Islamist Websites Monitor No. 75
Islamist Video Shows Preparation, Execution of Suicide Attack in Mosul
On March 8, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 14-minute video titled "The Martyrdom Operation in Mosul," produced by the media company of the Ansar Al-Sunna organization. The video shows the planning and execution of a suicide attack in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq.
The film opens with the caption "Martyrdom Operation Carried Out by Brother Abu Al-Bara Al-Shami against a Peshmerga facility in Mosul," and then shows the mujahid giving his last message before setting out on the operation. Following this, several jihad fighters are shown preparing explosive charges.
The next scene is introduced by the caption "The Brothers' Last Meal with Abu Al-Bara," and shows him dining and then taking leave of his companions. This scene also shows the inside of the vehicle used in the attack.
The third caption gives details about Abu Al-Bara, saying: "Abu Al-Bara was the youngest son in his family. He told us that his mother loved him very much because he obeyed her and used to help her with the housework. A few days before he set out on the operation, his brothers the jihad fighters called his family in Syria, and he spoke with his mother and told her: 'I bought a car and I am getting betrothed today. My brothers are with me and they are preparing to accompany me to the marriage ceremony.' His mother replied, with tears in her voice: 'Oh my son, do as you wish, and as Allah is my witness, I wish you and your brothers every success. Go on [your way], and may Allah bless you.' Next, he spoke with his brothers and sisters and told them to obey Allah… and after finishing this call, he set out on the operation."
The attack itself is shown from two different angles: from in front of the vehicle and from behind. The vehicle is seen moving towards the building and exploding next to it. The video reports that the mujahideen attacked when the building was full in order to maximize the number of fatalities, and that 35 "apostates" of the Peshmerga forces were killed.
The video can be viewed at: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=678139&ak=null.
Below are images from the video:
Al-Zawahiri Attacks Hamas for Signing Mecca Agreement
On March 11, 2007, Al-Qaeda's media production company Al-Sahab released a 21- minute video by Al-Qaeda deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri, in which he criticizes Hamas' signing of the Mecca agreement last month. The clip consists of an audio-recording of the speech, accompanied by English subtitles, against the backdrop of a still image of Al-Zawahiri.
Al-Zawahiri begins by commenting on Blair's recent decision to send more troops to Afghanistan, saying: "I remind [Blair] that [in 1842], Dr. Brydon returned to India [from Kabul], leaving behind him 16,000 dead [British troops] in Afghanistan."
Next, Al-Zawahiri mentions the report of the U.N. commission that investigated the atrocities in Sudan. He states that the U.N. applied "double standards" in acquitting the Serbian government of the killing of 100,000 Croats and Bosnian Muslims, while calling for the conviction of 52 individuals indicted for atrocities in Darfur.
At this stage, Al-Zawahiri comes to the main topic of his address, namely the Mecca agreement, which he calls "another kind of aggression." He harshly criticizes Hamas for signing the agreement, saying that it has shown "loss of leadership" and has "sunk in the swamp of surrender." He accuses Hamas of joining "Sadat's [procession] of humiliation and capitulation..." and of abandoning not only the [Islamic] land but, more importantly, shari'a law – and all for the sake of securing a place in the Palestinian government. He adds: "They [i.e. Hamas] abandoned the movement of resistance and embraced the government of bargaining; they abandoned the movement of martyrdom operations and embraced the government of respect for international resolutions..."
Next, he ponders the reason for Hamas' signing of the Mecca agreement, and asks: "Did you sell Palestine… under the pretext of calling to spare Palestinian lives? Or was it the aggression of Fatah, supported by American money and Egyptian weapons, that forced you to submit to its will?" He also warns that Hamas' new policy will encourage others – such as the U.N., the E.U. and Arab regimes – to interfere in the Palestinians' affairs.
Finally, he addresses the Islamic nation, stating that such agreements result from the worldview spread by secular democracy, and from elections held in the shadow of occupation and secular constitutions. He urges Muslims around the world to reject the U.N. resolution that "handed Palestine over to the Jews..." and calls upon them to wage jihad until all the Islamic lands, from Spain to Iraq, are liberated and the Caliphate is fully restored.
The video can be viewed at: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=678050&ak=null.
Below is an image from the video.
