Islamist Websites Monitor No. 71

Islamic State in Iraq (Al-Qaeda) Abducts, Executes Iraqi Interior Ministry Employees in Diyala Province

Between March 2 and March 4, 2007, Islamist websites posted three communiqués by the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) reporting the abduction and execution of Iraqi interior ministry employees in Diyala province. These communiqués followed an announcement by the Iraqi government reporting the abduction of 14 Interior Ministry employees in the province.

The first communiqué, of March 2, stated that the ISI had abducted 18 Interior Ministry employees in Diyala in retaliation for the actions of "those apostates" against the Sunnis, and especially for the rape of Sabrin Al-Janabi. The ISI made two demands: that the officers who participated in Al-Janabi's rape be handed over to the ISI, and that all Sunni women be released from Iraqi jails. The message threatened that the prisoners would be executed unless the demands were met within 24 hours.

The second communiqué, of March 3, 2007, reported the execution of 14 interior ministry employees who had been abducted on March 1, 2007. The message stressed that these were not the 14 individuals whose abduction had been reported by the Iraqi authorities, but that there were two groups of abductees, all of whom had been executed. The communiqué further stated that the operations were part of the "Plan of Honor" announced by ISI commander Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi.

On March 4, Islamist websites posted a four-minute video, produced by Al-Furqan, titled "The Implementation of the Death Sentence against the Interior Ministry Employees in Diyala Province." The video shows a group of 18 blindfolded individuals and a man aiming a gun at them. An announcer then reads out the third communiqué, which also appears written on the screen. This communiqué repeats the text of the first message, of March 2, and then adds that since the Al-Maliki government had failed to respond to the ultimatum, "the ISI Shari'a Court has ordered the implementation of the death sentence." The video then shows the prisoners kneeling in a row and being shot by two masked terrorists.

The video, with graphic content removed, can be viewed at: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=658877&ak=null.

Below are images from the video:

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Claims Responsibility for Attack on Stroytransgaz Employees

In a communiqué posted on Islamist websites on March 5, 2007, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the March 4, 2007 attack in Algeria, in which a roadside bomb was detonated near a bus carrying employees of the Russian company Stroytransgaz, killing three Algerians and one Russian. The communiqué stated that the unit responsible for the attack was commanded by Sheikh Asem Abu Hayyan, and that the operation was a gift to "our Muslim brothers in Chechnya who are being oppressed and slaughtered by the criminal Putin government with the support of Russian people." The communiqué also stated that the operation was part of a series of attacks recently carried out in "Region Two," commanded by Sufyan Abu Haydra.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Threatens the Algerian Army and Those Collaborating With It

On March 5, 2007, Islamist websites posted a communiqué by Abu Mus'ab Abd Al-Wadoud, commander of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, in which he condemns those who collaborate with the Algerian army against the mujahideen, and urges them to repent. In the beginning of the message, Al-Wadoud accuses the Algerian army of fighting for the separation of state and religion, of leading the country to financial and cultural bankruptcy, and of forging ties with Jews and Christians. He urges "all those who have fallen into helping the enemy and fighting Islam and the mujahideen" to return to Islam, stressing that those who repent will not be held accountable for previous actions against the mujahideen, and will not be asked to fight alongside the mujahideen but only to stop acting against them. Finally, Al-Wadoud threatens that anyone who does not sever his ties with the Algerian army will be killed.

Islamist Websites Monitor No. 72

Taliban Announces Imminent Attack on Uruzgan Province

A Taliban communiqué posted March 5, 2007 on Islamist websites announces an imminent attack on Uruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan. The message declares that 8,000 fully equipped Taliban soldiers are ready to launch an attack on "the American occupiers and their Afghani collaborators" in the province. It urges those whose relatives are collaborating with the "enemy" to stop them from doing so, and promises that collaborators will be forgiven if they sever ties with the enemy and instead assist the mujahideen.

Islamic State in Iraq Announces Attack on Shi'ites in Retaliation for Two Rape Incidents

On March 2, 2007, Islamist websites posted a communiqué by the War Ministry of the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI), in which the ministry announces the launching of the "Attack of the Vengeance of Honor." The communiqué says: "Our brothers the jihad fighters in the War Ministry have decided to launch the 'Attack of the Vengeance of Honor' in Baghdad and in the other provinces, as part of the Plan of Honor and in response to the call of Commander of the Believers Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi… This attack will continue until the number of Shi'ite policemen, commando fighters, soldiers and defenders of the regime who are killed reaches 2,000 - that is, 1,000 fatalities for each of our sisters whose honor has been violated."

