March 25, 2005

Islamic Group Claims Texas Refinery Fire Result of Terrorism

An internet statement made at an Islamist bulletin board claimed that a recent fire at a Texas oil refinery was the work of terrorists. The same group had earlier announced that it had carried out a suicide bombing in a Qatar movie theater last Saturday. That blast killed one Briton and wounded at least 12 others.

Let me just make the disclaimer that I am extremely skeptical. However, as Robert Spencer has been reminding readers of late, this is exactly the type of thing we ought to be on the lookout for. Via M.H. King this AFP report:

A shadowy Islamist group which claimed it carried out last week’s suicide bombing in Qatar said in an internet statement it was responsible for an oil refinery explosion in Texas that left 15 people dead.

“It was a new kind of operation as we promised before,� said the �Jund al-Sham Organisation� (Organisation of Soldiers of the Levant) in the statement posted on an Islamist website and dated March 24.

“Jund Al-Sham is able to attack with an iron fist all the enemies of Allah wherever they are,� added the statement, whose authenticity could not be verified.

“This operation was a big surprise, which we spoke of in other statements, and we will continue our suicide operations inside and outside America, and we will attack the economy of America as America did the economies of the Muslims,� it added.

The group also threatened to carry out attacks in Britain and Italy, and said these would continue “until the last soldier of the Crusaders or Jews is no longer in an Islamic country.�

The communiqué, which has not been corroborated by any other source, also states that the attack was a follow up to a promise made by Abi Hamza “the American� who had declared that “He will turn your streets red, covered with blood.� It seems that the communiqué refers to Abu (abi) Azzam the American, a purported al-Qaeda member who in a videotape broadcasted on October 26, 2004 had threaten to carry out attacks in the United States.

The communiqué also promises that “This announcement will be followed by a detailed and illustrated announcement of this blessed operation in Texas’ main refinery.