Al-Qaeda threat to attack Iran
THE leader of an al-Qaeda-linked group in Iraq has vowed to attack Iranians unless Iran cuts off its support for the Iraqi government within two months.
"We give the ... Persians in general, and leaders of Iran in particular, two months to withdraw their support and presence in Iraq," Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of the self-styled Islamic State in Iraq, said in the 50-minute audiotape posted today on Islamist website which has often carried al-Qaeda statements.
In the first such threat by his group, Baghdadi said that unless Iran meets his demands, the group will wage a "brutal war" against Iranians.
"We announce it today, our hands will not stay far from you," he said. He did not say whether the group would mount attacks inside Iran.
Baghdadi said his group's decision is the result of Iran's support for its fellow Shi'ite Muslims in Iraq, and accused Tehran of being behind the burning of Sunni Muslim mosques and killings of Sunni leaders.
"We have prepared four years for this war, and all that remains is to give the orders," he said.
The Sunni militant group has previously claimed responsibility for killing Iraqi police officers and suicide attacks on Iraqi and US military posts.
In May, Iraq's Interior Ministry said Baghdadi had been killed, but the group denied his death in a web posting.
Baghdadi said the ultimatum covers financial organisations and banks in Iraq that deal with Iran, without elaborating.
He warned Sunni businessmen against doing business with Iran and urged Arab states to denounce the Iraqi government.
"We give a precious chance to all countries that host the rejectionist Persians to issue a statement of condemnation denouncing the crimes committed by the rejectionist government (of Iraq)," he said. Sunni Islamists often refer to Shi'ites as "rejectionists".
"They will be safe from our attacks if they do so within two months."
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1) Al-Qaeda threat to attack Iran
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