Al Qaeda’s Al-Zawahiri Calls Obama “House Negro”

Al Qaeda has wasted no time issuing a not-so-thinly veiled threat to President Elect Barack Obama via a throw-down-the-gauntlet statement by Al Qaeda’s number two official, whose words suggest that journalists should now add the adjective “racist” to “terrorist” when describing the group.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, the organization’s second in command, has warned Obama that he will suffer the same political fate as America’s current and Pakistan former Presidents — and labeled Obama a “house Negro.” Some news organizations simply originally reported that he used a ‘dishonorable” phrase or words — but reports are now specifying what was said.

The timing is not unexpected, however. In his highly rated 60 Minutes interview Obama said that he felt Al Qaeda’s top official Osama bin Laden should be captured or killed. Here are the details of the threat and injection of racial labels, from various press reports.

Digital Journal reports:

The No. 2 leader in Al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, is dishing out criticism to United States President-Elect, Barack Obama. According to reports, a new audio message has surfaced online where Al-Zawahiri calls Obama a dishonorable man.

The audio message that also comes with still photos was released by As-Sahab, Al-Qaeda’s official media website.

According to reports, Al-Zawahiri says Obama is “the direct opposite of honorable black Americans” like Malcolm X. The Associated Press also reports he uses a “demeaning racial term” to describe Obama. Other reports indicate that racial term was “house negro.”

The still pictures that play over top of the audio message feature al-Zawahiri, Malcolm X praying and Obama with Jewish leaders.

QUESTION: Will American conservative talk radio (which is still talking about the Reverend Wright and William Ayers) still suggest Obama is some kind of a Islamic terrorist enabler or mole? (Most likely, yes…).

The message is the first time the Al-Qaeda has commented on Obama’s win. They say the President-elect’s plan to move soldiers to Afghanistan will fail because Afghans will fight back.

USA Today has this:

Update at 8:18 a.m. ET: The tape, which includes an audio message and still photos, is being distributed online. In it, Al-Zawahiri says Obama is “the direct opposite of honorable black Americans” such as Malcolm X.

AP says the terror leader also uses the phrase “house negro” — a demeaning racial term — to describe the incoming president.

This is al-Zawahiri’s entry on the FBI’s list of Most Wanted Terrorists.

Update at 8:47 a.m. ET: Reuters has more on the clip’s contents. Al-Zawahiri reportedly criticizes Obama for supporting Israel and ignoring his roots. He also calls on Muslims to mount attacks against the “criminal America,” according to the news agency.

Obama will fail if he follows the same policies as President Bush, al-Zawahiri says, according to Reuters’ translation of the 11-minute 23-second video.

MSNBC:

Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri has criticized President-elect Barack Obama, calling him a demeaning racial term implying that Obama is a black American who does the bidding of whites.

In an audio message which appeared on militant Web sites Wednesday, al-Zawahri said that Obama is “the direct opposite of honorable black Americans” like Malcolm X. He called Obama a “house negro.”

He added that Obama’s plan to shift troops to Afghanistan is doomed to failure, because Afghans will resist.

…..The tape also criticizes Obama for his position on Israel, stating that this proves his “stance of hostility to Islam and Muslims”.

Al-Zawahri also urged Muslims to continue attacks against “criminal America”.

The 11 minute and 23 second message is the first public comment by an al-Qaida about Obama’s electoral victory.

In the wake of the tape, a senior counterterrorism official told NBC News there is no intelligence to indicate any impending attack on the United States or on the president-elect.

The official said statements by security officials about “high danger” during the transition were purely an “analytic concern,” based on previous al-Qaida involvement in the political process both in the United States and elsewhere.

The Telegraph in Great Britain doesn’t mince words in its sub-headline: “Al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has used a racial slur to demean President-elect Barack Obama implying he does the bidding of whites.”

Zawahiri said in an audio message, which appeared on militant web sites, that Mr Obama is “the direct opposite of honorable black Americans” like Malcolm X. He called Mr Obama a “house negro”.

Osama bin Laden’s Egyptian deputy and spiritual mentor added that Mr Obama’s plan to deploy more US troops to Afghanistan is doomed to failure, because Afghans will resist.

It was the first public comment from the al-Qaeda leadership about Mr Obama’s electoral victory.

The audio plays over still pictures of Zawahiri, Malcolm X praying, and Mr Obama with Jewish leaders.

The message came to light as a “major” Arab al-Qaeda terrorist was reportedly among six militants killed by a US missile strike in northwest Pakistan.

Pakistani security sources told a news agency that the terrorist killed was Abdullah Azzam Al-Saudi, a senior member of bin Laden’s terror network.