Islamist Website Monitor No. 52

*The Taliban Denies "Confessions" Attributed to Its Spokesman by the Afghani Government

On January 19, 2007, Islamist websites posted a communiqué by the Taliban, in which the organization denies statements allegedly made by its spokesman, Doctor Hanif, who was recently arrested and interrogated by the Afghani army. According to the communiqué, "The Afghani army either falsely attributed the statements [below] to the spokesman or extracted them from him by force:

1. The Amir Al-Muminin (i.e., Mullah 'Omar) lives in the town of Kuti in Pakistan.

2. The Taliban organization may have issued an order to kill [Taliban Military Commander] Mullah Dadallah.

3. Taliban members live in Pakistan and receive training from the Pakistani government... They may [also] be supported by the ISI (Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence)... and those who carry out martyrdom operations are trained in Pakistan."

According to the message, the spokesman's position in the organization did not allow him access to this kind of information. As for the alleged Taliban order to kill Mullah Dadallah, the message states that his loyalty to the Taliban is indisputable.

*The Voice of the Caliphate Channel Announces the Start of Pilot Broadcasts

On January 20, 2007, Islamist websites posted a message by The Voice of the Caliphate (Sawt Al-Khilafa) Internet broadcasting channel, which is part of the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF), announcing that the channel would begin its pilot broadcasts soon. The message said: "On the occasion of the [Muslim] new year, the Sawt Al-Khilafa channel is pleased to inform the Muslims that its pilot broadcasts will begin on Saturday, the first day of [the month of] Muharram, 1428, which corresponds to January 20, 2007. We call upon our Muslim brothers to follow... the broadcasts of this blessed channel and to urge others to do so... We hope that these [broadcasts] will have the desired results, that they will benefit the jihad fighters, and bring grief to the infidels and the hypocrites." The message gives its program schedule up to February 2, 2007. Among the programs listed are clips of jihad operations, mostly from Iraq but also from other fronts, such as Afghanistan, Chechnya and Turkistan; da'wa programs with various sheikhs; broadcasts of Bin Laden's old speeches; jihad videos produced by various Sunni jihad groups, such as Al-Jaysh Al-Islami, Jaysh Al-Rashidin, Ansar Al-Sunna and Al-Qaeda; and clips of jihad songs.

Islamist Websites Monitor No. 53

*A New Audio Message by Al-Zawahiri

On January 23, 2007, the Islamist websites posted a 14-minute audio tape by Al-Qaeda deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri titled "The Correct Equation." The following is a summary of Al-Zawahiri's message:

Al-Zawahiri opens by mocking Bush's decision to send an additional 20,000 soldiers to Iraq, asking: "Why won't you send 50,000 or 100,000 soldiers... in fact, you should send all your army to be annihilated by the mujhaideen so the world will be relieved of your evil and of that of your army"

Next, Al-Zawahiri addresses the U.S. military, saying: "If you wish to live in security, you should accept reality... and strive to achieve [mutual] understanding with Muslims. Then and only then will you enjoy security. Security is a mutual fate: If we enjoy security, you will, and if we are not harmed you will not be harmed. [However], if we are harmed and killed, you will experience the same fate. This is the correct equation... You face [today] the Islamic rage and the awaking of the jihad of the Islamic nation. What lies in store for you if you persist in your [ways] is worse than what you have seen [so far]."

Al-Zawahiri then calls upon all Muslims to take up arms, or at least to assist the mujahideen, because "every Muslim is directly responsible for defending Islam, the abode of Islam, and the Islamic nation, and is required to do his utmost to release Muslim prisoners; first among these [prisoners] is Sheikh 'Abd Al-Rahman."

Al-Zawahiri ends his message by referring to the situation in Somalia, saying that President Bush has placed his "Ethiopian servants" in a predicament in Somalia and that the mujahideen will break the Ethiopian force. "The Americans have sent them to die," Al-Zawahiri asserted, "and they won't cry over them."

*The Islamic State in Iraq Claims Responsibility for the Downing of an American Blackhawk Helicopter

On January 22, 2007, the Islamic State in Iraq posted a communiqué on the Islamist websites in which it claims to have downed a U.S. Blackhawk helicopter in Bahraz, Diyali on January 21, 2007. According to the message, the helicopter was downed by "a group belonging to the air defense forces of Bahraz, Diyali."

