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March 1, 2006: Me and Terrorist 007:
Tracking a terrorist through cyberspace

It’s been two years since I first locked horns with a cyber jihadi by the name of Terrorist 007.

I was working as the assistant director for the Northeast Intelligence Network (NEIN) and a writer for World Net Daily when I ran into Terrorist 007, or Irhabi 007, on the old Ansar forum, an Arabic language message board frequently used by Al Qaeda sympathizers. (I've since left NEIN and am now on my own at LauraMansfield.com.)

Irhabi 007 was bragging about his hacking abilities, in an attempt to weasel his way into the “in crowd” of vetted jihadis. Over the next few months, I watched as Terrorist 007 began to establish himself as an expert, and gain the respect of the fellow jihadis.

My friend Jill St. Claire and I began building a dossier on 007, just as we were doing on Abu Banan, the apparent director of Global Islamic Media.

One thing that stood out about Terrorist 007 initially was that he posted primarily in English. He was apparently learning Arabic, because over the next two years, he began to shift to posting more and more in Arabic.

As time went on, 007 became more and more brazen. He began to post links to cracked commercial software programs, as well as to various jihadi audio and video propaganda files. He gradually began to expand into posting detailed instructional material on making suicide bomb vests, improvised explosive devices, and other terrorist tools.

007 was always one of the first to post links to Voice of Jihad (Sawt al Jihad) and Al Battar, publications created by Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia) and distributed by Global Islamic Media.

Over the months, it appeared that 007 was making inroads into an “inner circle” of internet jihadis, including Abu Banan.

007’s identity was elusive. At times he claimed to be in the United States; other times he claimed to be in the UK. His tendency to use British spellings of words led credence to theories that he was in the UK.

As time went on, Terrorist 007 continued to amass a huge collection of Al Qaeda propaganda films, and as one website after another was pulled down by authorities, he began to appropriate server space belonging to unsuspecting companies and institutions who left open doors on their webservers by enabling anonymous FTP uploads. One of the first to be appropriated by 007 was a server at George Washington University in Washington DC.

When Nick Berg was beheaded in Iraq in April 2004, Irhabi 007 had one of the most extensive collections of links to videos of the beheading.

The bandwidth storm that followed the release of the beheading video combined with the public outcry over the brutality of the murder brought down the Ansar website as well as several other jihadi forums; others went to a password protected mode to limit access.

By the time American hostage Paul Johnson was kidnapped and beheaded in Saudi Arabia in June, 007 was an integral part of the network responsible for distributing the video films, “borrowing” server space from an unsuspecting California company, slipping in through the anonymous FTP security hole.

It was only a few weeks later that I discovered Terrorist 007 “borrowing” web space from the State of Arkansas. I made the discovery during my weekly terrorist update on Ernie Brown’s syndicated radio show America at Night while checking jihadi sites for last minute updates.

When I noticed that 007 was posting jihadi material on the servers of the Arkansas Department of Transportation, I immediately notified the authorities through the chain of command at the Northeast Intelligence Network

But since that rarely brought any results, I also went directly to the media, tipping off a friend at CNN about my find.

The initial press release from NEIN has been removed from their servers, but can be accessed through their Google cache here

A more extensive set of links that NEIN published is located here

Among them were files highly sought after by jihadis, including the al-Qaida films "Badr al Riyadh," "American Hell in Iraq," "Russian Hell," "Martyrs of the Confrontation" and "Wills of Martyrs." Other files posted included the beheading video of Nick Berg, as well as audio and video clips of various al-Qaida leaders, including Osama Bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Musa'ab al-Zarqawi.

The files were located at ftp://www.ahtd.state.ar.us/ incoming/GIS/007 and at ftp://www.ahtd.state.ar.us/ incoming/GIS/ALQA3EDAH

Within hours, the FBI had confiscated the server. The ensuing publicity brought me to the attention of Terrorist 007. He began posting to me in English on the jihadi forums, and at one point he even told his cyber friends that he planned to find me and marry me.

In late summer of 2004, 007 informed his buddies on the boards that he was going to be going on a trip to the Bahamas, and advised them not to worry about his absence from the boards. In a couple of weeks, true to his word, Terrorist 007 was back on the boards.

He began expanding his horizons, putting up numerous websites containing extensive libraries of both propaganda videos and audios, and of instructional materials teaching terrorism techniques, how to make more and more destructive killing devices, and basic hacking techniques as well. For many months, Terrorist 007 was a source of “WAREZ”, pirated commercial software. At one point, the ever helpful 007 posted ripped copies of Arabic language translation software to help those who needed assistance in translation!

By spring of 2005, 007 was feeling the bandwidth pinch again, and began stealing credit card numbers to use in purchasing domain names and web hosting for his websites. His favorite technique seemed to be keystroke loggers. On many occasions, my virus protection intercepted attempts by 007 to download a keystroke logger to my company as I monitored his websites.

In May and June 2005, 007 had posted maps of the London transit system, as well as photographs of various tube terminals in London on his websites. It is unknown at this time if there was any connection between these posts and the London bombings in July 2005.

Then, last fall, shortly after Joel Hinnrichs committed suicide with an explosives vest at Oklahoma University, Terrorist 007 abruptly disappeared. Some analysts even speculated that Hinnrichs was 007, although that seemed unlikely. It seemed more likely that 007 had disappeared from view, and was actually using a cyber alias. This theory gained credibility after law enforcement discovered that Hinnrichs had downloaded the instructions for creating his explosives from one of 007’s websites.

His absence was noted on the jihadi boards; many of his fellow jihadis speculated that he had gone to Iraq to participate in the jihad there.

