Welcoming the Democrat Victory

Leave it to al Qaeda to exploit the elections. They're gloating over Rumsfeld's departure:

A purported audio recording by the leader of Iraq's al-Qaeda wing gloated over the resignation of US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as a top U.S. general said the military was preparing to recommend strategy changes.

Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri, said in the recording posted on the Internet on Friday that the group has 12,000 armed fighters and 10,000 others waiting to be equipped to fight US troops in Iraq. "I tell the lame duck (US administration) do not rush to escape as did your defence minister ... stay on the battleground," he said.

UPDATE:
Apparently that wasn't all the tapes had to say.

Al Qaeda will not be satisfied until they blow up the White House and overtake Jerusalem. When will people realize that it doesn't matter who is in the White House and who controls Congress - the jihadis will not quit until they're vanquished or have won. They'll bide their time when the US fights them on their turf, but will advance and attack when they sense appeasement and withdrawal.

al Masri's definitely trying to exaggerate his capabilities - both in terms of terrorists available to him in Iraq and those that could be dispatched to attack the US. However, we must honor the threat and deal with this group in Iraq, and not on our shores.

UPDATE:
Scared Monkeys notes that al Qaeda isn't going away anytime soon if they're crowing that they have 12,000 troops in Iraq. Since the US has declared al Qaeda to be enemy number one, would it not make sense to keep the troops where the action is - in Iraq where they can eliminate that threat? Al Qaeda is making the Administration's argument to finish the job in Iraq for them. Why would or should the US leave the field of battle to al Qaeda under these circumstances? There's no logic to leaving when the enemy is making these claims.

AJ Strata notes the implications not only for the US, but for our allies in the region - especially Israel if we choose to abandon the battlefield to al Qaeda and the jihadis. They see the US in full retreat - completely and utterly relying on the words and deeds of the Democrats in this country. The Democrats say they want to defund the war (Rangel and Murtha). The Democrats say that we're losing and that Iraq is unwinnable. Al Qaeda hears this and turns it into their latest talking point videos.

Sister Toldjah goes into the history books and notes that al Qaeda remembers our history better than the American public does. The Left in the US doesn't want us to remember what happened the last time the US left the field of battle before the job was done. Millions died. Millions more will die if we do not deal with the ongoing threat presented by al Qaeda's presence in Iraq. The terrorists themselves say they're there - and some here think that we should abandon Iraq as soon as possible?

Others blogging: Secular Blasphemy, bRight and Early, and Mensa Barbie (great name!)

For a lighter take on Rummy's departure, see Flopping Aces who has the video.

Technorati: bush, rumsfeld, politics, al qaeda.