ISI Spokesman: Only by Rolling Skulls and Spilling Blood Will We Achieve Victory
On March 11, 2007, Islamist websites posted an 8.5-minute video by the official ISI spokesman, titled "The Failure of the Al-Maliki-Bush Plan." The spokesman, whose face is masked, says that Bush has not achieved victory in Iraq, since his forces suffered heavy losses and are now in retreat, while the strength of the jihad fighters is steadily growing and their victory is near. The spokesman also called upon the people of Baghdad not to lay down their weapons, but to fight to the death. The following are excerpts from the speech:
"With the help of the apostates, Bush waged many battles in Iraq, under different names, but he achieved no victory… In spite of this, he remains arrogant and stubborn and continues his series of crimes…
"Our Islamic nation, you have seen the [achievements] of the jihad fighters and the defeat of the Crusaders and apostates, from the downing of their planes and the killing of their pilots, to the arrest and execution of dozens of interior ministry employees,… and the killing of many dozens of Crusaders. The losses suffered by the enemies of Allah are constantly increasing and exceed [all] forecasts…
"Our beloved nation, there is no better evidence for the failure of the so-called 'Security Plan' than the attack carried out by your sons, the ISI soldiers, on Badush prison in Mosul province – which is run by the apostates under Crusader supervision – and the release of over 150 of our brothers the prisoners.
"We remind everyone that [only] by rolling skulls, spilling blood, and continuing [the jihad] will we achieve victory and [find] salvation – not [with the help] of neutral international forces or the so-called 'Arab League' or the 'Baghdad Security Conference,' in which all the forces of heresy, from near and far, formed an alliance…
"Oh brothers, [people of] Baghdad, beware not to lay down you weapons and leave [Baghdad] to your enemies… Do not lay down [your weapons] until your souls have departed your bodies…With your endurance and your jihad you defend your honor and your lives, and [bring about] the revival of the Caliphate…
"Our beloved Islamic nation, know that the infidels have begun to retreat and to flee, while Islam is on the rise."
The video can be viewed at: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=677997&ak=null.
Below are images from the video:
Iraqi Militant Group "The Arrows of God" Threatens to Kill Two German Hostages If Germany Does Not Withdraw Its Troops From Afghanistan Within Ten Days
In a video posted March 10, 2007 on Islamist websites, an Iraqi militant group calling itself "The Arrows of God" presented footage of two German hostages and issued an ultimatum to the German government. The tape opens with hostage Hannelore Marianne Krause, her son by her side, imploring the German government to comply with the ultimatum or else the capturers "will kill my son in front of my eyes and then kill me," and appealing also to the general public and NGOs to pressure the government to comply. She stresses that her son recently married and his wife could be pregnant.
The film then shows three masked mujahideen, one of whom reads out an ultimatum to the German government, that if it does not announce the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan within 10 days "it will not see even one corpse" of the hostages.
The video can be viewed at: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=678078&ak=null.
Below are images from the video:
Mujahideen Issue a Video Ultimatum to Germany and Austria to Withdraw Their Troops from Afghanistan
In a six-minute video accompanied by German subtitles, produced by the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF) and presented via the "Caliphate Voice Channel," the mujahideen issue an ultimatum to Germany and Austria to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan or suffer the consequences. Throughout the film, a masked mujahid is seen addressing the German and Austrian governments, telling them that Germany's and Austria's presence in Afghanistan does not serve the two countries' interests but rather benefits "Bush's war against Muslims."
The speaker criticizes Germany's claims that its presence in Afghanistan prevents attacks from being carried out inside Germany, saying that Germany has not been targeted by the mujahideen in the past, but will be targeted if it persists in its military involvement in Afghanistan. The speaker says that such involvement only jeopardizes the flourishing economies of both Germany and Austria. The speaker concludes with an ultimatum to both countries that if their troops are not withdrawn from Afghanistan soon, their economic interests worldwide will be attacked by the mujahideen.
The video can be viewed at: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=680105&ak=null .
Below are images taken from the video:
Islamist Websites Monitor No. 76
Release of Second Issue of Al-Mujahid Al-Taqni ("The Technical Mujahid") E-Magazine
On March 13, 2007, the Al-Fajr Information Center, the mouthpiece of the Islamic State in Iraq, released the second issue of the e-magazine Al-Mujahid Al-Taqni ("The Technical Mujahid"). The issue contains the following articles: "Secret Connections – Encrypting Information in Image [Files]"; "Launching a Jihad Website"; "The Surface-to-Air Missile – A Smart Weapon"; "Video Questions and Answers"; "Subtitling Jihad Films"; and "An Inside Look at the 'Mujahideen Secrets' [software for secure online information exchange]"
An editor's note states that the magazine is monitoring the newest developments in securing information, shielding computers, montage techniques, and audio engineering, and also presents news about "media jihad" and statements by "Crusader" leaders about the effects of media jihad. The editor adds that the magazine is aimed at both jihad fighters and the general public. Its purpose, he says, is to alleviate fear of the Internet by providing information about the true nature of various dangers on the web, and thus to enhance the sense of security on jihad forums; to increase the jihad fighters' technological awareness, especially regarding issues relevant to media jihad; and to provide them with information on new technologies that could help them in their jihad operations.
Below is the front cover of the journal:
