Islamist Websites Monitor No. 80

Bombing at the Al-Salam Hotel in Faluja

As part of the "The Christians' and Apostates' Hell in the Land of the Two Rivers" series, Islamist websites posted a 3-minute video on March 24, 2007, titled "The Bombing at the Al-Salam Hotel, One of the Strongholds of the Pagan Guard[1] in Al-Falluja, 29 Safar 1428 [March 19, 2007]."

The film opens with a shot of the targeted two-story building, followed by an excerpt from a speech by ISI Commander Omar Al-Baghdadi in which he calls on the Muslims to wage all-out war on "the Jews and their helpers." Then the narrator says: "Your brothers in the ISI managed to infiltrate and booby-trap the Al-Salam Hotel building in the industrial zone near Al-Falluja, which is used by the Pagan Guard snipers. On 29 Safar 1428, at 6:15 in the morning, the building was completely demolished, and afterwards the joint forces of the Crusaders and the Pagan Guard came to extract the bodies of the dead. Dozens of rounds were fired at them, in addition to 82 mm and 120 mm mortar shells, which led to the killing and wounding of many of them. The enemies of Allah tried to flee in a number of directions, but the soldiers of the Islamic State lay in wait for them…, engaged them in battle, and eliminated many of them. As a result of this blessed action, at least 75 Crusaders and Pagan Guards were killed. The enemies of Allah forced the owners of excavators in buildings close to the hotel to extract the bodies, and Blackhawk helicopters spent an entire day transporting the dead and the injured."

Then the video shows the explosion at the hotel, which demolishes it completely, and at the end of the video the flag of the ISI is displayed.

Abu Yahya Al-Libi: A Desperate Appeal to Sunni Groups to Join the Islamic State of Iraq

On March 22, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 27-minute video of a speech by Abu Yahya Al-Libi ("the Libyan"). The video was produced by Al-Sahab and featured English subtitles.

In his speech Al-Libi praises the establishment of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) and urges the Sunni organizations to join it. He mentioned by name Ansar Al-Sunna, Al-Jaysh Al-Islami, and Jaysh Al-Mujahideen, asking them to pay heed to the supplications of their brothers in the ISI and to join them because this is what the situation demands.

The following are excerpts from the speech:

"I call out and plead that my brothers the fighters in Jama'at Ansar Al-Sunna, Al-Jaysh Al-Islami, Jaysh Al-Mujahideen, and the other jihad groups which achieved victories and are still achieving victories over the occupying Christians and their apostate lackeys, I call on them and their commanders to hurry… and contribute to the success of this glorious project of establishing the Islamic State of Iraq, by completely joining their brothers in the ISI and standing by them, in order to support them and strengthen their foundations…

"Your brothers in the ISI opened their hearts to you, stretched out their hands, swallowed their pride, and addressed words to you like a loving brother who turns to his brother for whom he is concerned. They knocked on every door in order to reach an agreement [with you]… And we call on them to persist in this…

"My brothers, the jihad fighters in Iraq, today you are the avant-garde, the vanguard of the caravan; you are on the front lines, and there will be implications to your victory. Therefore, strengthen the attack and fortify your determination… and know that your [Islamic] nation in its entirety stands behind you… Do not let it down.

"Your glorious war is not the jihad of the Iraqi people alone, nor of one group or sect. It is the jihad of all the Islamic nation…

"Oh jihad-fighting brothers, today you are at the crossroads, since your occupying enemy is showing signs of breakdown and defeat in the military arena… [and the enemy] knows well that it has lost the battle."

To View This Video, Visit: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=716684&ak=null

Islamic State in Iraq Claims Responsibility for Three Separate Attacks Against Australian PM, UN Secretary-General, and Iraqi Deputy PM

In three separate communiqués posted on Islamist websites between March 24-26, 2007, the ISI claimed responsibility for three attacks carried out on different occasions against prominent political figures: Australian PM John Howard, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Salam Al-Zubaie. According to the messages, the attack against PM Howard's aircraft on March 18, 2007, was carried out by the ISI's air defense unit and led to the aircraft's emergency landing. In the attack against UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during his conference with Iraqi PM Al-Maliki in the Green Zone on March 22, 2007, the mujahideen used 120mm shells and succeeded in "filling the infidels'... hearts with fear..." The attack against Salam Al-Zubaie on March 23, 2007, was carried out against Al-Zubaie's dwelling compound.

Islamist Websites Monitor No. 81

An Urgent Call by Abu Yayha Al-Libi to Revive the Jihad in Somalia

On March 25, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 29-minute video of a speech by Abu Yahya Al-Libi ("the Libyan"), an Al-Qaeda activist who escaped from a U.S. military prison in Afghanistan in July 2005. The video was produced by Al-Sahab and featured English subtitles.

Al-Libi's video appeal is a desperate attempt to revive the jihad in Somalia. In it, he addresses the mujahideen of Somalia, whom he calls "the army of difficulty, resolution and perseverance," urging them to persist in their guerilla warfare against the occupiers in the face of all the difficulties. He explains that guerilla warfare is the ultimate solution in their situation, where the enemy has clear military superiority, because this kind of warfare extracts the smallest price from the mujahideen while inflicting many losses on the enemy. He advises the mujahideen that "after adversity comes comfort, after difficulty comes ease, and after hardship... relief," adding: "Shed the feeling of despair... repel the illness of weakness, and know that Allah is with you, surrounding you with his protection, defending you with his strength."

Al-Libi calls upon the mujahideen to announce clearly that the goal of their jihad is "the expulsion of the occupier and his helpers and the establishment of an Islamic state in the land of Somalia." He also pleads to other Muslims to stand by the mujahideen and participate in their jihad. Al-Libi dismisses those who render jihad a choice saying: "It is a prescribed and decreed devotional act, which was rendered a duty by the God of gods... [in the verse] 'Fighting is prescribed to you and you dislike it [Koran 2:216].' He asserts that "there is no life for the believer, no standing for this religion, and no establishment for this Lord's shari'a without jihad.

"You should know," asserts Al-Libi "that the Abyssinians [i.e. the Ethiopians] did not enter your land and occupy your homes through conferences, negotiations or agreements but... by [declaring] a blatant war" for which they sought help from their allies. Thus, says Al-Libi, the mujahideen must resort to fighting and killing the infidels in order to reclaim the sovereignty of their land. Al-Libi advises the mujhahideen: "Launch against them attack after attack, lay ambushes for them, shake the land beneath them with... mines, demolish their bases and fortifications with martyrdom operations and car bombs." Al-Libi determines that there is no difference whether the occupier comes with a tank like the Ethiopians, or "under the cloak of international legitimacy, U.N. resolutions, peacekeeping forces, or the African Union... Don't be deceived by their slogans and don't let Satan trap you in their nets."

Al-Libi warns the mujahideen to beware of those who attempt to foment discord among the mujahideen by posing as supporters of jihad while advocating rational behavior, political sophistication, or moderation, so as to create a rift within the jihad camp.

He concludes his message by calling on those who engage in media jihad to spread the news about the mujahideen and their sacrifices, to encourage people to join the jihad in Somalia, and to assist the mujahideen in any way necessary. He says: "The fruits of your entire efforts, whether via sounds, videos or texts, are harder on the infidels... than the rockets and missiles [that fall] on their heads."

To view the video, visit: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=727676&ak=null