Bulgaria and Poland warned of attacks

A group claiming to be the European wing of al-Qaeda has threatened Bulgaria and Poland with attacks if they do not pull troops…

A group claiming to be the European wing of al-Qaeda has threatened Bulgaria and Poland with attacks if they do not pull troops out of Iraq.

The claim from the previously unheard-of group, which was posted on a website not normally used by militants, said both countries would face attacks similar to those in Madrid this year and the September 11th attacks on US cities.

"We are waiting for information from other partner countries and have no confirmation that the terrorists are planning any concrete actions on Polish territory," Poland's Deputy Defence Minister Janusz Zemke said in response.

"This threat comes from an unknown group and is very general," Mr Zemke told private television TVN24.

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The authenticity of the claim dated July 21st could not be confirmed. In recent weeks there have been a number of Internet threats against the foreign presence in Iraq, some of which have later been disowned by groups saying others are using their name.

"To the crusader Bulgarian government which supports the Americans, we ask you for the last time to withdraw Bulgarian forces from Iraq or we will turn Bulgaria into a bloodbath," said the statement said.

The group, which called itself the Islamic Tawhid Group, urged the Bulgarian people to press their government to leave Iraq, "if not the language of blood will be speak, as it did in Madrid, Washington and New York".

"To Poland and the despicable Prime Minister Marek Belka, withdraw your forces from Iraq or you will hear explosions ripping through your country when we want."

"Poles, we warn you for the last time to withdraw your invading forces or you will pay the price as happened in Spain, God willing," it said.