Al-Qaida Distributors Accuse Al-Jazeera of Distorting Bin Laden's Message on Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's official online distribution network responsible for disseminating messages from Usama Bin Laden--known as the "Al-Fajr Media Center"--has issued a new statement strongly criticizing the Arabic-language Al-Jazeera satellite television network, which it has accused of "deceitfully manipulating" the latest audio recording from Bin Laden regarding the growing infighting within the Sunni insurgency in Iraq. According to the Al-Fajr Center, "Aljazeera editors in chief have counterfeited the facts by making the speech appear as exclusively targeting the brothers and sons inside Al-Qaeda organization. It looked as if it was an acknowledgment of their mistakes, a renunciation of their jihad and their loyalty to it." The letter went on to condemn the directors of Al-Jazeera for "shamefully choosing to back the crusaders’ side, and the defenders of hypocrites and the thugs and traitors of Iraq.”

An English-language version of the statement from the Al-Fajr Media Center and a matching transcript of the latest Usama Bin Laden audio recording are both available for download from the NEFA Foundation website.

See also: Robert Windrem (NBC News) - "Bin Laden disappointed by Iraq insurgents"
"Evan Kohlmann, an MSNBC counter-terrorism analyst, called bin Laden’s statements 'quite amazing,' adding that many in the counter terrorism community have expected it. 'There has been increasing divergence in Iraq between Iraqi insurgents and al-Qaida,' he added. 'Some big insurgent groups have attacked al-Qaida in the past few weeks. It’s a serious thing for them. He had to deal with it'... Kohlmann said the next development could be critical. He said that Abu Omar al Baghdadi, the head of AQI’s political wing, the Islamic State of Iraq, is expected to speak in the next few days about the rift between al-Qaida and the insurgents. 'If he continues to be nasty, to call for violence, against the insurgents, this could lead to a real fracturing between the two,' said Kohlmann."

TrackBack