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February 17, 2005 Special Dispatch No. 865

Top Wanted Kuwaiti Islamist: Islam is Only Consummated through Jihad; We Don't Have Any Ties to Al-Qa'ida; Al-'Anzi Was Executed upon American Orders

February 17, 2005
Kuwait, The Gulf | Special Dispatch No. 865

The London-based organization "Islamic Media Watch" recently conducted an interview with Khaled Al-Dosari, the top wanted Kuwaiti Islamist who is charged with attempting to overthrow the government and of plotting car bomb attacks against American military convoys in Kuwait.

In the interview, Al-Dosari, who calls himself "a human rights activist and spokesman for the Association of Victims of Torture and Administrative Detention," claimed that the Kuwaiti authorities are after him because of his having revealed human rights violations in Kuwait. He claimed that he doesn't have any ties to Al-Qa'ida and that the "Al-Jazira Lions" organization – which, according to Kuwaiti authorities, is behind the latest attacks in Kuwait – is an invention of the Kuwaiti security apparatus. He said that 'Amer Al-'Anzi, who was considered to be the commander of the organization and who died recently in a Kuwaiti prison, was murdered by the Kuwaiti authorities in accordance with American orders. Al-Dosari vowed to avenge him.

The following are excerpts from the interview: [1]
The Kuwaiti Authorities Killed 'Amer Al-'Anzi on America's Orders; We Will Avenge His Blood

Question: "Can you shed some light on what really happened to 'Amer Al-'Anzi and who is responsible? What were your relations with 'Amer Al-'Anzi?"

Al-Dosari: "… I became acquainted with him after he was arrested by the state security apparatus in 2003. He was subjected to torture without being charged of anything, except [for the fact] that they were looking for a suspect. After his release I visited him at his house, and he told me that the state security apparatus committed gross violations [of his rights]. I agreed with him that it was necessary to act to bring an end to these violations by bringing complaints and voices of those who were abused before senior officials. He thought that the senior officials were completely unaware of what goes on in the dungeons of state security prisons. We began to make contact with senior officials in the country and we spoke, through intermediaries, about it...

"After some time and effort, we became convinced that human rights violations in Kuwait occur with the government's knowledge and blessing. I mean by this [the knowledge and blessing Kuwaiti Prime Minister] Sabah Al-Ahmad, since he is responsible for these violations and since he is full of contempt for a large sector of the people – the tribes. Likewise, he is known as someone who hates any manifestation of Islam and religion and anyone who is devout in his faith…

Question: "What were your relations with 'Amer Al-'Anzi?"

Al-Dosari: "'Amer's blood and the blood of his brothers isn't water, and we will enter the cycle of vengeance. [Director of the state security apparatus] 'Adhbi Al-Sabah deceived and betrayed 'Amer. He told him: 'Let the youth turn themselves in, and they will go straight to the prosecution.' The same thing occurred when they broke in to the place and arrested him there. But he ['Adhbi Al-Sabah] eliminated the 'Bidun' [a group that is denied Kuwaiti citizenship] [2] and eliminated the Saudis since he thought that they were unprotected waifs and didn't have anyone to avenge their blood…"

Question: "What was Al-'Anzi up to?"

Al-Dosari: "'Amer and his friends intended to go to Iraq, but the authorities killed them on America's orders."

The Accusations Against Me are False; Their Aim is to Prevent Me from Defending Human Rights in Kuwait

Question: "What do you have to say about the accusations against you?"

Al-Dosari: "There are many accusations, whose aim is to stifle voices [of dissent]. This is not going to happen. I and my brothers … will continue to reveal their wickedness until they return to the path of righteousness, change their policies, and [stop] their gross violations of Kuwaiti citizens' basic human rights."

Question: "The authorities describe you as the leader [of a terrorist group]. Is this true?"

Al-Dosari: "This is a lie and a false accusation. This is an attempt to accuse me of responsibility for what is going on in order to prevent me from defending those who were tortured and from opposing the authorities' human rights violations against my countrymen."

Question: "What is it that you do that bothers the authorities?"

Al-Dosari: "I expose their disgrace through the human rights activists of the 'Association of Victims of Torture and Administrative Detention' in Kuwait. In addition, their arbitrary actions against the Muslim youth are exposed through the media. I turned [to the media] only after doors were closed to us…"

We Don't Have Any Ties to Al-Qa'ida; The Intention Was Not to Commit Attacks in Kuwait but Rather to Wage Jihad in Iraq

Question: "The authorities claim that you [and your associates] are an Al-Jazeera Lions [ Usud Al-Jazeera ] cell. Why this name?"

Al-Dosari: "These are false claims. There is no such thing as the 'Al-Jazeera Lions.' This name is the invention of the state security apparatus. These youth [who were under arrest together with Al-'Anzi] decided to go out to wage Jihad for the sake of Allah in Iraq. Their intentions became known to the authorities, which wanted to arrest them. At present the authorities are killing them off since if they would be brought to trial no evidence would be found against them. The stories about weapons that were in their possession are an exaggeration and an excuse to arrest them and kill them off. The claim that they attempted to carry out operations against American interests with the weapons in their possession is a lie. The regime knows this quite well. The weapons in their possession were only personal weapons. They equipped themselves with these weapons for self-defense, after the investigations [division] began to hunt them down and tried to kill them…

"If these youth had wanted to operate inside Kuwait, they would have done so a long time ago, but they didn't believe that there was anything to be gained from operations within Kuwait, since our country has a special demographic and geographic make-up that prevented them from considering it. In addition, there is a conspiracy against the future of Islam in Kuwait and [even] any simple operation was liable to lead to anarchy. But these youth had absolutely no intention to do this since they know that the regime is fragile and liable to collapse…"

Question: "Are there any ties between you and the Al-Qa'ida organization?"

Al-Dosari: "There are no ties between us other than that we have the same blood and religion."

I Will Not Turn Myself in; Islam is Only Consummated Through Jihad

Question: "What is the real security situation in Kuwait? Is there a real danger threatening the country?"

Al-Dosari: "There is no doubt that change is coming to the region and that the characteristics [of the region] are going to change. What is going on in Kuwait is part of this stage [of change]. There are big problems and there are expressions of discrimination against and harassment of its people. In addition, there is an occupier [in Kuwait] which crossed the oceans and roves our country armed with various kinds of ultra-modern weapons. According to the Kuwaiti constitution, the occupier has the same [level of immunity] as that of the Amir, so that an American soldier can do whatever he likes in the country, whereas you don't have the right to oppose this. The country has turned into an American state, without sovereignty…"

Question: "Would you turn yourself in to the authorities? Has anyone requested you to turn yourself in?"

Al-Dosari: "I love death more than [prison]... To whom should I turn myself in? To the oppressor so that he can oppress and torture me? I should turn myself in knowing that my fate would be like the fate of Sheikh 'Amer [Al-'Anzi]? If I knew that there was justice and respect for human rights, I would go of my own accord, but I am convinced that they want to kill me…"

Question: "What is your message to your people, your brethren, your friends, and the people at large?"

Al-Dosari: "I tell them that I stand firm in my principles. Their [the authorities'] threats to kill me will not turn me away from my religion. I don't mind dying a Muslim, even if I don't know how I will die. Religion is only consummated in the Muslims' souls and among the people through Jihad for the sake of Allah, in all its forms. Religion can subjugate the evil of those who corrupt the land only through force, which will scare them, and only through Jihad, which will break their power. Without Jihad there would be perversion in the land and the mosques would be ruined. The struggle between truth and falsehood is a valid sunna [way of life]. The party of falsehood is always larger than the party of truth. They will be defeated, and their evil will be stopped only through Jihad. Many people only listen to the truth when the use of force pushes them to do so."


[1] Al-Quds Al-‘Arabi (London), February 14, 2005.

[2] For the "bidun," see: http://www.hrw.org/arabic/mena/list/text/bidun3.htm; http://www.hrinfo.net/en/discussion/2004/bk.shtml

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