Unseen Bin Laden Video and New Audio Tape (with translation) by Zarqawi's Successor in Iraq (updated)
By Andrew Cochran
Al Qaeda has released two "9/11 anniversary tapes." The new video shows Osama bin Laden with his former lieutenants Mohammed Atef (killed in Afghanistan in 2001) and Ramzi Binalshibh (a planner of the 9/11 attacks and captured 4 years ago), and supposedly with several of the Sept. 11 hijackers. Laura Mansfield reports that "the tape is over 5 years old but contains previously unseen footage." You can see the banner advertisement from Al Qaeda's As-Sahab media site below, thanks to Rita Katz.
And a new audio has been released by Zarqawi's successor as head of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Hamza al-Muhajir. You can hear the audio in Arabic from Laura Mansfield's site or from Rita Katz's SITE Institute (MP3 files). Rita Katz has made a translation available to us (Acrobat file).
Laura reports, "The tape, which is 18 minutes, 22 seconds long, begins with quotes from the Qu'ran. Al Mujahir's words are introduced by the same disembodied echoing voice from previous Zarqawi messages. (This is expected since al Muhajir is the heir to Zarqawi as Amir of Al Qaeda in Iraq.) It is impossible to authenticate the voice since there is no record of Mujahir's voice; however, the voice on this tape bears striking similarities to that heard in a similar tape shortly after Zarqawi's death, where a spokesman read a prepared statement from Muhajir. This tape ends with the names "Abu Hamza al Muhajir" and "Abdul Moneim al Badawi". We are trying to determine whether the voice on the tape is actually Muhajir or is his spokesperson."
Here is Rita Katz's translation of the announcement earlier today of the audio message:
"We announce to the Ummah the good news of an upcoming audio message from Sheikh Mujahid Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, the Emir of al-Qaeda Organization in the Land of the Two Rivers, and a member of the Mujahideen Shura Council. The message will be released by al-Fajr Media Center, and in a little while, with Allah's will."
Recall the controversy over whether al-Muhajir is "Abu Ayyub al-Masri," with Evan Kohlmann among those who said they are not the same person (as is Rita Katz).
Banner Announcing OBL Video:
