Al-Qaida Confirms Bin Laden's Death

This won't mean anything to American deathers, of course.

Al-Qaida on Friday confirmed the killing of Osama bin Laden and warned of retaliation, saying Americans’ ”happiness will turn to sadness.” The confirmation came in an Internet statement posted on militant websites, signed by “the general leadership” of al-Qaida. The announcement opens the way for the group to name a successor to bin Laden. His deputy Ayman al-Zawahri is now the most prominent figure in the group and is a very likely contender to take his place. The statement, dated May 3, was the first by the terror network since bin Laden was killed Monday by U.S. commandos in a raid on his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The statement’s authenticity could not be independently confirmed, but it was posted on websites where the group traditionally puts out its messages.

The statement closes with a call to Pakistanis to "rise up in revolt" in protest of their government conspiring with the United States.Labels: