Oh no he didn't! Al Qaeda leader calls Obama a 'House Negro'

The No. 2 man in Al-Qaida, Ayman al-Zawahri, launched into an attack on newly elected U.S. President Barack Obama today, calling him a "house negro."

In an audio message reportedly posted on "militant Web sites" on Wednesday, al-Zawahri describes Obama as "the direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like Malcolm X.

The audio plays over still pictures of al-Zawahri, Malcolm X praying, and Obama with Jewish leaders, according to AP, which calls it the first public al-Qaida comment about Obama's electoral victory.

In the text of the message, the Al-Qaida leader specifically criticized Obama's plan to shift troops to Afghanistan, which he said would fail because of Afghan resistance.

Speaking directly to Obama, al-Zawahri said, "you have reached the position of president, and a heavy legacy of failure and crimes awaits you." He said Obama's policy towad Afghanistan was "destined for failure before it was born."

"It appears that you don't know anything about the Muslim Ummah and its history, and the fate of the traitors who cooperated with the invaders against it, and don't know anything about the history of Afghanistan and its free and defiant Muslim people," al-Zawahri said to Obama in the audio message.

"As for the crimes of America which await you, it appears that you continue to be captive to the same criminal American mentality towards the world and towards the Muslims," the Al-Qaida leader said.

"You represent the direct opposite of honorable black Americans like Malik al-Shabazz, or Malcolm X (may Allah have mercy on him)," al-Zawahri said. "You were born to a Muslim father, but you chose to stand in the ranks of the enemies of the Muslims, and pray the prayer of the Jews, although you claim to be Christian, in order to climb the rungs of leadership in America."

The terrorist leader also compared Obama to outgoing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her predecessor. "And in you and in Colin Powell, Rice and your likes, the words of Malcolm X (may Allah have mercy on him) concerning 'House Negroes' are confirmed," he said.

Asked for a comment about the remarks, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold told CNN this morning that Al-Qaida is "frustrated and worried" because they don't know how to handle the positive international reaction to Obama's election.

"I think they're pretty nervous in Al-Qaida because we have a whole new approach here in the United States," said Feingold. "We have a new unity behind our president-elect. He sends a message to the world that represents us the way we really are -- a country that is diverse and that wants to reach out to the rest of the world in a positive way." Feingold said the new U.S. approach "goes completely against" Al-Qaida efforts to recruit people with their "hateful message."

Feingold, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the U.S. would be able to put "far more pressure" on the terrorist group by focusing its efforts on Afghanistan instead of Iraq.

The term "house negro" is a derogatory term used to describe a black person who represents the interests of the white man. Malcolm X proudly called himself a "field negro" and challenged the "house negro" mentality in his speeches and writings.

"Back during slavery, when black people like me talked to the slaves they didn't kill em; they sent some old house negro along behind him to undo what he said," Malcolm X said in a speech shown below.

"There were two kinds of negroes," he said. "There was that old house negro and the field negro and the house negro always looked out for his master. When the field negroes got too much out of line, he held them back in check. He put them back on the plantation. The house negro could afford to do that because he lived better than the field negro. He ate better, he dressed better and he lived in a better house. He lived right up next to his master in the attic, or the basement. He ate the same food as master ate and wore his same clothes. And he could talk just like his master, good diction."

The difference, of course, is that President-elect Obama would not be a mere house servant in the White House. Instead, he would be the head of the household.

The Obama campaign declined to comment.

(Editor's Note: Story updated, Nov. 19, 2008, 11:55 a.m.)