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09/05/06 |
...the latest al-Qaeda was just a demonstration of the softer side of terrorism reports al-AP.
Latest al-Qaida message seen as PR bid
By SALAH NASRAWI Associated Press Writer
© 2006 The Associated Press
CAIRO, Egypt — The new al-Qaida video featuring an American calling for his countrymen to convert to Islam raised fears it signaled an imminent attack, but experts in the region said Sunday it is more likely a bid to soften the terror group's image.
Adam Yehiye Gadahn, a 28-year-old American who the FBI believes attended al-Qaida training camps in Pakistan and served as an al-Qaida translator, also urged U.S. soldiers to switch sides in the Iraq and Afghan wars.
He appeared in a 48-minute video that was posted Saturday on an Islamic militant Web site along with footage of al-Qaida's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, who gave only a brief introduction to Gadahn while also calling on Americans to convert to Islam.
There have been widespread reports that some Muslim religious figures strongly criticized al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden over the Sept. 11 attacks, saying he failed to follow directives in the Quran that require potential victims be warned that conversion to Islam could save them.
The criticism led to speculation after Gadahn's appearance that the Saturday video meant a warning was being issued and a new attack was imminent.
But experts discounted those fears.
"This is not a warning for an attack. It is rather a speech aimed at winning the Americans' sympathy and understanding," said Gamal Sultan, editor of the Islamic magazine Al Manar.
Columnist Mishari al-Thaydi of the London-based newspaper Asharq Al Awsat agreed, saying al-Qaida is trying to portray itself as a group with a religious mission, not a terrorist movement.
"They have always been accused of lacking a program, that they are just a bunch of zealots," al-Thaydi said. "People accuse them of forgetting the essence of Islam _ conversion of nonbelievers."
"By using this American," he added, "al-Zawahri is saying that he is a preacher and not a terrorist. He wants to take back the initiative which has been lost in the midst of terror."
Hani el-Sibaei, a former Egyptian militant who fought with al-Zawahri in Afghanistan and now lives in exile in London, said Gadahn's American roots make him the perfect spokesman.
"Al-Qaida uses him because he speaks their language and can convey the message better than others," said el-Sibaei.
It was the second time Gadahn appeared in a video with al-Zawahri. In a July 7 message marking the first anniversary of the terror attack on London commuters, Gadahn appeared briefly, saying no Muslim should "shed tears" for Westerners killed by al-Qaida attacks.
Some reports have identified Gadahn as al-Qaida's "propaganda chief," responsible for putting together the slick videos made by the group's al-Sahab media operation.
Thomas Hegghammer, a research fellow at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment who studies militant Islamic Internet sites and videos, said Gadahn "has been instrumental in the English-language productions" of al-Qaida.
"He has appeared on a few videos speaking himself, but you've also seen a few videos with speeches by bin Laden and al-Zawahri with subtitles in perfect English," Hegghammer said.
He said Gadahn was likely one of a very few Westerners in a senior position in al-Qaida _ if not the only one. "There are certainly Western converts who have played a role in militancy, but none who are that high up."
Hegghammer said Gadahn is "a remnant of the original al-Qaida" that has fragmented since the Sept. 11 attack into a loose network of cells.
"And I don't think there are many like him. That's why we've seen him many times," Hegghammer said. "The obvious advantage (of his appearances) is it makes headlines in the West. ... He is an asset to them, definitely. My guess is the Americans are extremely keen on capturing him."
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>>he failed to follow directives in the Quran that require potential victims be warned that conversion to Islam could save them.<<
And I thought Islam didn't teach violence. In spite of their effort to spin the softer side of al-Qaeda, this is a rather profound admission by al-AP. The "essence of Islam _ conversion of nonbelievers," apparently focuses on potential victims.
I reckon it should be comforting to know these Muslim "experts discounted those fears" of an imminent terrorist attack on those potential victims.
Comments? Come on now, tell me how Islam is a religion of peace again... |
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