The possibility of Al-Qaeda attacks on the 2010 World Cup has arisen on two separate occasions in recent months. On April 7, 2010, an article in the online jihadist magazine Al-Mushtaqun ila al-Janna ("Yearners for Paradise") threatened that Al-Qaeda could attack the event, and in particular the U.S., British, and European teams and their fans. (http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/report.htm?report=4089¶m=GJN). The second mention of a possible World Cup plot was on May 17, when an Iraqi military spokesman claimed that his country had detained a Saudi "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI) operative who had been planning to attack the games, and had been trying to coordinate these attacks with Ayman Al-Zawahiri. (http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=3394¶m=GJN). The ISI subsequently issued a statement denying the existence of such a plot. The organization accused the Iraqi government of inventing the affair so as to capitalize on the recent deaths of the ISI's two top commanders. (http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=3425¶m=GJN)
Following are excerpts of footage showing the “Mujahideen World Cup,” which was posted on the alhesbah.org website on June 26, 2006.
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1179.
Title on screen: “Global Islamic Media Front presents: The Mujahideen World Cup.”
Text on screen: “Which of these two goals is more beautiful? This goal.
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“Or this goal?”
