This new report comes as no surprise.
Al-Qaida-linked Web site backs McCain as president
WASHINGTON (AP) — Al-Qaida supporters suggested in a Web site message this week they would welcome a pre-election terror attack on the U.S. as a way to usher in a McCain presidency.
The message, posted Monday on the password-protected al-Hesbah Web site, said if al-Qaida wants to exhaust the United States militarily and economically, "impetuous" Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain is the better choice because he is more likely to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"This requires presence of an impetuous American leader such as McCain, who pledged to continue the war till the last American soldier," the message said. "Then, al-Qaida will have to support McCain in the coming elections so that he continues the failing march of his predecessor, Bush."
Of course Al-Qaida would like to see Bush's provocative, and counter productive policies in the Middle East continue unchanged as McCain has promised to do.
"If al-Qaida carries out a big operation against American interests," the message said, "this act will be support of McCain because it will push the Americans deliberately to vote for McCain so that he takes revenge for them against al-Qaida. Al-Qaida then will succeed in exhausting America till its last year in it."
We should remember all the media attention that Bin Laden's 2004 video got when it was released just 4 days before the election. Bin Laden addressed the American people directly attacking George Bush. That boosted George Bush's campaign just in time for election day. Bin Laden's help was instrumental in keeping Bush in the White House in 2004.
Will America's worst enemy again be able to saddle America with an incompetent arrogant leader for the next 4 years, using a new terrorist attack to stampede scared voters into the McCain camp?
Keeping Bush in office in 2004 almost certainly did more damage to this country than a several major terrorist attacks could have. Keeping George Bush in the White House became Al-Qaida's most potent weapon against American influence in the world, and American economic power.
UPDATE: Today the BBC had this.
Another October surprise?
But something else is going to happen.
My money is on Osama Bin Laden popping back up with a hate video, just as he did the weekend before the 2004 election.
That tape reminded the public that the country was still at risk from this sickening terrorist and that President Bush had kept us safe for the three years since the 11 September 2001 attacks.
In that close campaign, it was this video - not the Swift Boat tactics that got all the ink - that made the difference.