The Islamic State in Iraq Mocks Blair's Plan to Withdraw From Iraq

In a February 21, 2007 communiqué, the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) responded to Blair's announcement regarding his plan to withdraw British troops from Iraq. The communiqué referred to this as Blair's "plan to flee Iraq" and as "the first step in the disintegration of the Crusader alliance," adding that Blair has chosen to "leave [his] friend [Bush] to sink in the Iraqi quagmire."

The communiqué also mentioned Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi's plan for defeating the Coalition forces in Iraq, thus implicitly urging the mujahideen to implement it. The message explained that on the military level, this plan seeks to increase jihad operations in Baghdad and in other areas, "taking advantage of the... enemy's flagging fighting spirit," while on the political level it seeks to intensify the efforts to expand the ISI, which will "unite all the banners of jihad" in Iraq.