Al Qaeda is desperate (updated)

1. "A Desperate Call to Muslims..."

"... Al-Zawahiri attacks Muslim scholars around the Islamic world for their persistent refusal to issue fatwas that support (Al Qaeda in Iraq) and, worse, for the harsh criticism they aim at (AQ) and its jihad endeavor."

"The message further reveals Al-Zawahiri's growing distress over the persistent opposition to (Al Qaeda in Iraq) among many Iraqi military groups."

"Al-Zawahiri dedicates a significant portion of his message to what he labels as "the Saudi conspiracy against Iraq," describing it as "the hidden yet greatest danger facing Iraq today." ... He claims that since the Saudi regime is corrupt and looks only after its own interests and the interests of the Crusaders, it cannot be trusted to protect the rights of Muslims in Iraq."

"Muslims [in Iraq] and Afghanistan [...beware] of the religion-trading traitors who conspired with the crusaders to invade Iraq and Afghanistan and to help the Crusaders to fight the mujahideen in exchange for ... positions of power."

"In what appears to be an attempt to appease the Shi'ites in Iraq, Al-Zawahiri implores Shi'ites not to believe those who accuse (Al Qaeda in Iraq) of being the enemies of Hussain." Who is this guy Hussain, you ask? Well, for that you have to go back to the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. Hussein was a major Shiite saint, the Third Imam. Just leave it at that. But notice that Mr. Big #2 of Al Qaeda is now asking his religious enemies, the Shiites, to rescue AQ's Iraq franchise.

"Al-Zawahiri appeals to Muslims around the world to beware of messages of retractions by imprisoned mujahideen in Islamic countries ... because these messages are dictated by their jailors."