FIGHTING WORDS

Al Qaeda Calls for Revenge

Says killing bin Laden was a "big mistake."

One week after U.S. forces assassinated al Qaeda's leader, the terrorist group posted a statement on their official online media organization condemning bin Laden's murder as a "serious sin" and "big mistake" on behalf of the U.S. government. The message was a clear terrorist threat, warning that the American people "will pay the price" for the deadly raid on bin Laden's compound. They acknowledged that it would be difficult to successfully attack President Obama, who is "protected by armies," but directly addressed the American people, asking, "Who will protect you from our assault?" Al Qaeda also encouraged Muslims to view bin Laden’s death as inspiration to launch violent attacks, according to a transcript recovered by the SITE Intel group. The menacing statement went viral Monday and was broadcast on Islamic extremist websites.