Irak

[Merowig]

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Al Qaeda Blows up Iraq’s Churches on Way to Vatican

DEBKAfile Special Report Citing also DEBKA-Net-Weekly

August 2, 2004, 12:21 AM (GMT+02:00)

Al Qaeda’s assault on Iraq’s Christian churches – the first attack suffered by the Christian minority since the fall of Saddam Hussein – underlined the seriousness of the threat al Qaeda’s al Masri Brigades issued against Italy that very morning, Sunday, August 1 in the London Arabic publication, al Quds al-Araby. It also coincided with the heightened terror alert declared in New York, Washington DC and New Jersey, prompted by very specific intelligence that al Qaeda was plotting attacks on prime US financial institutions and companies, including Wall Street.

The coordinated car bombing attacks in Baghdad and the northern town of Mosul, quickly condemned by the Vatican, precisely targeted five of the mainstream Christian minorities’ places of worship – Armenian, Catholic and Chaldean. At least 15 were killed and many more injured in explosions that rocked the two Iraqi cities. The threat to Italy is addressed to prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and gives him 15 days to withdraw his troops from Iraq or endure attack. Operational squads were already roaming through Rome and other cities primed for action, according to the published warning.
Other reckonings behind the Iraqi church offensive were less discernible:
Al Qaeda is furious over what it sees as the treachery of its Iraqi Baath, Sunni Muslim allies, who are engaged in secret negotiations first revealed by DEBKA-Net-Weekly on July 23 as follows:
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Iraq Church Bombs Response to 'Crusader War' - Claim

Mon Aug 2, 5:04 PM ET Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Reuters) - A group in Iraq (news - web sites) claimed responsibility Monday for a series of church bombs this weekend in a statement posted on a Web site, saying they were a response to the U.S. "crusader war" and evangelization.
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Iraq accused al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi earlier Monday of carrying out the coordinated bombings, saying the militants wanted to drive Christians out of the country.
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