Thursday, September 20, 2007
Bin Laden threatens Iraq's Shiites in new video
(AFP) - Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden branded Iraq's Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki a "traitorous apostate" in new video that threatens the Shiite Muslim majority in the violence-ravaged country. The 81-minute documentary-style video was made public on Thursday by the US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamist websites.
In it, bin Laden talks of a succession of US-backed government in Iraq since Saddam Hussein was overthrown in 2003 and taunts them for failing to end the US-led occupation of the country. His remarks were made in a documentary style video with English subtitles called "The Power of Truth" in which bin Laden appears in still photographs and video footage.
"We've seen (Iyad) Allawi's government come and go, yet the occupier did not leave; and the (Ibrahim) Jaafari government as well, yet the occupier did not leave. "And there is the traitorous apostate Maliki government taking the same line as the Jaafari government because it is just another face of it." The Al-Qaeda leader, a radical Sunni Muslim, makes a reference to Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims, to which he is virulently opposed, and threatens them with violence.
"It is not possible for such a large number of southerners to participate with American and its allies in violating Fallujah, Ramadi, Baquba, Mosul, Samarra, Qaim and other cities and villages and then in exchange have their region enjoy safety from harm and reaction." Those cities have predominantly Sunni Arab populations.
In it, bin Laden talks of a succession of US-backed government in Iraq since Saddam Hussein was overthrown in 2003 and taunts them for failing to end the US-led occupation of the country. His remarks were made in a documentary style video with English subtitles called "The Power of Truth" in which bin Laden appears in still photographs and video footage.
"We've seen (Iyad) Allawi's government come and go, yet the occupier did not leave; and the (Ibrahim) Jaafari government as well, yet the occupier did not leave. "And there is the traitorous apostate Maliki government taking the same line as the Jaafari government because it is just another face of it." The Al-Qaeda leader, a radical Sunni Muslim, makes a reference to Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims, to which he is virulently opposed, and threatens them with violence.
"It is not possible for such a large number of southerners to participate with American and its allies in violating Fallujah, Ramadi, Baquba, Mosul, Samarra, Qaim and other cities and villages and then in exchange have their region enjoy safety from harm and reaction." Those cities have predominantly Sunni Arab populations.
Labels: Al Qaeda, Nouri Al-Maliki, Osama bin Laden, video
Friday, September 14, 2007
Islamic State of Iraq shows body of U.S. pilot
Insurgency
(AP) -- An al-Qaida-linked insurgent group released a video Thursday showing what it called the body of a U.S. pilot killed in Iraq last year, a photograph of his identification card and footage of his aircraft's wreckage site. The video, posted on a Web site commonly used by Islamic militants, also blamed President Bush for the pilot's death and for pushing "thousands of American soldiers to the incinerator in Iraq."
It was first obtained by the IntelCenter monitoring group in suburban Washington. The footage, more than 11 minutes long and with English subtitles, bears the insignia of the Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaida front group, and its al-Furqan media production wing. Titled "The Missing," the video shows the ID card photograph of Air Force pilot Maj. Troy L. Gilbert, whose F-16CG crashed Nov. 27, 2006, some 20 miles northwest of Baghdad.
It also shows a body laid out on a plastic sheet in Air Force uniform, with the head covered. It was not clear if the body was filmed at the wreckage site or elsewhere outdoors. The U.S. military initially listed Gilbert as missing but later confirmed his death. U.S. forces who investigated the crash have said insurgents reached the site before American forces could. At the time, video footage obtained by AP Television News showed what appeared to be the wreckage of his plane in a field and a tangled parachute nearby.
Ben Venzke, head of the IntelCenter, said the monitors believe the body and aircraft in the militant video belonged to the U.S. pilot. "They went to an extra effort to make the video accessible to Americans and the English-speaking world," Venzke said, referring to the video's English subtitles. "It's essentially a propaganda piece and criticism of U.S. involvement in Iraq."
The video also contained an audio clip said to be from Osama bin Laden, a video of Abu Yahia al-Libi, the al-Qaida commander who escaped from a U.S. prison in Afghanistan, and an audio clip of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, who heads the Islamic State in Iraq. The clips were believed to be old.
When Gilbert's death was announced, the Air Force declined to say whether his body had been recovered, saying only that some remains had been found. Those remains likely enabled Gilbert's subsequent identification. Gilbert was assigned to the 309th Fighter Squadron. He is survived by wife and five children, who live outside Phoenix.
It was first obtained by the IntelCenter monitoring group in suburban Washington. The footage, more than 11 minutes long and with English subtitles, bears the insignia of the Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaida front group, and its al-Furqan media production wing. Titled "The Missing," the video shows the ID card photograph of Air Force pilot Maj. Troy L. Gilbert, whose F-16CG crashed Nov. 27, 2006, some 20 miles northwest of Baghdad.