*Video Showing the Attack on Bus of Brown & Root - Condor Personnel in Algeria

On January 21, 2007, Islamist websites posted an eight minute film, titled "The Raid of Bouchaoui" (http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=483850&ak=null ), documenting the December 10, 2006 attack by the Algerian Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) on a bus transporting employees of Brown & Root - Condor in Algeria. [1] The film's title states that it was produced by the GSPC media division. It opens with two segments from previous video messages by Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri; the first contains a general threat against "those who oppress Muslims," while the second specifically warns countries participating in the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq that their lands and worldwide interests will be targeted by the mujahideen.

The film then proceeds to show the planning stages of the attack. Following the opening titles, which describe the target, the film shows the mujahideen using aerial images of DigitalGlobe, a company based in Colorado which supplies high-quality earth imagery, and carrying out reconnaissance to gather information about the attack location. As the road signs suggest, the attack location was in the vicinity of Bouzareah.

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The next segment shows the mujahideen preparing the explosive devices and other equipment to be used in the attack, while in the background a computer screen shows footage of Muslim prisoners.

Finally, the film shows the explosion when the bus, which the title says is carrying 25 American employees, takes an exit ramp off the highway.

Below are images from the film.

Islamist Websites Monitor No. 54

*Ansar Al-Sunna Claims Responsibility for the Downing of a Helicopter in Baghdad

On January 24, 2007 Islamist websites posted a communiqué by Ansar Al-Sunna in which the organization claimed responsibility for the January 23, 2007 downing of a helicopter in Baghdad. According to the message, the event took place when the organization confronted the Iraqi Army, while the army was attempting to kidnap a resident in Al-Fadhl, Baghdad, destroying one of its hammers and killing several of its soldiers. Two American helicopters that rushed to the assistance of the Iraqi Army came under the mujahideen's heavy fire and one was shut down. The mujahideen, according to the message, hurried to the site of the helicopter crash and, under fire from the other helicopter, collected the downed helicopter crew's weapons, personal belongings and documents. The post included pictures of some of the American's identification cards, dog tags, credit cards, and medical documents. Due to the sensitive nature of this content MEMRI will not release these images.

Islamist Websites Monitor No. 55

*Islamist Video - Celebrations of the Establishment of the Islamic State in Iraq

On January 24, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 43-minute video titled "The Muslims' Joy at the Establishment of the State of the Monotheists," produced by the Islamic State's media company Al-Furqan.

The video shows a convoy of armed mujahideen and masked men traveling through the various regions of "the Islamic State in Iraq," among them Baghdad, Diyala, Mosul, Al-Anbar, and Al-Ramadi. In addition, the mujahideen are shown celebrating, together with the residents of these regions, the establishment of the Islamic State.

The video also shows several ceremonies in which jihad fighters and civilians take an oath of allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi. In Mosul, masked mujahideen are shown handing out flyers with the oath of allegiance to Al-Baghdadi and audio cassettes in which Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir swears allegiance to him. The celebrators wave the flags of "The Shura Council of the Mujahideen" and banners bearing the slogan "There is no God but Allah." They also carry various placards, among them one saying: "Death to the Americans, to the British, and to the criminal Shi'ites."

In addition, the video presents excerpts from speeches by bin Laden and Al-Zarqawi and sound clips from Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi, who says: "The enemy claimed that the Al-Qaeda Organization has taken over Al-Anbar and has become popular, but Al-Qaeda is just one of the factions in the Islamic State."

The video ends with an excerpt from a speech by Al-Zawahiri in which he congratulates the mujahideen in Iraq upon the establishment of the Islamic State, and urges mujahideen in Iraq to join "this blessed convoy, in order to rescue Iraq and the Caliphate from the Crusaders and their traitorous supporters…"

The video can be viewed at: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=491699&ak=null.

Below are images from the video:

*Message on Islamist Forum: PWC Logistics is Transporting Supplies to the U.S. Army in Iraq

A message posted January 25, 2007 on an Islamist website claimed that the PWC Logistics company is transporting vehicles and other supplies to the U.S. military in Iraq. The website gave the address, email address, and phone number of the company's offices in Kuwait.

Below is the front page of the website of the company's Kuwaiti branch.