Islamist Websites Monitor No. 96

Taliban Grants Another Extension on Ultimatum to France

On May 5, 2007, the Taliban posted a communiqué on Islamist websites in which it once again extended its ultimatum to France to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan. The message explains that since France is still preoccupied with the presidential elections, the Taliban leadership had decided to grant a second extension beyond the one-week extension it had granted on April 28, 2007.[1]

Islamist Websites Post Audio Recording by Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir

On May 5, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 21-minute audio recording by Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) and "war minister" in the ISI government. It should be noted that there have recently been reports of Al-Muhajir's death, which were denied by the ISI, and also that nothing in the recording indicates its date of production.

The following are the main points of Al-Muhajir's address:

Al-Muhajir attacks the Sunni Islamic party, which is part of the Iraqi government, and accuses it of assisting the occupation and of attempting to divide the ranks of the mujahideen. He emphasizes, however, that "we distinguish between the party and its supporters, and even though we regard the party leaders as apostates... we do not think that we must kill them or be sidetracked into battles with them that will serve [nobody] but the occupiers and their Shi'ite helpers..."

Addressing the Christians in Iraq, Al-Muhajir says that the Islamic state will not harm them but will subject them to the dhimma laws.

Lastly, he addresses all Muslims, saying that the media reports about internecine fighting between the ISI and Sunni tribes are unfounded, and are nothing but "a last-ditch effort to divide the ranks of jihad." He adds that the jihad fighters are in good condition, saying: "We control 80% of Diyala, Mosul, and Salah Al-Din [province]. In Al-Anbar we hold the initiative, and in Baghdad and Kirkuk we deal painful blows to the occupiers."

Islamist Websites Monitor No. 97

ISI Kidnaps Nine Iraqi Officers, Threatens to Execute Them Within 72 Hours Unless Its Demands Are Met

In a video released May 7, 2007, the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) announced that it had kidnapped nine officers affiliated with the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense in Diyala, and that they would be executed within 72 hours unless its demands were met. The demands are: The Iraqi government must release all Sunni women prisoners from its jails, and must hand over to the ISI the officers who were involved in the February 2007 rape of Sabrin Al-Janabi, as well as the officers responsible for the killing and expulsion of the Sunni inhabitants of Tal'afar (a town in northwest Iraq) and those who participated in the rape of Sunni women in that town.

The video also gave the names of five high-ranking officers among the nine hostages:

Lieutenant Colonel 'Abbas 'Awad Hadi

Major Muhammad 'Adnan Ibrahim

Major 'Adnan Ibrahim Karim

Captain Hussein Qasim Jarf Hussein

First Lieutenant Rafid Farhan Fadel

The video can be viewed at http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=826895&ak=null .

Below are images taken from the video:

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Islamist Websites Monitor No. 98

ISI Kidnaps Three More Iraqi Officials, Issues 24-Hour Ultimatum to Al-Maliki

In a May 8, 2007 communiqué, the Islamic State of Iraq announced that it had kidnapped an officer in the Al-Maliki government's Defense Ministry, Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Ahmad Hussein, earlier that day in Mosul. The communiqué added that the ISI had kidnapped two of his personal guards as well, who are also prison interrogation officers.

The communiqué stated that the hostages will be executed within 24 hours unless the Al-Maliki government met the following demands: releasing all those were arrested at the Al-Sadiq mosque in Al-A'zamiyya, and releasing all residents of Al-A'zamiyya arrested at the Al-Nu'man hospital.

Below are some images which were attached to the communiqué:

Video of a February 18, 2007 Islamic State of Iraq Attack on Al-Tarmiyah Police Station

On May 6, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 20-minute video titled "The Abu Hafsa Al-Mashadani Operation." The video was produced by Al-Furqan, the ISI's media company; it documents the attack on a police station in Al-Tarmiyah, north of Baghdad, on February 18, 2007. The video was filmed from six different angles, and throughout the video the number of the camera filming each segment is noted.

As the film begins, Abu Anas Al-Najdi, who carried out the operation, reads out his will, emphasizing that the commandment of jihad is a personal obligation incumbent upon every Muslim. Then he embraces his "brothers" and takes leave of them before starting out on his mission. The date shown on the screen is February 15, 2007.

Next, a truck is shown (apparently a truck bomb with Abu Anas inside it), and three mujahideen are shown shooting from behind a wall at a building labeled "Enemy [Police] Station"; the gunfire is apparently meant to divert police attention from the approaching truck. After a while there is a powerful explosion at the police station, and the station goes up in flames. A helicopter arrives at the site, and the following caption appears: "Enemy helicopters arrive to remove the corpses and to get the better of the mujahideen, but they fail." Then the mujahideen are seen taking over the destroyed police station and waving the ISI flag while shouting "Allahu Akbar." The date shown on the screen is February 18, 2007.

In the following segment, titled "Results of the Operation," a narrator says: "On Tuesday, 2 Safar 1428 [February 20, 2007 – the date does not square with the date on the screenshots], an attack was carried out on the Al-Tarmiyah police station, with light and medium weapons. The hour of the attack was chosen in order to keep civilians safe. The number of Crusader American soldiers [at the station] was 70… After we diverted the Americans' attention, the brother [Abu Anas Al-Najdi] set out on the martyrdom-seeking operation. Abu Anas… managed to enter through the main entrance gate after firing a missile that was attached to the side of the truck. Then he turned [and drove] towards the building and carried out [the attack] a few meters from it. As a result of the operation, at least 50 Crusader soldiers were killed, and 5 HMMWVs near the entrance gate were destroyed."

