Taking Al-Qaeda at its own word

by John Thompson

January 5, 2004

The classic sci-fi author Robert Heinlein once observed that stupidity is a capital offence with its own specific punishments. If you don’t believe him, check out the Darwin Awards web-site — there is no shortage of stupid people who get what is coming to them.

The real tragedy is when stupid people affect others around them. Right now, there are huge numbers of people with some very stupid observations about al Qaeda. Editorial letters and callers on talk shows accuse the US of paranoia, of using sham threats to create a new police state or a new empire, or smugly observe that the US is responsible for its own woes.

Make no mistake about it: al Qaeda is a deadly serious threat and if you don’t believe me, take them at their word.

There are websites (subject to constant changes of address) where al Qaeda’s supporters post messages, and there are the leaked tapes and videos from its leaders. Usually, just before a major attack, non-specific threats get posted to cue members and supporters that something big is coming. Recent excerpts in the last couple of months include such gems as these:

"To all the crusaders, we have warned you alot of times to get out from our muslim lands

"Sowrds [sic] of islam will strike the head of the big snake and cut it as we have cut its tale and slapt the rest of its body and then the world will watch and say (how could a big and great empire like this fall on its knees with out a breath?) and we say what god says in his holy book the Quran (how many times has a small bunch of people been able to win a big and huge army with the word of god!!)"

"This is the last call for Muslims in New York, the east side and Los Angeles to start leaving. The mojahideen are now ready to teach the US a lesson it will never forget.

"

"The war has just started and you will remember the word just started! And the coming will be bigger than everything before it; we will strike the Americans and the British in unexpected places at unexpected timings. And we promise all Muslims that victory is becoming very very close so pray for your mojahideen brothers in this holey days for they are currying on their shoulders the worries of our Islamic Omma [nation] to free it from the crusaders in every single part of our land."

"They [Americans] should prepare...their coffins, hospitals and graves. The coming days will be full of surprises and great events which will make them a historic example."

Similar messages were posted or intercepted before almost every major al Qaeda attack. Communications to and from senior al Qaeda leaders are sometimes picked up by Western signals intelligence agencies. While these are often maddeningly indistinct; in recent weeks there has been increasing hints of possible attacks with weapons of mass destruction, of attacks on Rome (8,000 Italian extra police and soldiers were called out to guard the Vatican around Christmas), and the highest threat is of an attack before February 2^nd, 2004. Other apparently planned operations include an assault on a German military hospital that cares for NATO and Coalition wounded from Afghanistan and Iraq.

The goals and long-term plans of Al Qaeda are also easy to know. First, drive the "Crusaders" (Western nations) out of the Islamic World — which according to Bin Laden consists of every area that has ever once been under Muslim control, including Spain, swaths of the Balkans up to Hungary, much of European Russia and India. Then topple every government in the Middle East, create a new Caliphate and drive on for World conquest. Sounds ambitious? So was Mein Kampf…

"September 11 was the turning point and the wake up call that god intended on the hands of the mojahideen to wake up Muslims from their deep sleep and tell them to open their eyes and see what kind of corruption and injustice the world has became in !! May god protect and hold the hand of sheikh Osama bin laden and give him strength him and all the rest of the Muslim Mojahideen that began a start for a new Islamic era that will see the light of justice and real freedom soon."

"Islam is a great nation with the potential to protect and take care of every one on this planet, the fairness of the Islamic system and the justice of it makes it above any man made systems that we are seeing these days."

"all the rulers you are seeing right now in the Muslim world are hypocrites and the elimination of them is a must."

Ambitious? Yes, but so is the site www.muhajiroun.com, the present Internet home of a British organization, which openly declares its intention to work to reestablish the Caliphate - the single political, religious, and military leader who will rule the Islamic world as the successor of the Prophet Muhammad - "in order that Islam dominates the World (Izhaar ud-Deen) and becomes the World order." Al-Muhajiroun is run by the flamboyant Sheikh Omar Bakri; who gained international attention for advertising a conference to celebrate "the Magnificent 19" (the hijackers of 9/11). The conference was spoiled by all the advance publicity it ended up receiving, but Bakri has never retracted his stated goal: "I want to see the black flag of Islam flying over Downing Street."