Update on the New Zarqawi Audio and Al-Qaida in Iraq
By Evan Kohlmann
Yesterday, most wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--leader of Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--issued yet another lengthy audio statement urging his followers to continue the jihad no matter what the obstacles. One part of the recording which I find very interesting--yet has received little coverage in the media--is the finale, during which Zarqawi expresses his wishes of specific goodwill to half a dozen different Al-Qaida-linked terrorist commanders around the world. See excerpts below:
"...Our Shaykh and our commander, the fighting Shaykh Abu Abdullah
Usama Bin Laden--may Allah protect and guide him... and may peace also
be upon the fighting brothers in Afghanistan and on Mullah Mohammed
Omar--may Allah protect him, and the fighting Shaykh Dr. Ayman
al-Zawahiri--may Allah protect him, and the Shaykh Abu Laith al-Qasimi, and peace be upon the brothers
in Chechnya, Abu Hafs [al-Urdani] and [Abu Omar] al-Saif, and their
brethren... And to the mujahideen from the [Algerian] Salafist Group
for Prayer and Combat led by the dear brother Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud."
If authentic, this audio seems to leave little room for doubt that
Zarqawi has fully aligned himself with the larger Al-Qaida
international affiliate network headed by Zawahiri and Bin Laden. For those of you who are interested, the above referenced Abu Omar al-Saif in Chechnya also recently issued his own ode to the mujahideen in Iraq--presumably including Zarqawi--concerning the upcoming Iraqi democratic elections.
Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued the following statements between January 16 and January 19, 2004:
-
Jan. 16
claim for military operations in the Al-Dora district
- Jan.
16 claim for operations on Haifa Street in
Baghdad
- Jan. 17
attacks on election centers in the city of Basrah
- Jan. 17
suicide bombing in the city of Baqubah
- Jan.
18 claim for recent military operations in
Samarra
- Jan.
18
claim for recent military
operations in Ar-Ramadi
-
Jan. 18 suicide bomb attack
on members of Al-Badr party
-
Jan.
18 claim for Jan. 17 suicide attack on
Iraqi checkpoint
- Jan. 18
denial of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's arrest in Fallujah
- Jan.
19
suicide bomb attack on
Baghdad police station
-
Jan. 19 suicide bomb
attack on U.S. convoy in Baghdad
-
Jan.
19 suicide bomb attack on Haifa Street police station
- Jan.
19 suicide bomb attack near the Australian embassy
- Jan.
19
claim for military
operations in the city of Mosul
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» Winds of War: Jan 24/05 from Winds of Change.NET
Iranian agent caught in Iraq; Iran President uncowed by US pressure; Reza Pahlavi asks US to avoid intervening militarily in Iran; Saudi Arabia wants to build 4500 new madrassas; How US keeps terrorists from Canada out; Egypt nuke program investigated ... [Read More]
» Winds of War: Jan 24/05 from Winds of Change.NET
Iranian agent caught in Iraq; Iran President uncowed by US pressure; Reza Pahlavi asks US to avoid intervening militarily in Iran; Saudi Arabia wants to build 4500 new madrassas; How US keeps terrorists from Canada out; Egypt nuke program investigated ... [Read More]
» Winds of War: Jan 24/05 from Winds of Change.NET
Iranian agent caught in Iraq; Iran President uncowed by US pressure; Reza Pahlavi asks US to avoid intervening militarily in Iran; Saudi Arabia wants to build 4500 new madrassas; How US keeps terrorists from Canada out; Egypt nuke program investigated ... [Read More]