Interspersed throughout the video are video and audio clips of bin Laden, Al-Zarqawi, and Al-Baghdadi encouraging jihad and martyrdom-seeking operations. At the conclusion of the video, pictures of two martyrs are shown, one of whom is Abu Hafsa Al-Mashadani, for whom the Al-Tarmiyah operation was named, who died October 18, 2006.

To view the film, click on the following link: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=830059&ak=null

Below are images taken from the film:

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Islamist Websites Monitor No. 99

Emir of Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb Promises Future Martyrdom Operations

In a video posted on Islamist websites on May 9, 2007 (but dated April 2007), the Emir of the Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb, Abu Mus'ab 'Abd Al-Wadoud, congratulated the Muslims of North Africa and the world on the establishment of his organization, which he said would bring true unity to the Muslims, after the Arab League and the Arab Maghreb Union had failed in doing so. He attacked these groups for taking sides with the Crusaders in various conflicts; he also derided Morocco for being more concerned with the Western Sahara than with liberating Ceuta and Melilla and "cleansing them of the impurity of Spain."

He promised that the mujahideen would continue to dedicate their lives to fighting the apostates, the Jews, and the Crusaders, and said that a strategic decision had been made to use, from now on, martyrdom-seeking (i.e. suicide) operations. 'Abd Al-Wadoud said that orders had been issued to all levels of command to open the door to volunteers who wished to carry out martyrdom operations, and said that the various commanders were to exercise independent judgment in planning and executing such operations.

'Abd Al-Wadoud said that the public announcement of the organization's new policy was meant to send three messages: 1) to warn the Muslims to stay away from the stations of the security forces, governmental offices, public officials, and places where foreigners are present, "whether these be diplomats, businessmen, or tourists"; 2) to warn foreigners not to have any contact with the apostate regime, as they will be considered enemies, and the mujahideen "will strive to target them, by any possible means"; 3) to warn the security forces and encourage them to go over to the side of the mujahideen.

He continued: "Where are those who desire reward? Where are those who long for Paradise?... Where are those who pledge to sacrifice their lives? Hurry, hurry! Do you not hear what your Prophet said: '… I want to raid for the sake of Allah and be killed, and then raid and be killed, and then raid and be killed.'

"We bring good tidings to our Islamic nation and to our youth:… Our list of martyrdom-seekers has become long, and every day it gets longer. The brothers who volunteer are competing with one another to open this great gate of combat. Do not miss [joining] the convoy, and hasten to Paradise…"

The video ends with 'Abd Al-Wadoud sending greetings to Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Omar Al-Baghdadi, the mujahideen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Chechnya, and Somalia, and the brothers in the apostates' prisons. It is noteworthy that he did not send greetings to the mujahideen in Palestine.

The video can be viewed at http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=838445&ak=null .

Below are images from the video.

Palestinian Organization Jaysh Al-Islam Takes Responsibility for Kidnapping British Journalist

On May 9, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 20-minute video titled "Liberate the Suffering" presenting a recorded message by the Palestinian organization Jaysh Al-Islam. The organization takes responsibility for the kidnapping of BBC correspondent in Gaza Alan Johnston, and demands the release of Muslim prisoners held in Britain, most notably Abu Qatada Al-Falastini. The recorded message is accompanied by photos of Abu Qatada and other prisoners (apparently Muslims imprisoned in the West) and of Alan Johnston's press card.

The following are the main points of the message:

The video begins with a Koranic verse dealing with the treatment of infidels: "So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks until when you have overcome them, then make [them] prisoners, and afterwards either set them free as a favor or let them ransom [themselves] until the war terminates. That [is the ordinance]. And if Allah willed He could have punished them [without you], but [thus it is ordained] that He may try some of you by means of others. And those who are slain in the way of Allah, He rendereth not their actions vain [Koran 47:4]."

Next, the message evokes the struggle taking place between the infidels and the Muslims, and states that in light of the killing, the humiliation, the arrests, and the tortures suffered by Muslims everywhere at the hands of the "Crusaders," the Muslims "have no choice but to counter this cruel attack against the Muslim nation."

Responding to the claim made by some Palestinians that Alan Johnston is protected by the dhimma laws and that his arrest is therefore contrary to Islamic shari'a, the message quotes numerous religious sources, and concludes that the dhimma laws do not apply to British and American citizens, since these two countries have declared war on Islam in Afghanistan and Iraq, and their citizens, by their silence, have acquiesced. Consequently, the citizens of these countries have the status of combatants and must be treated as infidels who are fighting Islam – in other words, it is permissible to kill them. The message further argues that a non-Muslim is protected from harm only if he has received a guarantee from a legitimate Islamic authority, and Johnston has received no such guarantee.

The message then sets out the details of the organization's demands: "We demand that Britain release our prisoners, first and foremost Sheikh Abu Qatada Al-Falastini. [However], we are not forgetting our brothers the prisoners in other countries, and we say to all [these countries]: Release our prisoners, otherwise we will do the same to all of you [i.e. kidnap your citizens], without exception. If you want money for the release of our prisoners, we will ransom them, even to the very last penny we possess, as our Prophet commanded us [to do]..."

Lastly, the message addresses any Palestinians who are thinking of liberating Johnston by force, saying: "We have not declared war on you nor attacked you. What has Johnston to do with you? Does it bother you that we should use him to ransom the Muslim prisoners?... You should not shed the blood of [even] a single Muslim [to save] the life of an infidel, that is our advice to you..."

The video can be viewed at http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=838138&ak=null .

Below are images from the video.