Islamist Websites Monitor No. 108
Video Shows Alleged Attack on Afghan Military Post in Dabgay
A 10-minute video titled "Attack on an Apostate Base in Dabgay," released June 2, 2007 by Al-Qaeda's production company Al-Sahab, shows a mortar and gunfire attack on a base of the Afghan military in Khost province, allegedly carried out on May 24, 2007.
The film, which is subtitled in English, begins with reconnaissance footage of the base, and then shows the mujahideen marching towards it and attacking it by night.
Several features of the film raise doubts as to the authenticity of the attack. For example, there are no signs of answering fire, and no calls of "Allah Akbar" as typically accompany the launching of mortars in other jihad videos. A previous Al-Sahab video of an attack on a military compound in Afghanistan, posted on February 2007, was likewise of doubtful authenticity.[1]
The following are images from the video:
Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi: The Blood of All Jihad Fighters Is Sacred, And Must Not be Spilled Except in War Against the Crusaders
In the recent days, there has been heavy fighting in the Al-Amariyya neighborhood in Baghdad between Al-Qaeda and Sunni jihad groups that have not joined the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). In response to the fighting, the office of ISI commander Abu Omar Al Baghdadi posted an announcement on June 1, 2007 on Islamist websites in which he stressed that the blood of all jihad fighters is sacred and ordering the ISI fighters not to take part in the clashes.
The following are excerpts from the message:
"The Commander of the Believers [Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi] has expressed deep sorrow over the fighting that took place in Al-Amariyya and its environs, hastened to order all ISI soldiers to stay in their homes and in their bases, and issued a fatwa prohibiting civil strife... He emphasized that there is no distinction between the blood of ISI fighters and that of other jihad fighters... and called to form an investigation committee consisting of Islamic judges from the ISI and from any other jihad group that wishes to uncover the truth...
"[Al-Baghdadi] has sent a missive to the commanders and soldiers of Al-Jaysh Al-Islami, in which he wrote:... 'We treat the honorable [fighters] with the honor [they deserve], and regard our brothers [with respect], as warranted by their honorable history in jihad... especially since many of us once fought under the [banner of] Al-Jaysh [Al-Islami]... We will maintain these ties of friendship, whatever happens...'
"[Al-Baghdadi] emphasized that the ISI soldiers have sworn a pledge of allegiance to death, but that the soldiers of the [other] jihad groups are citizens [of the Islamic State of Iraq]. Therefore, [he said], we have a responsibility to protect their lives and this takes priority over [protecting the lives] of the ISI soldiers, since the blood of the jihad fighters must not be spilled except in the war against the Crusaders and their helpers..."
Taliban Leader Demands Establishment of Team to Investigate Killing of Civilians in Afghanistan War
Islamist websites recently posted a communiqué dated May 29, 2007, by the Taliban spiritual leader, in which he demands that an investigative team be formed, to comprise Red Cross representatives, independent journalists, Afghan ulema, and Afghan sheikhs to investigate the killing of civilians during the Afghanistan war.
The following are excerpts:
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"Since the beginning of the armed Afghan resistance against the foreign forces and the forces of the Afghan government, there have been – and still are – casualties among civilians... The two sides blame each other, and the international human rights association... ignores the facts and constantly publishes reports that are not based on reality. We are distressed and angered by the [killing] of our innocent fellow [Afghans]...
"We demand the establishment of a joint team [consisting of] of Red Cross [representatives], independent journalists, Afghan ulema and [Afghan] sheikhs... The Islamic Afghan Emirate and NATO will provide guarantees that the investigation of these incidents will always be [carried out in a] reliable and accurate [manner].
"[Signed:] The Servant of Islam, Commander of the Believers Mullah Muhammad Omar (mujahid)."
[1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 1472, "Islamists Stage Jihad Attack for the Purpose of Psychological Warfare," February 22, 2007, Islamists Stage Jihad Attack for the Purpose of Psychological Warfare.
Islamist Websites Monitor No. 109
Reconciliation Agreement Between Islamic Army in Iraq and Al-Qaeda in Iraq
On June 6, 2007, the Islamic Army in Iraq posted a communiqué on Islamist websites announcing a sulh (reconciliation) agreement between it and Al-Qaeda in Iraq, after a long period of intensifying clashes between the two organizations. The communiqué explains that "in order to protect the jihad program from disintegrating and in the attempt to spare Muslim blood," the two organizations had reached an agreement calling for a) an immediate halt to all military confrontations and media attacks between the two sides, and b) the establishment of a mutually accepted judicial committee to resolve conflicts between the two sides.
Abu Al-Hassan Rashid Responds to Queries Regarding the Recent Attacks in Algeria
On June 4, 2007, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb posted a 23-page document in which Abu Al-Hassan Rashid, a member in the organization's Shari'a Council, replied to questions addressed to the organization regarding the recent suicide attacks that the organization carried out in Algeria.
The questions, set out in the introduction, pertain to several issues, among them: the issue of killing civilians, the organization's choosing to attack the government rather than U.S./ foreign interests in Algeria, its choosing to employ suicide attacks, and the effect of these attacks on public opinion in Algeria.
