Purported Al-Qaeda Video Threatens, Flatters Germans Before Elections
If, however, Harrach shows forbearance and even gratitude toward Germany, the same cannot be said of his attitude toward German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Thus, he severely takes Merkel to task for her support of the Iraq war while she was still the leader of the Christian Democratic opposition to then Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. Harrach recalls Merkel saying at the time that she was prepared to bear the consequences of her position on the Iraq war. “Ms. Merkel,” he then asks, alluding to the Madrid and London bombings, “what logical consequence followed from the support of the Spanish and British conservatives for the Iraq war?”
The upshot of Harrach’s video warning appears to be that Germans should vote out Chancellor Merkel and her Christian Democrats next Sunday if they want to avoid an attack on German soil. Whereas the chancellor has been unwavering in her support for the Afghanistan mission, her Social Democratic opponent, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, recently announced that if he becomes Chancellor he will establish a “concrete plan of action” for the withdrawal of German troops. (See my PJM report here.) Citing German historical precedents, the poor showing of the Social Democrats in June’s EU elections, and their weak poll numbers, Harrach predicts that Merkel will in fact be reelected. “If this prognosis should prove correct,” he continues, “then the prospects for the German people are bitter.” If the voters do not make the right choice, he warns further on, then “there will be a rude awakening after the elections.”
The German Ministry of the Interior has found that the Harrach video is “authentic.” It should be noted, however, that it displays numerous anomalies as compared to known al-Qaeda videos or even as compared to earlier al-Qaeda videos in which Harrach is supposed to have appeared. In the earlier videos, Harrach, or the person identified as such, appears dressed in military garb and with his face veiled. (In one of the videos, we in fact only see a still picture of him.) In the current video, he not only appears with his face uncovered, but he is clean-shaven — and wearing a jacket and tie to boot! Moreover, the current video is preceded by the rather odd phrase “al-Qaeda Presents.” It does not bear the standard insignia of al-Qaeda’s media arm As-Sahab.
(The video can be viewed here.)
I don’t know why anyone gives idiots like this any air time/print space. At most, he should be briefly ridiculed then forgotten. Definitely, his little video presentation should be nothing but an unrepeated footnote in the main story of what a loser/moron/laughable figure he is.
Keep feeding the trolls and they keep coming back… this fella is the real-world equivalent of a troll. Of course, if he actually does anything specific, he can be qietly brought to prison…
Let me preface these remarks by saying that I lived and worked in Germany for 17 years and love the German people and culture. My dear, departed wife was from Germany and I still have in-laws there.
Having said that, the only things that the Germans are really concerned about are (1)that there are no preservatives in their “wurst”, bread, etc. and therefore they can spoil at a much faster rate as God intended; and (2) what the price increase of a liter of beer will be at the next Oktober Fest!
Germans now are only interested in the good life and spend most of their working days planning their next 6-week vacation (which is not to be confused with their 15 holidays per year (Bavaria) or their unlimited sick days).
It is unfortunate, but many will take this threat seriously without demanding strong action by the authorities, nor considering the implications or consequences. Love of country is now substituted by cheering at the Olympics or at a soccer game.
The Islamists tried something similar in Spain, and it worked. The Spanish Socialist government has pretty much rolled over for them, not least because its PM makes no secret of how much he, personally, hates Israel.
Of course, in Spain, the Islamists made their point with the Madrid train bombings just before the election.
I assume that the German authorities are keeping an eye out for something similar. After all, the Islamists are noted for repeating something that worked once whenever a similar opportunity presents itself.
clear ether
eon
Where told that it’s Un-Islamic to wear a tie. What about the use of technology invented by non-muslims to post this video? That’s right it’s okay to deceive the non-muslim because it’s all about the “stealth jihad”.
AQ is exploiting the last german “gaffe” in Afghanistan !
but which country that is implied there hasn’t received such threats ?
Observant Muslims understand all too well that Islamic terrorism works. So does the stealth Jihad being waged everywhere. It is ALL designed to further Islam and to weaken and subvert all “infidel” enemies of Islam (that’s US, folks!).
Both of these tactics of terrorism and stealth Jihad work in tandem, or independently. They are one and the same thing: vehicles to humiliate, subvert, and ultimately destroy us, and impose Islamic norms globally. The Muslims and their Western abettors have convinced gullible Westerners that there’s some kind of magical distinction between the “non-violent” forms of Jihad like bake sales for the local Mosque, imposition of headscarves or burkhas on females, arranged marriages, child rape, endless demands for concessions from “infidels” to “respect” Islam through observance of all Islamic norms in infidel lands (more mosques, public calls to prayers, rigorous demands for infidel “respect” of Islamic festivals and traditions, etc.), and the nastier forms of Jihad such as mass murder and genocide. But there is little difference in the end. These time honored mechanisms are all Jihad. In the end, Islam is imposed as is required, and the target victims of Islam are exterminated, enslaved, or “converted”.
I think the post by Walt above sums up the current state of the German will. If a terrorist set off an m-80 before the election the social democrats could turn the election around.
I am a german readin american conservative news blogs because over here there nearly is no conservative media apart from 2 or 3 blogs.
Walt (2.) is not far from the mark. Through decades of an ever-growing welfare state and condemning all upright patriotism as being nazi-like a majority of germans prefer to discuss wether someone doing absolutely nothing should receive 500,- $ (as of now) or rather 800 $ in addition to a warm appartment and full healthcare. Nobody in the media says “well done” to our soldiers in Afghanistan, the first questions asked were wether there were civilian casualties and if the troops should be investigated for homicide. The truck drivers slaughtered by the Taliban were not even mentioned…
Its a nice country with mostly friendly people, unfortunately in a decline since the 70s due to an ever-expanding welfare-nanny state.
@ Zaza:
That is ashamed that the German people have fallen so far. The Germans were once a proud (and rightly so) people, it is ashamed that socialism has robbed them of their national will. Yes you can both admire the good of a people and abhor the bad. German immigrants contributed much to America ,and despite the actions of the Nazi’s the good qualities of the German people and culture remain. Too bad most Americans don’t even realize their own German heritage.
Don’t worry – it’s still here, the German ‘genius’ and engineering which , e.g., took you to the moon and all the others into space. In the last 20 years even the ideas of the environmentalists (first labelled as ‘socialist’, destroying the economy) have been turned into companies (wind and solar power) giving jobs to hundreds of thousands.
If Germany is “… an ever-growing welfare state … (where) a majority of germans prefer to discuss wether someone doing absolutely nothing should receive 500,- $ (as of now) or rather 800 $ in addition to a warm appartment and full healthcare … “(Zaza) – how can such a country with a ‘socialist’ economy and poeple that “… now are only interested in the good life and spend most of their working days planning their next 6-week vacation (which is not to be confused with their 15 holidays per year (Bavaria) or their unlimited sick days)…” (Walt) exist, or even be successful? For quite a number of years (up to 2008) this little country (the size of Montana) has been exporting more to the world than the land of the free and the home of the brave.
3. eon: “The Islamists tried something similar in Spain, and it worked. The Spanish Socialist government has pretty much rolled over for them, not least because its PM makes no secret of how much he, personally, hates Israel.”
Yeah, you pretty much voiced my first thought having seen the headline…
1. caestal: “I don’t know why anyone gives idiots like this any air time/print space.”
Feed the enemy as much rope as they need to hang themselves I think is the thinking. It’s half of the strategy I agree with. The other half: treat a legitimate threat of violence like a brandished weapon. It’s justifiable self defence. Someone threatens you? you shoot them in the head and have done with it.