Al Qaeda in Yemen claims responsibility for Charlie Hebdo attack

(Image credit: DailyMotion)

last updated 14 January 2015

In a video message on Wednesday, Nasr bin Ali al-Ansi, a top leader of al Qaeda's Yemen branch, said his group was responsible for the attack on French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, calling the murder of 12 people there revenge for the paper's various perceived insults of Islam's Prophet Mohammad. "As for the blessed Battle of Paris, we, the Organisation of al Qaeda al Jihad in the Arabian Peninsula, claim responsibility for this operation as vengeance for the Messenger of God," Al-Ansi said in the 11-minute recording, adding that AQAP "chose the target, laid out the plan, and financed the operation." Frace belongs to the "party of Satan," along with the U.S., he said, and warned of more "tragedies and terror" to come.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.