE SUICIDE BOMBINGS: RADICAL ISLAMIC CLERIC ABU HAMZA STILL PREACHING HATE FROM PRISON" by Jeremy Reynalds (November 11, 2005)

FORBES.com (AFX NEWS LIMITED): "PALESTINIAN INTELLIGENCE CHIEF KILLED IN JORDAN HOTEL BLAST" (11.09.2005)

CNS NEWS.com: "AL QAEDA TARGETED 'JEWS AND CRUSADERS' IN JORDAN" by Julie Stahl (November 10, 2005)

FOX NEWS.com: Amman, Jordan - "EXPLOSIONS HIT THREE HOTELS IN JORDAN" (November 9, 2005)

RANTBURG.com: "IRAQI BLOGGER PREDICTED JORDANIAN HIT: EXPECTS MORE ARAB STATES WILL GET HIT" (November 9, 2005)

HAMMORABI.BLOGSPOT.com: "Yes it is Jordan this time and more to come soon even stronger and more serious. We told this before and we repeat here again that if the Arabs donat stand with Iraq against the terrorists they will see things never seen before. The more they remain either silent or supportive for the terrorism in Iraq the much serious and prolonged attack they will face. posted by hammorabi @ 11/09/2005 11:10:00 AM"

HAMMORABI.BLOGSPOT.com: "Alert: Attacks against other Arab states Abo-Musaab Alzarqawi groups are planning serious attacks and may be on the same time against important targets inside other Arab states like Jordan, Lebanon or Saudi Arabia so soon. Indeed these attacks are possibly underway now.We will see who is next? And where? posted by hammorabi @ 11/09/2005 11:10:00 AM"

HAMMORABI.BLOGSPOT.com

REWARDS FOR JUSTICE.net: "WANTED: ABU MUS'AB AL-ZARQAWI Up to $25 Million Reward" (Click Here;View Photos.)

al-Zarqawi defended the blasts on three hotels saying al-Qaida had inside information that they were home to US, Israeli and Jordanian intelligence agencies

More irony.

The only intelligence service that actually was affected was the PLO (or PA). The Head of the PA intelligence service was killed in the bombings. Intended or not?

"We ask God to have mercy on the Muslims, who we did not intend to target, even if they were in hotels which are centres of immorality"

Zarqawi, this is not the popular support Zawahiri wanted. Nice apology though.

A sign in front of the ballroom announced a wedding, and the bomb was set off just before the bride and groom entered the room. I guess it just looked like a gathering of American and Israeli intelligence officers. Easy mistake to make, I am sure

AQ must have had intelligence that the bride and groom were American and Israeli intelligence agents.

Word may have been that this was another one of those Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame super-secret couples.

Perhaps they should hold Committee hearings in tunnels under the mountains of Pakistan to figure out who was responsible for that intelligence failure. :-)

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