Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Media: The Associated Press
Byline: DAVID RISING
Date: 29 September 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Al-Qaida in Iraq's leader, in a chilling audiotape released
Thursday, called for nuclear scientists to join his group's holy war and
urged insurgents to kidnap Westerners so they could be traded for a blind
Egyptian sheik who is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.
The fugitive terror chief said experts in the fields of "chemistry, physics,
electronics, media and all other sciences _ especially nuclear scientists
and explosives experts" should join his group's jihad, or holy war, against
the West.
"We are in dire need of you," said the speaker, who identified himself as
Abu Hamza al-Muhajir _ also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri. "The field of jihad
can satisfy your scientific ambitions, and the large American bases (in
Iraq) are good places to test your unconventional weapons, whether
biological or dirty, as they call them."
The 20-minute audio was posted to a Web site that frequently airs al-Qaida
messages. The voice could not be independently identified, but it was
thought to be al-Masri's. He is believed to have succeeded Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi, who died in a U.S. airstrike north of Baghdad in June, as head
of the al-Qaida-linked organization.
Thursday's message focused attention on Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, a
68-year-old Egyptian cleric who was convicted in 1995 of seditious
conspiracy for his advisory role in a plot to assassinate Egypt's president
and blow up five New York City landmarks including the United Nations.
Abdel-Rahman is considered the leader of Egyptian Islamic militants, and the
1993 World Trade Center conspirators were known to have attended his
lectures.
"I appeal to every holy warrior in the land of Iraq to exert all efforts in
this holy month so that God may enable us to capture some of the Western
dogs to swap them with our sheik and get him out of his dark prison," said
al-Masri, who is also Egyptian.
He also said more than 4,000 foreign militants have been killed in Iraq
since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 _ the first known statement from the
insurgents about their death toll.
It was unclear why al-Masri would advertise the loss of the group's foreign
fighters, but martyrdom is revered among Islamic fundamentalists, and could
be used as a recruiting tool. Analysts said the announcement was likely a
boast aimed at drumming up support.
"It's showing the level of dedication to their cause, the level of sacrifice
jihadists are making," said Ben N. Venzke, director of the Washington-based
IntelCenter, which monitors terrorism communications.
"In a strange kind of way, it's almost showing a sense of strength and
purpose in their cause to other people around world who might be thinking
about joining the fight," Venzke said in a telephone interview.
The statement followed the release of a U.N. report Wednesday that said
fewer foreign fighters have been killed or captured in Iraq in the last few
months, "suggesting that the flow has slackened." The report also said some
fighters had expressed dissatisfaction they were asked to kill fellow
Muslims rather than Western soldiers and that the only role for them was to
be suicide bombers.
Still, the report said al-Qaida "has gained by continuing to play a central
role in the fighting and in encouraging the growth of sectarian violence;
and Iraq has provided many recruits and an excellent training ground."
On the tape, al-Masri offered amnesty to Iraqis who cooperated with their
country's "occupiers," calling on them to "return to your religion and
nation" during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which Sunnis began
observing in Iraq on Saturday and Shiites on Monday.
"We will not attack you as long as you declare your true repentance in front
of your tribe and relatives," he said. "The amnesty ends by the end of this
holy month."
The audio message came on a day that saw the killings of at least 23 people
and the discovery in the capital of 40 apparent victims of sectarian death
squads. To stem the violence, the government announced it will soon lock
down traffic access to Baghdad.
Thursday's attacks in the capital included a car bombing that killed five
and wounded 34 near a restaurant in the city's center, and a suicide car
bombing on a military checkpoint that killed two Iraqi soldiers and wounded
10.
One person was killed and 24 were wounded in two mortar attacks on
residential areas in northern Baghdad.
The 40 bodies found all showed signs of torture, had been shot, and had
their hands and feet bound, police Lt. Thayer Mahmoud said.
The violence comes amid reports from senior coalition military officials
that a militia run by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has been
breaking apart into freelance death squads and gangs.
Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army is one of the largest and most powerful militias in
Iraq, along with the Badr Brigades _ which was once the military wing of the
country's largest Shiite political group, the Supreme Council for the
Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
"There are fractures politically inside Sadr's movement, many of whom don't
find him to be sufficiently radical now that he has taken a political course
of action," a senior coalition intelligence official told reporters in
Baghdad, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to
speak publicly on intelligence issues.
The official added that "I can think of about at least six major players who
have left his organization because he has been perhaps too accommodating to
the coalition."
Last Friday, al-Sadr urged his followers not to use force against U.S.
troops, saying "I want a peaceful war against them and not to shed a drop of
blood.
As part of the Baghdad security plan crackdown on sectarian militias, known
as Operation Together Forward, U.S. and Iraqi troops have been going
neighborhood-by-neighborhood clearing buildings.
The operation has not yet reached Sadr City, a sprawling Shiite slum of
about 2 million where al-Sadr draws much of his support, but it will not be
left out, the intelligence official said.
"The Baghdad security plan will cover Baghdad," the official said. "I didn't
say Baghdad minus; I said Baghdad."
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabagh indicated that another part of the plan
would begin soon: funneling all vehicular traffic into Baghdad through 28
checkpoints.
"The gaps between natural barriers such as Tigris river and canals will be
filled with artificial barriers in order to control and observe any threats
against Iraqis," he said. "This thing would lead to traffic jams for people
entering Baghdad, we hope that our people will understand the reasons behind
this act designed to protect them."