The Islamic Front of Iraqi Resistance (JAME) Calls Upon the U.S. to Negotiate Directly with the Mujahideen

A communiqué by the Islamic Front of Iraqi Resistance (JAME), posted March 5, 2007 on Islamist websites, responds to Al-Maliki's recent call for an international summit on Iraq, dismissing this initiative as a political ploy. According to the message, Al-Maliki's move is an attempt to comply with the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group; however, Al-Maliki wishes to address only the issues that immediately concern the Iraqi government - such as the security problem - rather than more fundamental issues such as human rights in Iraq, recognition of the resistance, and the fact that various ministries are controlled by the militias and not by the government. The communiqué further states that, if the U.S. wishes to escape its predicament in Iraq, it should not rely on the Iraqi "sectarian government" and its "mercenaries," but should negotiate directly with the jihad commanders.

Iraqi Government and the Islamic State in Iraq Compete to Recruit Former Iraqi Army Officers

On March 5, 2007, Islamist websites posted a communiqué by the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI), responding to the Iraqi government's call for former officers in the Iraqi armed forces to join its security apparatuses. The ISI communiqué reminds these officers that ISI leader Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi has called upon them to join his army, and threatens harm to anyone who responds to the government's call. The message says: "Now that the noose around [the neck of] the Al-Maliki government and [around the necks of] its American masters has tightened, and now that the Shi'ite forces have proved helpless to stop the wagon of blessed jihad, the Shi'ite government is once again… calling upon the former officers in the Iraqi army - and especially upon the Sunnis among them - to volunteer and join the apostate [security] apparatuses, and thus to form the spearhead in the war against the jihad fighters… We warn [these former officers] not to fall for these false claims on the pretext of defending their cities or for a handful of dollars… We remind the former [soldiers] of the Iraqi army that ISI commander [Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi] calls upon them to join the army of the ISI…

[1] Those who sell out their faith and their nation cheaply, and agree to follow Al-Maliki, will receive nothing from us but a sharp sword. We will not allow these traitors to stand in the way of the jihad fighters and to hinder their plans."

Islamist Websites Monitor No. 73

First Installment in "Shahada Knights" Series

On March 2, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 40-minute video, produced by the ISI media company, titled "First Installment in the Fursan Al-Shahada [Knights of Martyrdom] Series." The video presents the stories of three suicide bombers. http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=663244&ak=null

The film opens with an animated sequence showing a truck entering an enemy compound and exploding against a large cross that stands in the middle of the compound, while cries of "Allah Akbar" are heard in the background.

The film then presents the stories of three suicide bombers, Hajj Abu Khatab Al-Ansari, Abu Ghazal Al-Muhajir and Abu Al-Walid Al-Shami, who allegedly set off truck bombs near American targets. A caption states that the first of the three attacked the American headquarters in Al-Saqlawiya in Al-Anbar province, destroying eight vehicles, killing 45 U.S. troops, and causing the Americans to leave the area. The part dealing with the third suicide bomber, Abu Al-Walid Al-Shami, begins with a similar caption, identifying his target as a building in Al-Ramadi which had been seized by the enemy and used as a military post. The caption also states that at least 30 American snipers were killed in the operation.

The film includes the statements recorded by the bombers before setting out on their operations. The three praise jihad and martyrdom, urge Muslim youths to join the jihad, and make threats against the Americans, those who collaborate with them, clerics who do not support jihad, and others.

Two of the fighters are shown getting into trucks, but only one of them is shown driving towards the target and pressing the switch that triggers the explosion. In the other two cases, the video only shows the explosion allegedly set off by the bombers.

The video is accompanied by jihad and martyrdom songs, and includes an excerpt from a bin Laden video, in which he states that jihad, gunfire, and martyrdom are the only way to wipe out the humiliation and heresy that have spread throughout the Islamic lands. The footage is also accompanied by excerpts from audio-recordings by Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi and by another martyred jihad commander. The latter says: "You must join the ranks of jihad… You must humiliate America, you must destroy America, you must liberate the Muslim lands."

The Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) Claims Responsibility for the March 6, 2007 Attack on a Jail in Mosul

In a communiqué posted on Islamist websites on March 7, 2007, the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) claimed responsibility for the March 6, 2007 attack on a jail in Mosul which led to the escape of dozens of prisoners. According to the message, the attack was preceded by an extensive reconnaissance mission, the results of which were handed over to the military commanders who consequently formed a special storming unit. The message states that after storming the jail, the mujahideen freed over 150 Iraqi and foreign Arab prisoners, and then retreated safely.

The Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) Denies Claims about the Arrest of Its High-Ranking Commanders

A communiqué by the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) posted March 6, 2007 on Islamist websites denies what it calls "announcements by the Iraqi Interior Ministry regarding the arrest of ISI's prominent commanders." The message declares that all ISI's commanders are safe and that all claims made by Al-Maliki's government to the contrary are false. The message concludes by assuring Muslims that "had God ordained an ISI commander's [death or arrest], we would have not been remiss in informing people about it, because we believe that our jihad will not go forth unless the blood of the commanders [is spilled] before that of the soldiers."

Islamist Websites Monitor No. 74

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Claims Responsibility for 18 Attacks on March 6, 2007

In a communiqué posted March 8, 2007 on Islamist websites, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for "18 large-scale simultaneous attacks" on various military and police targets, carried out on March 6, 2007. The message lists the attacks, in some cases specifying casualties suffered by the Algerian troops and police. It concludes by stating that the "Crusaders'… security plans have failed… Neither fortresses nor security measures will stop the youth of the Islamic Maghreb from attacking [them] in [their] own homes..."

Islamist Video Shows Attacks on U.S. MPVs

On March 5, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 26-minute video titled "Sayyadu Al-Kasihat" (The Hunters of the Mine-Protected Vehicles), produced by Al-Furqan. The video boasts of the jihad fighters' success in destroying the mine-protected vehicles (MPVs) used by the U.S. military in Iraq, and shows a series of attacks on MPVs of various models.

The film begins with the caption, "A field commander explains the development of explosive charges in Iraq." A masked individual then reads out a written message, saying that the Americans are constantly developing their military gear, but that nevertheless the jihad fighters are managing to cause them numerous fatalities and extensive damage, especially with explosive charges. In the beginning of the war, he says, the American Hummers were "weak," and "Allah enabled us to use [them] as 'guinea pigs' to test our explosive devices. The situation was such that the Americans [had to] install a device on the front of the vehicle to disrupt the radio signal [that sets off] the explosive charge… [But] the jihad fighters developed a more sophisticated apparatus that destroyed hundreds of the Crusaders' Hummers… This forced the Americans to spend a fortune developing what they call the "mine-protected vehicle." [However], the expert engineers of the Islamic State in Iraq learned the vehicle's [specifications and capabilities]… and managed to develop an electronic circuit whose signal it could not disrupt." The announcer concludes his message by saying: "We dedicate this activity to Commander of the Believers Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi."

The video then shows a series of attacks on MPVs, mostly in the Al-Anbar and Baghdad provinces, and also in Diyala province.

The next caption, which is read out by an unseen announcer, describes the structure and specifications of several MPV models: Meerkat, RG-31 Nyala, Cougar and Buffalo. The announcer concludes: "Allah enabled the jihad fighters to destroy these vehicles and to drag America's honor through the mud."

The last part of the video shows another series of attacks on MPVs. In one case, the camera focuses on the anti-IED device on the front of the vehicle, and a caption says: "A state-of-the-art disruption device recently installed on [U.S. MPVs]." A few seconds later, the vehicle explodes. In another sequence, a group of jihad fighters are heard setting an ambush next to a road. A convoy of U.S. military vehicles passes by unharmed. Then one of the mujahideen announces "Here comes a MPV!" and shortly thereafter the vehicle explodes.

The video, with graphic images removed, can be viewed at:

http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=666001&ak=null.

Below are images from the video:

Imminent Publication of Second Issue of Technical Mujahid E-Magazine

On March 9, 2007, the Al-Fajr Information Center, the mouthpiece of the Islamic State in Iraq, announced on Islamist websites the imminent release of the second issue of its e-magazine Al-Mujahid Al-Taqni (Technical Mujahid). Information in the first issue implied that the second could discuss avoiding detection online and launching a jihadist website, and could include an inside look at the "Mujahideen Secrets" software for secure online information exchange. [2]

Below is the title page image of the journal's first issue.