[span]

Purported Al Qaeda Letter Calls Truce in Spain

CAIRO (Reuters) - A group claiming to have links with al Qaeda said Wednesday it was calling a truce in its Spanish operations to see if the new government would withdraw its troops from Iraq, a pan-Arab newspaper said.

In a statement sent Wednesday to the Arabic language daily al-Hayat, the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, which claimed responsibility for the Madrid bombings that killed 201 people, also urged its European units to stop all operations.

"Because of this decision, the leadership has decided to stop all operations within the Spanish territories... until we know the intentions of the new government that has promised to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq," the statement said.

"And we repeat this to all the brigades present in European lands: Stop all operations."

In a shock election result just days after the Madrid attacks, Spain elected the Socialist party, which has since said it will probably withdraw its troops from Iraq.

The Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades have previously claimed responsibility for bombings in Turkey and Iraq.

"The Spanish people... chose peace by choosing the party that was against the alliance with America," the statement said. The newspaper planned to publish it Thursday.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...section=new s

YAH! terrorism wins!