It also shows a body laid out on a plastic sheet in Air Force uniform, with the head covered. It was not clear if the body was filmed at the wreckage site or elsewhere outdoors. The U.S. military initially listed Gilbert as missing but later confirmed his death. U.S. forces who investigated the crash have said insurgents reached the site before American forces could. At the time, video footage obtained by AP Television News showed what appeared to be the wreckage of his plane in a field and a tangled parachute nearby.
Ben Venzke, head of the IntelCenter, said the monitors believe the body and aircraft in the militant video belonged to the U.S. pilot. "They went to an extra effort to make the video accessible to Americans and the English-speaking world," Venzke said, referring to the video's English subtitles. "It's essentially a propaganda piece and criticism of U.S. involvement in Iraq."
The video also contained an audio clip said to be from Osama bin Laden, a video of Abu Yahia al-Libi, the al-Qaida commander who escaped from a U.S. prison in Afghanistan, and an audio clip of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, who heads the Islamic State in Iraq. The clips were believed to be old.
When Gilbert's death was announced, the Air Force declined to say whether his body had been recovered, saying only that some remains had been found. Those remains likely enabled Gilbert's subsequent identification. Gilbert was assigned to the 309th Fighter Squadron. He is survived by wife and five children, who live outside Phoenix.
Labels: 309th Fighter Squadron, Abu 'Omar Al-Baghdadi, American pilot, Islamic State of Iraq, Maj. Troy L. Gilbert, The Missing, video
Monday, April 09, 2007
Iran airs new video of British sailors
Iran, U.K., Security
(AP) - Iranian television broadcast video footage Sunday showing a British navy crew playing chess and watching television during their nearly two-week captivity in Iran, saying the footage refutes the sailors' and marines' claims that they were mistreated. Crew members told reporters two days ago after returning to Britain that they had been blindfolded, held in isolation, frightened and coerced into falsely saying that they had entered Iranian waters before they were seized.
Some of the video clips, briefly aired on Iran's state-run Arabic satellite TV channel Al-Alam, showed several of the eight sailors and seven marines dressed in track suits and playing chess and table tennis. Other clips showed crew members watching soccer on television and eating at a long table decorated with flowers. Crew members could be heard laughing and chatting.
A newscaster who spoke over the beginning of the footage said the video proved "the sailors had complete liberty during their detention, which contradicts what the sailors declared after they arrived in Britain." On Friday, Lt. Felix Carman, who was in charge of the crew when it was captured March 23, said the sailors and marines were only allowed to socialize for the benefit of the Iranian media. "We were kept in isolation until the last few nights, when we were allowed to get together for a few hours, in the full glare of the Iranian media," Carman said at a news conference. "But that was very much a setup, very much a stunt for Iranian propaganda."
The crew members also insisted that they were in Iraqi waters when they were seized. Iran dismissed the sailors' news conference as propaganda. Two days before their release, Tehran had pledged not to show more video of the captured crew. The British Foreign Office did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Sunday.
Some of the video clips, briefly aired on Iran's state-run Arabic satellite TV channel Al-Alam, showed several of the eight sailors and seven marines dressed in track suits and playing chess and table tennis. Other clips showed crew members watching soccer on television and eating at a long table decorated with flowers. Crew members could be heard laughing and chatting.
A newscaster who spoke over the beginning of the footage said the video proved "the sailors had complete liberty during their detention, which contradicts what the sailors declared after they arrived in Britain." On Friday, Lt. Felix Carman, who was in charge of the crew when it was captured March 23, said the sailors and marines were only allowed to socialize for the benefit of the Iranian media. "We were kept in isolation until the last few nights, when we were allowed to get together for a few hours, in the full glare of the Iranian media," Carman said at a news conference. "But that was very much a setup, very much a stunt for Iranian propaganda."
The crew members also insisted that they were in Iraqi waters when they were seized. Iran dismissed the sailors' news conference as propaganda. Two days before their release, Tehran had pledged not to show more video of the captured crew. The British Foreign Office did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Sunday.
Labels: Al-Alam television, Bristish sailors, Iran, Lt. Felix Carman, U.K., video
Friday, March 23, 2007
Al-Qaeda militant urges unification, says security plan has failed
Insurgency
(AP) In a new video posted Thursday on the Internet, an al-Qaida militant who escaped from a U.S. prison in
Afghanistan urged Sunni militants in Iraq to join the terror group and claimed the U.S. military's security plan for Baghdad has failed. Abu Yahia al-Libi, who broke out of the U.S. prison at Bagram Air Base north of Kabul in 2005, said it was the sacred duty of all mujahedeen, or holy warriors, to "stand steadfast together."
