Saudi Al-Qaeda Terrorists: We Meant to Build a 12,000-Strong Army

Following are excerpts from interviews with Saudi Al-Qaeda terrorists, which were broadcast on Channel 1 Saudi TV on December 13, 2005.

Muhammad Abu Hasaneh: A man in Pakistan used to call me, and I would tell him someone was on his way... He would say: "Okay, when?" and I would tell him that at a certain time, a man would board a flight from Jedda, or somewhere else in Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, to Pakistan, to Qatar, or to Bahrain... They would go through these countries...

Some of the brothers wouldn't go directly to Afghanistan... I mean, Pakistan. They would fly through any other country to avoid attention, and from there they would enter Pakistan. When he would arrive in Pakistan, he'd call me to let me know the hotel, and the hotel's phone number, and I would talk to the man in Pakistan, whose job was to get him into Afghanistan. I would give him the hotel and phone number, and then they would pick him up from the hotel and get him into (Afghanistan). That's where my part ends.

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Sa'd Al-Kanani: In these training camps (in Afghanistan), dozens, hundreds and sometimes thousands of young Muslims would train. The training would last from a week or two up to three or even six months, depending on how long the person was staying in Afghanistan.

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Ziyad Ibrahim 'Asfan: I joined one of the largest training camps in Afghanistan. Long, intensive and difficult courses were given there. It's a well-known camp called Al-Farouq. Some even call it the Arab Commandos camp.

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Sa'd Al-Kanani: At first, there were classes in faith, and in religious jurisprudence, and everything was clear and in keeping with the instructions of the camp supervisors. Later, things may have changed regarding the ideological training. Some Islamic groups took advantage of the classes to spread their ideology of takfir in the minds of these youth who gave in to them.

Ziyad 'Asfan: I was offered to stay in Afghanistan, as one of the individuals who carry the banner of Islam, and to become a soldier in an army that would constitute the core of Islam. This was based on a Hadith that has become their motto: "An army of 12,000 fighters will never be defeated." The brothers in Afghanistan wanted to build an army of 12,000 fighters who would constitute the core of Islam, to whom Allah would grant victory.