- Reuters

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Al Qaeda vowed to pursue “holy war” in Iraq Monday after failing to wreck a historic election in which millions of people flocked to the polls.

Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Iraq slammed the election, which was hailed around the world as a success, denouncing it as an American game.

“We in the al Qaeda Organization for Holy War in Iraq will continue the jihad until the banner of Islam flutters over Iraq,” said the statement posted on an Islamist Web site.

Unfortunately some media organizations are refering the elections as a U.S. achievement and not an Iraqi achievment which plays right into the hands of terrorist groups. Different terrorist groups have long made statements concerning their objectives in Iraq. Al Qaida in Iraq for instance wants to create a Persian state accross the Middle East. Their first step is to see Iraq under Islamic rule. They have failed and they will continue to fail because in any war the people must be with you. Iraqis are not with the murderous thugs that call themselves the mujahideen.

As much of a ballyhoo that was made before the election concerning all of the violence these terrorist groups were to sling at unsuspecting votes, the elections were relatively peaceful. Sure, there were nine suicide bombers and a few other explosions, but the results were only 35 deaths of innocents. Any loss of innocent life is sad, but in a day that saw around 8 million people march to the streets to participate in Democracy, 35 people is a microscopic fraction thereof.

The terrorists failed on election day, they’ve failed for the past two years and they will continue to fail. They won’t pack up shop however and go sell used cars in Damascus, but they will get more and more desperate which will lead to arrests.

Update:
More has been released of this statement, though equally desperate and equally deplorable.

The statement addressed President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, saying, “Let Bush, Blair … know that we are the enemies of democracy.”

It said almost no one from heavily Sunni Arab region participated in Sunday’s vote “except for some theatrics that they made up to fool people.”

I suppose we are to assume a Hollywood film studio went through all the trouble to film this propoganda film and even had their “extras” dip their fingers in blue ink. On and by the way, everyone who has even remotely followed Zarqawi’s tactics and statements should already know Zarqawi and Al Qaida are against Democracy. In fact, I’d wager to guess that every Iraqi knows that too. It’s a shame, for Zarqawi at least, that millions showed up to vote and participate in Democracy. Next!