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The leader of al Qaeda in Iraq has offered a reward for the murder of a Swedish cartoonist who recently produced images deemed insulting to Islam and promised a new offensive in Iraq during Ramadan.
In a half-hour audio file entitled "They plotted yet God too was plotting," played on Islamist websites yesterday, Abu Omar al Baghdadi also named the other insurgent groups in Iraq al Qaeda was fighting and promised new attacks.
"We are calling for the assassination of cartoonist Lars Vilks who dared insult our Prophet, peace be upon him, and we announce a reward... of US$100,000 ($142,000) for the one who kills this criminal," the transcript on the website said.
