They really meant to hit the ministry of defence, not the hospital at all, you see. And now they will pay blood money, in accord with Sharia provisions, for they are “preachers of Sharia and not frauds.” Will Sharia advocates in the U.S. such as the Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and Reza Aslan now explain how these “preachers of Sharia” are actually Misunderstanders of Sharia who are getting it all wrong? They would be doing a great service by doing so, but don’t hold your breath. It isn’t going to happen. They both know that the credulous Infidels will believe it anyway, without being shown.
“Al Qaeda apologises for deadly Yemen hospital attack,” from AFP, December 22 (thanks to all who sent this in):
SANAA: A deadly Al Qaeda attack this month on a Yemeni defence ministry hospital was a mistake and the militant network is ready to pay blood money, a top commander has said.
The brazen daylight attack on the defence ministry complex on December 5 left 56 people dead, including patients and foreign medics from the Philippines, Germany, Vietnam and India.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has already claimed responsibility for the attack and late Saturday its military chief said in an online video the assault on the hospital had not been authorised.
“The attack was on the ministry of defence, it was not on the hospital,”said AQAP military commander Qassem al-Rimi.
Rimi said the militants were told to stay away from the hospital and a prayer hall in the sprawling defence ministry complex, but that one lone jihadist disobeyed orders.
“We told them (jihadists) to be cautious, not to enter the prayer place or the hospital. Eight of our brothers were cautious, and one did not. May Allah forgive him and have mercy on him,” said Rimi.
AQAP admits its mistake and offers “apologies and condolences” and accepts “full responsibility” for the attack, including the paying of blood money to compensate the families of the victims, Rimi said.
AQAP, which is considered by Washington as the most dangerous affiliate of Al Qaeda, is also willing to pay for the medical treatment of civilians wounded in the hospital attack, he added.
“Whatever our Sharia (Islamic law) commands us we will do. Because we are preachers of Sharia and not frauds,” he said, according to an English translation of comments he made in Arabic….