Iraq's Qaeda denies meetings in Syria - Web

[leftchick]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L20322811.htm

DUBAI, May 20 (Reuters) - Iraq's al Qaeda has denied U.S. accusations that an upsurge in car bomb attacks in Iraq was ordered at a meeting of insurgents in Syria, according to an Internet statement posted on Friday.

"The enemies of God are floundering after the increase in attacks against them," the group led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said. "Is there no longer any room on earth so that the mujahideen (holy fighters) have to meet in Syria?"

"These attacks ... were planned in Iraq and your brothers are continuing their jihad (holy war) and fighting God's enemies," al Qaeda Organisation for Holy War in Iraq said in the statement dated May 19 and posted on an Islamist Web site.

A senior U.S. military official said on Wednesday that insurgent leaders loyal to Zarqawi met in Syria about a month ago to plot a car-bomb campaign.

Syria has denied it was helping insurgents in Iraq.