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Japan investigating warning of al-Qaeda attack on Tokyo
Tokyo, Nov 17: Japan is today investigating a report that al-Qaeda has warned of an attack in Tokyo if the country sends troops to Iraq, a foreign ministry official said.
Tokyo, Nov 17: Japan is today investigating a report
that al-Qaeda has warned of an attack in Tokyo if the country
sends troops to Iraq, a foreign ministry official said.
"We are collecting information related to the report through the Japanese Embassy in London," the ministry official said. "First, we need to confirm the credibility of the report."
A London-based Saudi newspaper, al-Majallah, yesterday said it received a statement from al-Qaeda warning of an attack in Tokyo and claiming responsibility for last week's anti-Italian bombing in Iraq. Abu Mohammed al-Ablaj, purporting to be an al-Qaeda leader, warned the Japanese against sending troops to join the US-led coalition in Iraq, in an e-mail received by the Saudi weekly. "If they want to destroy their economic power and be trampled under the feet of the combatants of Allah, let them come to Iraq," he said. "Our strikes will reach the heart of Tokyo."
The Japanese government has said Tokyo remains committed to aiding with the reconstruction of Iraq, but the timing of a deployment of Japanese troops depends on the security situation.
A day after an anti-coalition suicide bombing in southern Iraq that killed 19 Italians and nine Iraqis, Japan last Thursday toned down an earlier pledge to send troops to Iraq by the end of this year.
Bureau Report
"We are collecting information related to the report through the Japanese Embassy in London," the ministry official said. "First, we need to confirm the credibility of the report."
A London-based Saudi newspaper, al-Majallah, yesterday said it received a statement from al-Qaeda warning of an attack in Tokyo and claiming responsibility for last week's anti-Italian bombing in Iraq. Abu Mohammed al-Ablaj, purporting to be an al-Qaeda leader, warned the Japanese against sending troops to join the US-led coalition in Iraq, in an e-mail received by the Saudi weekly. "If they want to destroy their economic power and be trampled under the feet of the combatants of Allah, let them come to Iraq," he said. "Our strikes will reach the heart of Tokyo."
The Japanese government has said Tokyo remains committed to aiding with the reconstruction of Iraq, but the timing of a deployment of Japanese troops depends on the security situation.
A day after an anti-coalition suicide bombing in southern Iraq that killed 19 Italians and nine Iraqis, Japan last Thursday toned down an earlier pledge to send troops to Iraq by the end of this year.
Bureau Report