Al-Zawahiri Calls for Attacks on Gulf Oil Facilities

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

A couple of months back, I argued that in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, we could expect future terrorist targeting of key oil facilities in the Gulf states.  In particular, I fingered Saudi Arabia as a likely target since it's home to a quarter of the world's proven petroleum reserves and critical to world energy prices.

My argument is bolstered by today's release of a video by Ayman al-Zawahiri that calls for attacks against Gulf oil facilities.  Although al-Zawahiri originally issued the video in mid-September, al-Jazeera only broadcast excerpts at the time -- the full version is now available.  The Associated Press reports:

Al-Qaida's deputy leader called for attacks against Gulf oil facilities and urged insurgent groups in Iraq to unite to drive out American forces, according to a videotape posted on the Internet Wednesday.

The posting was a full version of a video by al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri that was issued on Sept. 19, excerpts of which were broadcast by the Arab television network Al-Jazeera at the time.  The network aired more excerpts Wednesday, originally presenting all of the footage as new.  A newscaster later told viewers some of the excerpts had previously been broadcast.

"I call on the holy warriors to concentrate their campaigns on the stolen oil of the Muslims, most of the revenues of which go to the enemies of Islam," al-Zawahri, the Egyptian deputy of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, said in a portion of the tape not previously broadcast. . . .

Al-Zawahri, who was wearing a white robe and black turban and was seated before a pale blue sheet, spoke to an off-camera interviewer.  He said "the enemies of Islam" were exploiting oil with "incomparable greed, and we have to stop that theft with all we can save this fortune for the nation of Islam."

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