Regarding killing civilians, Abu Al-Hassan Rashid points to medieval religious authorities who sanctioned the killing of civilians under the following conditions: when there is absolutely no other way to reach the enemy than by killing civilians, and when refraining from doing so will jeopardize Islam. Abu Al-Hassan proceeds to explain that today, attacking the "apostate" Algerian government is a necessity, since the government insists on placing its well-guarded facilities in the midst of civilians. Thus, there is no other way but to attack those facilities, even though such attacks endanger the lives of civilians.
Regarding suicide attacks, Abu Al-Hassan Rashid cites various medieval and contemporary authorities who endorsed such acts if carrying them out "will greatly benefit Islam," provided that the act is carried out for the sake of martyrdom, that it is triggered by wrongdoing on the part of the enemy, and that it is likely to cause the enemy to fear Muslims.
As for attacking the government instead of U.S. interests, Abu Al-Hassan explains this as a tactical choice, rather than a strategic choice, because the mujahideen are faced with a double obligation to kill "the apostates and... their masters who are spearheads in the announced Crusade."
Islamist Websites Monitor No. 110
Senior Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan Commander: "This Summer Will Be... a Sword That Will Crack Your Skulls Open; Your Centers Will Be Blown Up and Your Limbs Will Be Scattered"
On June 6, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 20-minute video by Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan Commander Abu Yahya Al-Libi, in which he eulogized former Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah and declared that this summer would be a season of victory for the mujahideen. The following are excerpts:
Al-Libi states that the Islamic nation is sacrificing the finest of its sons and commanders in the defense of Islam, since it is a nation for which the defense of principles, truth, and justice are of supreme importance – even more important than the preservation of life. After giving a long list of jihad commanders who have been killed "but whose legacy lives on," he says: "Today, we take leave of one of these noble commanders, Mullah Dadullah, who has joined the ranks of the martyrs... after having spent his life on the battlefronts fighting the infidels and oppressors... Even though his loss is a great calamity [for us], we take comfort in his happy end [i.e. his martyrdom]...
"Mullah Dadullah lost his leg in battle, and thus [according to Islamic law], he was exempt [from further participation in jihad]... But his faith, that filled his spirit, and the delicious taste of jihad... to which he had grown accustomed... prevented him from doing so... His leg preceded him [to Paradise], and through his actions, he said: 'I hope to walk with this limp in Paradise...'
"True, Mullah Dadullah did not graduate from a military academy... but he is a graduate of the school whose path is war for the sake of Allah. One who fights for the sake of Allah is either killed or is victorious; [in both cases], he is richly rewarded...
"Oh worshippers of the cross, and your apostate lackeys, I hereby declare that this summer will be like a sword that will crack your skulls open; your centers will be blown up and your limbs will be scattered [in every direction]. The soldiers of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have [already] made the necessary preparations... The martyrdom-seeking graduates of Mullah Dadullah's jihad academy are racing to be the first [to take part in] the season of victory and to take revenge on the [forces] of treason and apostasy.
"Oh Islamic nation and bearers of the banner of monotheism, such were your commanders – [men] of few words and many deeds, who defended the faith and [its] sanctities, and polished the mirror of Islam with their pure blood. Follow in their footsteps and carry out [the task] to which they were committed."
The video can be viewed at: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=905863&ak=null.
Below are images from the video:
Son of FIS Leader 'Ali Belhaj Joins Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
On June 5, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 22-minute video dated May 2007, from the Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb (formerly known as the GSPC). The first part, titled "The Shadows of the Swords," shows excerpts from a video from Ayman Al-Zawahiri speaking about jihad in North Africa, and then shows footage of attacks carried out in the Boumerdes region of Algeria.
The second part of the video, titled "Message from the Youth of the Al-Ghuraba Camp to the Islamic Nation," shows videotaped statements by young men who have joined the organization. Among these is 'Abd Al-Qahhar Belhaj, son of 'Ali Belhaj, No. 2 man in the banned Islamic Salvation Front (FIS). According to the film's captions, 'Abd Al-Qahhar Belhaj has taken the nom de guerre of Mu'awiya. In his statement, he said: "When we see Allah's religion being fought, His shari'a suspended, that which is sacred to Him violated, and those close to Him imprisoned, pursued, and fought by the sons of France, the servants of the apostates, we are ordered to hasten to the battlefields of jihad for the sake of Allah… How could it be otherwise, for we say that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is Allah's messenger, and we will strive to establish Allah's shari'a on His earth. Oh youth of Islam, rise up in answer to the divine call, fight your enemies, and show them your courage and your unyieldingness…"
Several of the youths shown in the video appear to be Moroccan. One, whose name is given as Abu 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Maghrebi, says: "I say to the Muslim youth – to all of them, and to those in North Africa [or "Morocco" – al-maghrib] in particular: pack your bags and come to the mountains of Algeria, and answer to the words of Allah: Go out to war, those fleet of foot and of heavy body, and sacrifice your goods and your lives for the sake of Allah…" Elsewhere in the video, he attacks Moroccan King Muhammad VI, saying that he is a "tyrant" who "clothes himself in Islamic dress," and criticizes the prison conditions in Sale, Morocco.
The video can be viewed via the following link: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=903814&ak=null
