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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

European capitals get ‘bloody’ warning

Associated Press

CAIRO, Egypt – A statement in the name of a group that claimed responsibility for the London bombings threatened Tuesday to launch “a bloody war” on the capitals of European countries that do not remove their troops from Iraq within a month.

“This is the last message we send to the European countries. We are giving you one month for your soldiers to leave the Land of the Two Rivers,” Abu Hafs al Masri Brigades said.

The “two rivers” refer to Iraq’s Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

The authenticity of the statement – which surfaced on an Islamic Web site – could not be verified.

The organization has claimed responsibility for events in which it clearly did not play any role, such as the 2003 blackouts in the United States and London that resulted from technical problems.