Byline: DAVID RISING
Date: 29 September 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Al-Qaida in Iraq's leader, in a chilling audiotape released
Thursday, called for nuclear scientists to join his group's holy war and
urged insurgents to kidnap Westerners so they could be traded for a blind
Egyptian sheik who is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.
The fugitive terror chief said experts in the fields of "chemistry, physics,
electronics, media and all other sciences _ especially nuclear scientists
and explosives experts" should join his group's jihad, or holy war, against
the West.
"We are in dire need of you," said the speaker, who identified himself as
Abu Hamza al-Muhajir _ also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri. "The field of jihad
can satisfy your scientific ambitions, and the large American bases (in
Iraq) are good places to test your unconventional weapons, whether
biological or dirty, as they call them."
The 20-minute audio was posted to a Web site that frequently airs al-Qaida
messages. The voice could not be independently identified, but it was
thought to be al-Masri's. He is believed to have succeeded Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi, who died in a U.S. airstrike north of Baghdad in June, as head
of the al-Qaida-linked organization.
Thursday's message focused attention on Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, a
68-year-old Egyptian cleric who was convicted in 1995 of seditious
conspiracy for his advisory role in a plot to assassinate Egypt's president
and blow up five New York City landmarks including the United Nations.
Abdel-Rahman is considered the leader of Egyptian Islamic militants, and the
1993 World Trade Center conspirators were known to have attended his
lectures.
"I appeal to every holy warrior in the land of Iraq to exert all efforts in
this holy month so that God may enable us to capture some of the Western
dogs to swap them with our sheik and get him out of his dark prison," said
al-Masri, who is also Egyptian.
He also said more than 4,000 foreign militants have been killed in Iraq
since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 _ the first known statement from the
insurgents about their death toll.
It was unclear why al-Masri would advertise the loss of the group's foreign
fighters, but martyrdom is revered among Islamic fundamentalists, and could
be used as a recruiting tool. Analysts said the announcement was likely a
boast aimed at drumming up support.
"It's showing the level of dedication to their cause, the level of sacrifice
jihadists are making," said Ben N. Venzke, director of the Washington-based
IntelCenter, which monitors terrorism communications.
"In a strange kind of way, it's almost showing a sense of strength and
purpose in their cause to other people around world who might be thinking
about joining the fight," Venzke said in a telephone interview.
The statement followed the release of a U.N. report Wednesday that said
fewer foreign fighters have been killed or captured in Iraq in the last few
months, "suggesting that the flow has slackened." The report also said some
fighters had expressed dissatisfaction they were asked to kill fellow
Muslims rather than Western soldiers and that the only role for them was to
be suicide bombers.
Still, the report said al-Qaida "has gained by continuing to play a central
role in the fighting and in encouraging the growth of sectarian violence;
and Iraq has provided many recruits and an excellent training ground."
On the tape, al-Masri offered amnesty to Iraqis who cooperated with their
country's "occupiers," calling on them to "return to your religion and
nation" during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which Sunnis began
observing in Iraq on Saturday and Shiites on Monday.
"We will not attack you as long as you declare your true repentance in front
of your tribe and relatives," he said. "The amnesty ends by the end of this
holy month."
The audio message came on a day that saw the killings of at least 23 people
and the discovery in the capital of 40 apparent victims of sectarian death
squads. To stem the violence, the government announced it will soon lock
down traffic access to Baghdad.
Thursday's attacks in the capital included a car bombing that killed five
and wounded 34 near a restaurant in the city's center, and a suicide car
bombing on a military checkpoint that killed two Iraqi soldiers and wounded
10.
One person was killed and 24 were wounded in two mortar attacks on
residential areas in northern Baghdad.
The 40 bodies found all showed signs of torture, had been shot, and had
their hands and feet bound, police Lt. Thayer Mahmoud said.
The violence comes amid reports from senior coalition military officials
that a militia run by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has been
breaking apart into freelance death squads and gangs.
Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army is one of the largest and most powerful militias in
Iraq, along with the Badr Brigades _ which was once the military wing of the
country's largest Shiite political group, the Supreme Council for the
Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
"There are fractures politically inside Sadr's movement, many of whom don't
find him to be sufficiently radical now that he has taken a political course
of action," a senior coalition intelligence official told reporters in
Baghdad, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to
speak publicly on intelligence issues.
The official added that "I can think of about at least six major players who
have left his organization because he has been perhaps too accommodating to
the coalition."
Last Friday, al-Sadr urged his followers not to use force against U.S.
troops, saying "I want a peaceful war against them and not to shed a drop of
blood.
As part of the Baghdad security plan crackdown on sectarian militias, known
as Operation Together Forward, U.S. and Iraqi troops have been going
neighborhood-by-neighborhood clearing buildings.
The operation has not yet reached Sadr City, a sprawling Shiite slum of
about 2 million where al-Sadr draws much of his support, but it will not be
left out, the intelligence official said.
"The Baghdad security plan will cover Baghdad," the official said. "I didn't
say Baghdad minus; I said Baghdad."
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabagh indicated that another part of the plan
would begin soon: funneling all vehicular traffic into Baghdad through 28
checkpoints.
"The gaps between natural barriers such as Tigris river and canals will be
filled with artificial barriers in order to control and observe any threats
against Iraqis," he said. "This thing would lead to traffic jams for people
entering Baghdad, we hope that our people will understand the reasons behind
this act designed to protect them."