Al Qaeda threatens Spain

The terrorist organisation Al Qaeda has used a video on the internet to threaten Spain. Spain has been threatened because of its military involvement in Afghanistan.
In the video entitled ‘Messages for the governments of Germany and Austria’ a hooded man reads a communication from a page in which threats are made to Spain, Germany and Austria. The authenticity of the video which appeared on a web page created by Al Qaeda in September 2005 has not been verified yet.

In the video some sentences by Al Qaeda’s 2nd in command, the Egyptian Ayman al Zawahiri can be heard. He is reported to have said "If we are secure then you will be secure too, if we are hit and killed you will also be hit and killed". With respect to Austria, he said "although their soldiers are not a threat to the muyahidín in Afghanistan the presence of Austrian soldiers support Bush and his group".

Spain withdrew all its troops from Iraq when PSOE gained power in March 2004. However, Spain sent 600 troops to Afghanistan last year as part of an international effort to support the UK and US maintain order there.