"Listen to the Words..."

Usually that phrase ends with either "al-Qaida" or "Osama bin Laden." It's a phrase frequently used by Republicans who still support President Bush strategy in Iraq. The message is more or less, "the enemy says Iraq is central on the War On Terror, so we should subcribe to the same premise."

Well, here are some other things al-Qaida has recently said:

"This bill [the one Democrats passed that Bush said would give 'timetables for surrender'] will deprive us of the opportunity to destroy the American forces which we have caught in a historic trap."

"We ask Allah that they (U.S. troops) only get out of it after losing 200,000 to 300,000 killed, in order that we give the spillers of blood in Washington and Europe an unforgettable lesson."

"Al-Qaida is not merely for the benefit of Muslims. That's why I want blacks in America, people of color, American Indians, Hispanics, and all the weak and oppressed in North and South America, in Africa and Asia, and all over the world."

So al-Qaida's #2 wants American soldiers to stay in Iraq so they can kill at least 200,000 of them, and they want all minorities, regardless of national origin and religion, to partake in an uprising.

A question for the "We Gotta Listen to al-Qaida" Crowd: should we take heed of these messages as well?