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Why, no. There aren't any Iraqi terrorists.
What's this bozo then?
What's this bozo then?
By PATRICK QUINN, Associated Press Writer
7 minutes ago
CAIRO, Egypt - In a new audio message Thursday, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq called for explosives experts and nuclear scientists to join his group's holy war against the West. "We are in dire need of you," said the man, who identified himself as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir — also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri — the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.
"The field of jihad (holy war) can satisfy your scientific ambitions, and the large American bases (in Iraq) are good places to test your unconventional weapons, whether biological or dirty, as they call them."
He also said that more than 4,000 foreign militants have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 — the first apparent acknowledgment from the insurgents about their losses.
It was unclear why al-Masri would advertise the loss of the group's foreign fighters, but martyrdom is revered among Islamic fundamentalists, and could be used as a recruiting tool. The Arabic word he used, "muhajer," indicated he was speaking about foreigners who joined the insurgency in Iraq, not coalition troops.
"The blood has been spilled in Iraq of more than 4,000 foreigners who came to fight," al-Masri purportedly said on the 20-minute tape. The voice could not be independently identified.
The statement followed the release of a U.N. report Wednesday that said fewer foreign fighters have been killed or captured in Iraq in the last few months, "suggesting that the flow has slackened." The report, which cited several intelligence and security agencies, also said some fighters had expressed dissatisfaction they were asked to kill fellow Muslims rather than Western soldiers and that the only role for them was to be suicide bombers.
Analysts said al-Masri's statement appeared aimed at burnishing the group's image.
"It's showing the level of dedication to their cause, the level of sacrifice jihadists are making. ... It's almost showing a sense of strength and purpose to other people around world who might be thinking about joining the fight," said Ben N. Venzke, director of IntelCenter, a U.S.-based group that provides counterterrorism information to the U.S. government and media.
In the audio message, al-Masri also offered amnesty to Iraqis who cooperated with their country's "occupiers," calling on them to "return to your religion and nation" during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which Sunnis began observing in Iraq on Saturday and Shiites on Monday.
"We will not attack you as long as you declare your true repentance in front of your tribe and relatives," he said. "The amnesty ends by the end of this holy month."
He urged insurgents to capture Westerners so they could be traded for the imprisoned Egyptian sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, who was convicted in 1995 of conspiring to blow up New York landmarks.
"I appeal to every holy warrior in the land of Iraq to exert all efforts in this holy month so that God may enable us to capture some of the Western dogs to swap them with our sheik and get him out of his dark prison," the voice on the tape said.
Al-Masri, a Sunni Muslim, is believed to have succeeded Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who died in a U.S. airstrike north of Baghdad in June.
Al-Masri appeared last week in a Web video apparently killing a Turkish hostage in Iraq. The video, initially released in 2004, was believed to be the first of al-Masri to be released since he took control of the militant group.
Thursday's audio recording appeared on a Web site that frequently airs al-Qaida tapes and messages. A banner posted there Wednesday said al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri would soon release a new message about the pope,
President Bush and Sudan's troubled Darfur region.
7 minutes ago
CAIRO, Egypt - In a new audio message Thursday, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq called for explosives experts and nuclear scientists to join his group's holy war against the West. "We are in dire need of you," said the man, who identified himself as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir — also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri — the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.
"The field of jihad (holy war) can satisfy your scientific ambitions, and the large American bases (in Iraq) are good places to test your unconventional weapons, whether biological or dirty, as they call them."
He also said that more than 4,000 foreign militants have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 — the first apparent acknowledgment from the insurgents about their losses.
It was unclear why al-Masri would advertise the loss of the group's foreign fighters, but martyrdom is revered among Islamic fundamentalists, and could be used as a recruiting tool. The Arabic word he used, "muhajer," indicated he was speaking about foreigners who joined the insurgency in Iraq, not coalition troops.
"The blood has been spilled in Iraq of more than 4,000 foreigners who came to fight," al-Masri purportedly said on the 20-minute tape. The voice could not be independently identified.
The statement followed the release of a U.N. report Wednesday that said fewer foreign fighters have been killed or captured in Iraq in the last few months, "suggesting that the flow has slackened." The report, which cited several intelligence and security agencies, also said some fighters had expressed dissatisfaction they were asked to kill fellow Muslims rather than Western soldiers and that the only role for them was to be suicide bombers.
Analysts said al-Masri's statement appeared aimed at burnishing the group's image.
"It's showing the level of dedication to their cause, the level of sacrifice jihadists are making. ... It's almost showing a sense of strength and purpose to other people around world who might be thinking about joining the fight," said Ben N. Venzke, director of IntelCenter, a U.S.-based group that provides counterterrorism information to the U.S. government and media.
In the audio message, al-Masri also offered amnesty to Iraqis who cooperated with their country's "occupiers," calling on them to "return to your religion and nation" during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which Sunnis began observing in Iraq on Saturday and Shiites on Monday.
"We will not attack you as long as you declare your true repentance in front of your tribe and relatives," he said. "The amnesty ends by the end of this holy month."
He urged insurgents to capture Westerners so they could be traded for the imprisoned Egyptian sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, who was convicted in 1995 of conspiring to blow up New York landmarks.
"I appeal to every holy warrior in the land of Iraq to exert all efforts in this holy month so that God may enable us to capture some of the Western dogs to swap them with our sheik and get him out of his dark prison," the voice on the tape said.
Al-Masri, a Sunni Muslim, is believed to have succeeded Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who died in a U.S. airstrike north of Baghdad in June.
Al-Masri appeared last week in a Web video apparently killing a Turkish hostage in Iraq. The video, initially released in 2004, was believed to be the first of al-Masri to be released since he took control of the militant group.
Thursday's audio recording appeared on a Web site that frequently airs al-Qaida tapes and messages. A banner posted there Wednesday said al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri would soon release a new message about the pope,
President Bush and Sudan's troubled Darfur region.
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