11 June,2012 10:55 AM IST | | Agencies
A top leader for an al-Qaeda affiliate offered 10 camels as bounty to capture US President Barack Obama and 20 chickens for US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's head.
What's your worth: Mocking the US bounty on himself, Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, senior leader of al-Shabab said that he was ready to offer 10 camels for infidel Obama and 10 hens and cocks for Hillary Clinton. Pic/AFP
Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, senior commander of the al-Shabab militia movement, countered the $33 million (Rs 180 crore) in bounties the Obama administration announced this week for information about seven top members of the Somalia group.
Khalaf dismissed the US rewards as another attack against Muslims calling the American leaders âinfidels.' Audio of Khalaf's comments were posted on various websites.
"Whoever brings the [mujahideen] information about the whereabouts of infidel Obama and the lady of Bill Clinton, the woman named Hillary Clinton, I will give a reward."
The Obama administration has offered $5 million (Rs 27 crore) for bounty for Khalaf. Khalaf mocked the US announcement with his counter offer.
"Anyone who helps the mujahideen find the whereabouts of Obama and Hillary Clinton will be rewarded with 10 camels for the information leading to Obama and 10 hens and 10 cocks for Hillary," he said.
Khalaf went on to say, "here is nothing new in the fact that infidels pay to have Muslim leaders killed. They already did that by offering camels for the head of Prophet Mohammed, and $5 million is equivalent to 200 camels today."
The US bounties make up the first time the program has offered rewards for members of al-Shabab, accused of terrorist attacks in Somalia, Uganda and Kenya.
Al-Shabab and al-Qaeda formally joined organisations earlier this year, though the ties between the groups already were strong. Al-Shabab counts hundreds of foreign fighters among its ranks, including fighters with experience in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
In April, the Us government warned that it continues to receive information about potential terrorist threats aimed at Us, Western and Kenyan targets inside Kenya.
Too bountiful?
The United States is offering a bounty of up to $10 million (Rs 55 crore) for the Pakistani man accused of masterminding the deadly 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The State Department's website announced the reward for information leading to Hafiz Mohammad Saeed's capture and conviction. The reward is the second highest bounty offered by the US. The top reward is for Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda leader - $25 million (Rs 138 crore)
