al Qaida is taking sides in the Civil War currently sweeping through the palestinian areas. And they are taking the side of Hamas
The deputy leader of the Al Qaeda terror group, Ayman Al-Zawahri, has come out against early elections in the Palestinian territories, saying in a video tape broadcast on Al-Jazeera on Wednesday that voting would lead only to defeat and the right policy was armed struggle....
"Those who are trying to liberate the Islamic territories through elections based on secular constitutions, or on decisions to hand over Palestine to the Jews, will not liberate one grain of sand of Palestine."
It is not surprising that al Qaida would agree with the goals of Hamas as pronounced in their charter: "There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad."
It is also not surprising that they are worried about Hamas losing the election which would likely lead to a two state solution which both Hamas and al Qaida reject.
As with other Jihadist Salafist groups, al Qaida is hostile to Democracy and, in fact, any version of Islam that includes interpretation of the Quran and Hadith that occurred after the first three generations of Islam. This is why Ayman al-Zawahiri in his most recent video says
"Those who are trying to free Islamic land through elections that are based on secular constitutions ... will not free a grain of Palestinian sand, but will choke jihad....Any path other than jihad will only lead us to loss and defeat"
But it also criticises Hamas for even paying lip-service to the idea of reconcilliation with Israel, as well as participating in the January elections
He accused Hamas of making a number of concessions that would ultimately lead to "the recognition of Israel."
He said these concessions began with Hamas' signing "the truce" with Israel last year, then the group took part in the January elections "based on a secular constitution," and recognized Abbas as the head of the Palestinian authority....
"Aren't they an Islamic movement? Aren't they campaigning for the word of God to be supreme?" he said, adding the party should have insisted on the drafting of "an Islamic constitution for Palestine."
Hamas, for it's part, defended itself
In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum brushed off al-Zawahri's criticism and defended the party's electoral policy.
"Our Palestinian institutions are in need of reform, and to fix them we need to participate in the parliament and other institutions," Barhoum said....
Hamas has distanced itself from al-Qaida, saying its struggle is against Israel, not the West at large.
Indeed, on the video, al-Zawahri's makes new threats against the West in general and the US in particular. And in a reference to the US' efforts to reach out to Sunni groups in Iraq to join the political process instead of taking up arms, Zawahri says
"I want to tell the Republicans and the Democrats together ... you are trying to negotiate with some parties to secure your withdrawal, but these parities won't find you an exit (from Iraq) and your attempts will yield nothing but failure," al-Zawahri said on the tape, sections of which were aired in successive news bulletins.
"It seems that you will go through a painful journey of failed negotiations until you will be forced to return to negotiate with the real powers," he said, without identifying these powers.
In all cases, whether with "allies" or enemies, al Qaida consistently reaffirms that when it comes to political freedom, they take the other side.
