Counterterrorism Blog

NBC News has just posted a new story on its Deep Background blog by Senior Investigative Producer Jim Popkin examining the new U.S. effort to "smoke out" American Al-Qaida spokesman Adam Gadahn (a.k.a. Azzam al-Amriki." In the piece, Jim describes new radio spots airing on over 30 stations across Afghanistan, urging local Afghans, "Being a man means fighting for what is right, defending your family, your community, and your country. Adam Yahiye Gadahn is not a man... Born American, he betrayed not only his family and his community, but also his country. There is no way to trust someone who is willing to betray the very land they were born on."

I would draw particular attention to the comments and reaction of my colleague Claudio Franco from the NEFA Foundation, who is cited in Jim's piece:

...Franco is an enterprising journalist and senior investigator who... has spent countless months in Afghanistan reporting on local jihadists and, with the NEFA Foundation, shared video with NBC last year that he shot inside a secret, underground Taliban bomb factory. He agreed that the language in the ads is meant to play on the local concepts of honor and homeland, and that the U.S. campaign will likely be somewhat effective. “They are trying to raise doubts about his sincerity (and his worth) as a human being; they are questioning whether he’s worth being hosted and protected on the basis of the ‘Pasthunwali,’ the unwritten code that rules daily life in the [tribal] areas,” Franco said. “More in detail, what they are inferring is the following: Adam Gadahn has betrayed the country where he was born. Hence, is he worthy of attention and trust? Or is he liable to betray again?” But Franco said the U.S. effort doesn’t seem to take into consideration the power of religion. “Islam is of paramount importance in this context,” Franco said. “Adam Gadahn betrayed in the name of, and for the sake of, Islam. He found the true faith and went for it, sacrificing everything on the path of religion. Islam is stronger than anything in the tribal areas,” Franco said, adding that many true believers will continue to protect Gadahn if they believe he betrayed his own country in the name of Islam.