Al Qaeda release ISIS-style HD video message blaming Obama

The video clip features Nasr bin Ali al-Ansi, a top commander for Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula, accusing Obama of recklessness and warning the United States against attempting to carry out rescue raids on hostages in future.

Al-Ansi's comments mark the first time Al Qaeda has made a public statement since British-born U.S national Luke Somers and South African Pierre Korkie were killed when U.S. special forces attacked an Al Qaeda safe house in a failed attempt to rescue the two men last week.

The six-minute video - released by the terror group's in-house Al-Malahem media centre - appears to have been shot using an expensive HD camera in the style of the professionally produced and edited films put out by Al Qaeda's Islamic State enemies in Syria and Iraq.

Shared on the terror group's social media websites, the slick effort marks a significant step up in professionalism from the grainy films previously released by Al Qaeda and its affiliates.

Speaking in front of a black screen with the chilling sight of the terror group's flag hanging behind him, al-Ansi said he warned the U.S. against attempting to rescue the hostages after a first operation to do so failed last month.

The terror commander accused Obama of recklessness, and said the raid 'caused things to go in a completely different way than we wanted.'

Obama previously said he ordered the raid because Somers, a 33-year-old journalist, was believed to be in 'imminent danger.' The president condemned Somers' killing as a 'barbaric murder.'

U.S. officials said that about 40 American special forces were involved in the rescue attempt, which followed U.S. drone strikes in the area.

The rescuers, backed by Yemeni ground forces, advanced within 100 meters of the compound in Shabwa province when they were spotted by the militants. 

A firefight ensued, and the raid was over in about 30 minutes, they said.

(dailymail.co.uk)