Al-Qaeda threatens attacks on Brown

Al-Qaeda in Britain has threatened suicide attacks on PM Gordon Brown and predecessor Tony Blair unless London withdraws its troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Al-Qaeda in Britain has threatened suicide attacks on Prime Minister Gordon Brown and predecessor Tony Blair unless London withdraws its troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, a US-based monitoring service said on Thursday.

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The message was posted in English to an Al-Qaeda-affiliated online forum by "Umar Rabie al-Khalaila," the SITE Intelligence Group said.

The group, blamed for suicide bombings in London in 2005, vowed fresh attacks if Britain fails to withdraw its troops from Iraq and Afghanistan by the end of March.

"If the British government fails to respond to our demands within the last day of March 2008 ... Then the martyrdom seekers of the organisation of Al-Qaeda in Britain will target all the political leaders, especially Tony Blair and Gordan (sic) Brown," the message said.

It vowed that suicide bombers would also "target all embassies, crusaders center(s) and their interests throughout the country."

In July 2005, four suicide bombers killed themselves and 52 other people in attacks on London's public transport system while last June saw failed car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow.

SITE said the author of the message, "Umar Rabie al-Khalaila," is the same individual who posted a January 2 message claiming the establishment of Al-Qaeda in Britain with the purpose of carrying out large scale attacks and killing political leadership.