Moslem Phalangists Threaten Attacks on Germany, Austria

Islamist militants threatened to attack Germany and Austria if they do not pull their troops out of Afghanistan, in a statement read out on Sunday by a masked man on an Al-Qaeda linked website.

"Germany's participation in the US war on Islam and Moslems will lead only to... endangering Germany itself," said the video statement whose authenticity could not be verified.

"We wonder where Germany's interest lies in throwing 2,750 troops (to Afghanistan)... to fight in defence of the lies of (President George W.) Bush and his gang," read the masked man seated in a makeshift studio on the so-called Voice of the Caliphate website.

"In standing by the United States... you have provoked those whom you call terrorists to target you," the man said in Arabic, with a German translation appearing on the screen as the flags of Germany and Austria appeared in front of a burning background.

The Voice of the Caliphate is an online television site launched in September 2005 by the Iraqi branch of the Al-Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden.

Germany has almost 3,000 troops in the relatively stable north of Afghanistan, where it commands the International Security Assistance Force.

With pressure mounting on Berlin, a militant Islamist group in Iraq has threatened in a videotape showing two purported German hostages to execute them if Germany keeps its troops in Afghanistan.

The Kataeb Siham al-Haq (Righteous Arrows Phalange) said in the tape posted on Saturday on an Islamist website: "We give the German government 10 days from the date of this statement to announce and start the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan.

"Otherwise, you will not even see one corpse for these two agents," said one of three masked gunmen who appeared standing behind the purported hostages.

Berlin confirmed on February 12 that two German citizens had been missing in Iraq for a week.

The Berlin newspaper Tagesspiegel, citing security sources, reported at the time that the victims were a woman in her 60s, who is married to an Iraqi doctor, and their son who is in his 20s.

In another incident, a German aid worker was shot dead in northern Afghanistan last Thursday.

Sunday's statement also threatened to attack Austria if its government did not withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.

"Austria was and still is one of the safest countries in the world... But if Austria came on to the list of countries targeted by the mujahedeen (holy warriors), the situation will change," it said.

"To Austria we say: Your troops in Afghanistan do not represent a real force or a real threat to our brothers, the mujahedeen, but they represent important support for Bush and his gang," it added.

Addressing the Austrian government, the statement said: "Don't destroy the security of a whole country, just for the five soldiers you have sent to Afghanistan."

"This war is not yours. This war is between the mujahedeen and America".

CFPA: What a bunch of lying pigs. They plan on attacking Germany and Austria anyway, just not right now. After Spain withdrew all of her troops from Iraq, what happened? They were attacked! This is not just a war with Afghanistan and Iraq, it's a war of Islam against the West. This war belongs to everyone in the West, everyone in the West who is concerned about their survival that is. There are those in Germany and Austria who are willing to fight to save Europe and Western civilization against the Islamic menace....let us pray their numbers grow.

Created: 11 Mar 2007