Islamist Websites Monitor No. 60
Video Shows Downing of U.S. Apache Helicopter in Iraq
On February 4, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 3.5-minute video titled "American Apache Downed in Al-Anbar District Northwest of Baghdad, in the Al-Taji region." The video was produced by Al-Furqan, the media company of the Islamic State of Iraq, and is part of a series called "The Hell of the Byzantines [i.e. Christians] and Apostates in Iraq."
The video opens with a Koranic verse: "Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace, and assist you against them and heal the hearts of a believing people [Koran 9:14]." This is followed by a caption saying "Sighting and Ambushing the Target." The footage shows two helicopters flying above, and three fighters - shown only for a few seconds - preparing the attack. One seems to be sighting the target, the second buries something in the ground and a third manipulates a weapon that is set on the ground and has been blacked out by the video producers (something not seen in previous films). The camera then follows the target helicopter, while the voice of Osama bin Laden is heard in the background, followed by a jihad song.
The next part of the film is introduced by a caption saying "The Battle with the Helicopters Begins." Intensive gunfire is heard, accompanied by cries of "Allah Akbar," and a rocket is fired. The footage follows the Apache until several seconds before it falls. The video next presents an excerpt from a February 2, 2007 speech by Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi, head of the Islamic State of Iraq, which was posted as an audio recording on Islamist websites on February 3, 2007. The video ends with a caption saying "This helicopter was downed on Friday, Muharram 14, 1428 [February 2, 2007]."
The video can be viewed at http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=541786&ak=null
Below are images from the video:
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Islamic Website Posts Instructions for Destroying U.S. Tanks
On February 5, 2007, an Islamist website posted detailed step-by-step instructions for destroying an Abrams Tank using very unsophisticated weapons. The message begins with the statement: "You can destroy anything if you use the right methods." It then describes several of the tank's vulnerable spots which could be exploited in order to "blind" the tank, slow it down, and then completely destroy it with unsophisticated missiles. The description is accompanied by illustrations which MEMRI has decided to withhold for security reasons.
Islamist Websites Monitor No. 61
Islamic State in Iraq Claims Responsibility for Downing Chinook
On February 7, 2007, the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) posted a communiqué on the Islamist websites in which it claimed responsibility for the downing of a U.S. Chinook helicopter in Iraq on the same day. According to the message, around 10:40 AM an Islamic State in Iraq air defense unit had targeted the helicopter in Al-Karamah, Iraq, destroying it completely.
Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi Calls to Extend Jihad in Iraq, Declares War on "Persians"
On February 3, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 23-minute audio recording by Emir Al-Muaminin (Commander of the Believers) Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi, whom Al-Qaeda has appointed "head of the Islamic State of Iraq." In his address, Al-Baghdadi announces that the arena of the jihad will now be extended beyond the boundaries of Baghdad, calls on Sunni youths to join the war against the "Crusader" forces, and urges mujahideen who have not yet done so to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq. He also declares war on the "Persians," whom he characterizes as an enemy worse than the Christians. He states that the intensive activity of the mujahideen in Iraq has kept the Americans busy, allowing North Korea to conduct successful nuclear experiments, which in turn provided Iran with greater room for maneuvering and prevented the elimination of the Ba'th regime in Syria. Al-Baghdadi ends his address by saying that, in his estimation, America will soon acknowledge its defeat in Iraq and will then turn to carrying out a tactical nuclear attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Below is the banner that accompanies the official announcements of the Islamic State of Iraq.
Islamist Websites Monitor No. 62
Sawt Al-Jihad Returns with 30th Issue
On February 8, 2007, Islamist websites posted the 30th issue of the e-journal Sawt Al-Jihad (The Voice of Jihad) after a long period of non-publication. In the introduction to the issue, it is implied that the regular publication of the journal stopped because the Saudi government had killed some of its top editors in an attempt to eliminate jihad, and more specifically "media jihad." According to the introduction, the journal's return is therefore proof that jihad is still alive and well in Saudi Arabia, contrary to the claims of the Saudi government. The introduction also states that the purpose of the current issue is to discuss some of the jihad-related events that have occurred in Saudi Arabia since the publication of the last issue, such as the February 2006 raid on the Saudi oil refinery, and the clashes between mujahideen and the Saudi security forces in the Yarmuq and Nakhil neighborhoods in Riyadh, in which several mujahideen were killed and many others were arrested.
The issue includes a piece about "media mujahid" 'Isa Al-'Awsh, a brief article titled "Iraq Yesterday and Today," a short discussion titled "The War on Iran," and an interview with jihad commander Karim Al-Majati, who fought in Bosnia.
It should be noted that in April 2006, a "fabricated" 30th issue of Sawt Al-Jihad was posted on the Internet (see Image 2 below). [1]
Image 1: Cover of the 30th issue of Sawt-Al-Jihad
Image 2: Cover of the "fabricated" 30th issue of Sawt Al-Jihad
[1] This April 2006 publication informed readers that the issue was “a fabrication of our dear publication Sawt Al-Jihad... which was put together in a few minutes [in order to demonstrate] how easily those with no conscience can forge [it].”
