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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 24, 2007

Fact Sheet: Al Qaeda in Iraq

      President Bush Discusses War on Terror in South Carolina

Today, President Bush Spoke To The Airmen Of The 437th And 315th Airlift Wings In Charleston, South Carolina.  The President praised them for their courageous service and described America’s primary enemy in Iraq—al Qaeda in Iraq.

Al Qaeda In Iraq’s Founder And His Successor Were Foreign Terrorists, Not Iraqis

Al Qaeda In Iraq Was Founded By Foreign Terrorists Linked To Senior Al Qaeda Leadership.  Al Qaeda in Iraq founder Abu Musab al Zarqawi was not an Iraqi and neither is his successor Abu Ayyub al-Masri.

Al Qaeda In Iraq Tries To Deceive Others Into Thinking It Is An Iraqi-Led Operation

The Recent Capture Of Al Qaeda In Iraq’s Most Senior Iraqi Official Reveals That The Group Is Led By Foreigners Who Are Trying To Deceive Others Into Thinking They Are Iraqis. On July 4, Coalition forces captured a senior al Qaeda in Iraq leader named Khalid Abdul Fattah Da'ud Mahmoud al-Mashadani, the highest ranking Iraqi in the organization.  

According To Our Intelligence Community, Al Qaeda Senior Leaders And Al Qaeda’s Leaders In Iraq “See Al Qaeda In Iraq As Part Of Al Qaeda’s Decentralized Chain Of Command, Not As A Separate Group.” Al Qaeda in Iraq is not just collaborating with al Qaeda leaders or maintaining contacts with them, they have formally merged with them and pledged baya’at, or loyalty, to Osama bin Laden. 

Al Qaeda Is The Greatest Threat To Security In Iraq Due To Their Constant Attempts At Inflaming Sectarian War Through Large-Scale Bombings

Our Intelligence Community Believes Al Qaeda Is The Most Dangerous Of The Sunni Extremist Groups In Iraq.

Iraq Is Central To The War On Terror, And America Can Accept Nothing Less Than Complete Victory

The facts are that al Qaeda terrorists killed Americans on 9/11, are fighting us in Iraq and across the world, and are plotting to kill Americans here at home again.  Those who justify withdrawing our troops from Iraq by denying the threat of al Qaeda in Iraq and its ties to Osama bin Laden ignore the clear consequences of such a retreat.  Following their advice would be dangerous for the world and disastrous for America.  So we must defeat al Qaeda in Iraq—and we will.

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