Zawahiri's Taking Sides in Palestinian Civil War

Zawahiri has chosen sides in the Palestinian civil war, which seems to be where the action is these days as al Qaeda in Iraq has been downgraded as the top threat by US defense officials. It shouldn't surprise anyone that he's siding with the more extreme and violent of the terrorist groups aching to be on top when all is said and done:

Al-Zawahiri Criticizes Elections in PA Areas
Ayman al-Zawahiri, second-in-command of Al-Qa'ida organization, said that plots are being hatched to abort the concept of jihad in the Palestinian territories. In a new videotape, he stressed that the elections in the Palestinian areas will not lead to the liberation of these areas.

Excerpt #1:
[Begin Al-Zawahiri video recording] Any path other than the path of jihad will not lead us to anything but to waste and loss. Those trying to liberate the Muslim land through elections based on secular constitutions or on the [UN] resolutions handing over Palestine to the Jews, will not liberate a grain of the soil of Palestine. In fact, their efforts will lead to strangling the jihad and besieging the mujahidin. Retreating before the West will not make them feel satisfied with us, no matter how skillful we might be in maneuvering, tactics, and dialogue.

God says: Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of religion. [Part of Koranic verse] [End recording]

Excerpt #2:

[Begin Al-Zawahiri video recording] One of the forms of recognizing Israel is accepting the legitimacy of Mahmud Abbas, head of the National Authority and America's man in Palestine, and giving the PLO, which recognizes Israel, the mandate to negotiate with Israel. This is an abyss, which eventually destroys jihad and leads to the recognition of Israel. Disregarding the religious facts and the actual realities of the conflict between Islam and non-belief has made some brothers in Palestine go from calm to elections based on a secular constitution; from elections based on a secular constitution to respect for international resolutions; from respect for international resolutions to acceptance of the prisoner document; from acceptance of the prisoner document to a national unity government; and from a national unity government to forcing them out of the cabinet. The series is still unfolding. How is it that they have not demanded that Palestine should have an Islamic constitution before participating in any elections? Aren't they an Islamic movement? Aren't they seeking to make the word of Allah reign supreme? [End recording]

Al-Zawahiri said that plots are being hatched to abort the notion of jihad in the Palestinian territories. He asserted that elections in the Palestinian territories will not lead to its liberation.

Should it surprise anyone that the US and the West are trying to thwart the ascendancy of the Islamists and prevent yet another terrorist incubator from being hatched in Gaza and the West Bank? Zawahiri is nothing if not predictable here.

Zawahiri is fearful of elections, since that could result in losses for Islamists. It's a curious thing really. If political Islam suffers defeats at the ballot, it would appear to call into question the theology and appeal of such ideology. But political Islam does not suffer failure well. Indeed, its adherents spread political Islam at the tip of the sword and will not accept the results of elections, despite the will of the people.

Others blogging: Howie at Jawa Report and Stop the ACLU.

Scrappleface provides video in a way only he can.

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