He called on militant groups known as Ansar al-Sunnah, the Islamic Army in Iraq and the Army of the Mujahedeen to "hurry up and respond to the call of the Quran to become one and ... join the Islamic State in Iraq," an al-Qaida affiliate in the country. The 28-minute video, posted on a Web site commonly used by Islamist militants, shows al-Libi, whose nom de guerre means 'the Libyan' in Arabic, with a beard and wearing a camouflage uniform seated next to a Kalashnikov rifle.
The videotape's authenticity could not be independently verified. It carried the logo of al-Qaida's media production wing, al-Sahab. The video was also released by IntelCenter, a U.S. government contractor that monitors al-Qaida messaging. IntelCenter said the earliest the video could have been made is Feb. 20, based on comments al-Libi makes on the decision by British Prime Minister Tony Blair to withdraw a portion of Britain's troops from Iraq. Blair's decision was first reported on Feb. 20.
Al-Libi also urged them not to "fall into the trap of enemies reaching out to Sunnis in Iraq" and claimed Saudi Arabia's calls for the support of Iraq's beleaguered Sunni minority were a sham. Al-Libi has recorded several tapes since he escaped from Bagram. Afghan police said at the time that his real name is Abulbakar Mohammed Hassan and that he is a Libyan.
Afghanistan urged Sunni militants in Iraq to join the terror group and claimed the U.S. military's security plan for Baghdad has failed. Abu Yahia al-Libi, who broke out of the U.S. prison at Bagram Air Base north of Kabul in 2005, said it was the sacred duty of all mujahedeen, or holy warriors, to "stand steadfast together."
He called on militant groups known as Ansar al-Sunnah, the Islamic Army in Iraq and the Army of the Mujahedeen to "hurry up and respond to the call of the Quran to become one and ... join the Islamic State in Iraq," an al-Qaida affiliate in the country. The 28-minute video, posted on a Web site commonly used by Islamist militants, shows al-Libi, whose nom de guerre means 'the Libyan' in Arabic, with a beard and wearing a camouflage uniform seated next to a Kalashnikov rifle.
The videotape's authenticity could not be independently verified. It carried the logo of al-Qaida's media production wing, al-Sahab. The video was also released by IntelCenter, a U.S. government contractor that monitors al-Qaida messaging. IntelCenter said the earliest the video could have been made is Feb. 20, based on comments al-Libi makes on the decision by British Prime Minister Tony Blair to withdraw a portion of Britain's troops from Iraq. Blair's decision was first reported on Feb. 20.
Al-Libi also urged them not to "fall into the trap of enemies reaching out to Sunnis in Iraq" and claimed Saudi Arabia's calls for the support of Iraq's beleaguered Sunni minority were a sham. Al-Libi has recorded several tapes since he escaped from Bagram. Afghan police said at the time that his real name is Abulbakar Mohammed Hassan and that he is a Libyan.
Labels: Abu Yahia al-Libi, Abulbakar Mohammed Hassan, Al Qaeda, al-Sahab, Ansar al-Sunnah, mujahedeen, the Army of the Mujahedeen, the Islamic Army in Iraq, video
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Mujahideen Army claim downing of Black Hawk in video
Insurgency
(SITE) The Mujahideen Army, an insurgency group in Iraq, issued a 11:33 minute video on Monday, February 26, 2007, depicting the downing of a Black Hawk helicopter in the area of al-Niba’i, north of Baghdad. This operation, named as “The Attack of the Wind of Anger”, is indicated to be an act of revenge for Muslim women and a response to “Al-Maliki’s masters and his dogs of the governmental forces”. The date of the attack is unclear; a message introducing the availability of the video explains that the downing occurred at sunrise following dawn prayer, but does not give the date. On Wednesday, February 21, the Mujahideen Army claimed the downing of a Black Hawk helicopter in al-Taji, also north of Baghdad. In that communication the group announced forthcoming details. It is unknown if this video depicts the attack.
The video shows the Mujahideen preparing an ambush for two Black Hawk helicopters, setting up their anti-aircraft weapons and concealing its position with leaves and cloth. As the aircraft fly overhead the Mujahideen open fire, shouting “Allah is Great”, until ultimately, one of the helicopters is hit. Another scene shows the wreckage of the Black Hawk helicopter, the other aircraft flying at a distance.
The video shows the Mujahideen preparing an ambush for two Black Hawk helicopters, setting up their anti-aircraft weapons and concealing its position with leaves and cloth. As the aircraft fly overhead the Mujahideen open fire, shouting “Allah is Great”, until ultimately, one of the helicopters is hit. Another scene shows the wreckage of the Black Hawk helicopter, the other aircraft flying at a distance.
Labels: Black Hawk, Mujahideen Army, video