What we know now is that Terrorist 007 was arrested in October 2005 near London. His real name is Younis Tsouli. His arrest came as part of a series of arrests that began with a raid in Bosnia. Tsouli had apparently been in email contact with the men arrested in that terror raid, and in late October, British police arrested Tsouli and two other men under the Terrorism Act.

Tsouli was charged with ten charges “including conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to cause an explosion, conspiracy to obtain money by deception, fundraising and possession of articles for terrorist purposes.” Police allege that Tsouli and his coherts intended to detonate a huge car bomb in central London.

A senior Scotland Yard source said: "We are convinced that if we had not acted swiftly a massive bomb, designed to kill and maim hundreds of innocent people, would have been set off in London, probably before the end of the year and possibly during the Christmas rush."

According to the Sunday Mirror, the Tsouli is accused of the following:

Possession of a video showing how to make a car bomb.

Possession a video showing a number of places in Washington DC and including a CRBN (chemical, radiological, biological and nuclear) vehicle.

Conspiracy to murder.

Conspiracy to cause an explosion.

Conspiracy to cause a public nuisance, conspiracy to obtain money by deception and other offences under the Terrorism Act.

As law enforcement began to examine Tsouli’s computer, they found pictures of several locations in Washington D.C., according to Scotland Yard, as well as computerized slides demonstrating how to make a car bomb and a DVD explaining how to create a suicide bomber belt.

From other information on the computer, police realized that they had managed to finally apprehend the elusive Terrorist 007.

The role that Irhabi 007 played in the growth of the global jihad should not be underestimated. He was very active in recruiting new members to the jihad, and provided valuable expertise to the group. His tutorials on how jihadis can conceal themselves through the use of anonymous proxy servers have no doubt helped many terrorists elude detection over the last several years.

The instructional material he provided has almost certainly resulted in the deaths of innocents.

Terrorist 007 is now in custody. But dozens of his followers remain, and several have already begun to carry on where he left off.

Washington Post: Al Qaeda Messages Posted on U.S. Server

WashIngton Times: Al-Qaida hacker hits Arkansas system

San Francisco Chronicle: Iraq's tech-savvy insurgents are finding supporters and luring suicide-bomber recruits over the Internet

March 1, 2006: Marine Wassef Ali Hassoun, who disappeared in Iraq, showed up in Lebanon, and then disappeared again now in Lebanon?

During her visit to Lebanon late last week, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice asked Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to extradite five men wanted by the United States. Four of these men were member of Hezbullah, including terrorist bomber Imad Mugniniyah and the Mohammed Hammedah, the hijacker who murdered US Navy diver Robert Stetham. (Hammedah was recently released from prison in Germany as part of a deal to free a German hostage in Iraq.).

The fifth man whose extradition Rice requested was Marine Wassef Ali Hassoun. Hassoun is the Marine translator who disappeared from his unit in Baghdad, only to show up a few days later in a jihadi film on the internet. Shortly afterwards, a posting on the internet indicated Hassoun had been killed and beheaded by a group affiliated with Abu Mus’ab al Zarqawi.

But Hassoun appeared a few days later, alive and well, in Beirut, Lebanon, where he has family. Hassoun was repatriated to the US, and after several months of investigation, court martial proceedings were begun.

Hassoun was allowed to go home on leave over Thanksgiving, and disappeared on his return to base.

There has been much speculation as to where Hassoun went; many speculated that he may have returned to Iraq to join the terrorists there.

The request for his extradition is the first strong indication that we’ve had as to where Hassoun might currently be located. It is unlikely Secretary Rice would have requested that he be extradited if the administration did not have strong indications that he is currently in Lebanon.

Hassoun should have proved a gold mine of intelligence for the US military. At the very least, he should have been able to provide information as to the jihadi smuggling routes from Lebanon and Syria into Iraq.

Lebanon has so far refused the request for the extradition of the five men.

February 27, 2006: Former Taliban Foreign Envoy now a member of Yale freshman class

The Yale Bulletin and Calendar for March 23, 2001, announced a debate between a young Afghan man, Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi and Yale law professor Harold Hongju Koh.

According to the Bulletin:

Hashemi has represented Afghanistan in several European conferences and countries over the last two years. He has spoken on such topics as his country's three-year drought, the continuing 22-year civil war in Afghanistan and U.N. sanctions against the region, emanating from human rights grievances, drug trafficking and the decision of the Taliban government to offer asylum to suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden. Hashemi has spoken at the University of California (UC) at Los Angeles and UC-Berkeley, Pomona College and Diablo Valley College, and will meet with U.S. State Department officials.

Now, five years later, the former foreign envoy for the Taliban, is once again at Yale University.

According to the Yale Herald, Hashemi is now a freshman at Yale, a member of the class of 2009, majoring in Political Science.

According to the Herald:

Hashemi is but one of many older, non-traditional Yalies enrolled in Yale’s Nondegree Students Program, one of two Yale academic programs designed to accommodate students who cannot study full-timedue to other commitments.

Hashemi lives in of-campus housing, half a world away from Quetta, Pakistan, where his wife, Asyah, lives with their five year old daughter, Suraya, and their four year old son, Suleman.

Sunday’s New York Times Magazine included an in-depth interview with Hashemi. It’s very interesting reading, and I’d highly recommend it.

But it doesn’t answer my question: how does a former official of the Taliban end up a student at Yale University?

February 24, 2006: Attack on Oil Facilities in Saudi Arabia

An oil refinery in eastern Saudi Arabia was attacked this morning. Initial reports from Saudi indicate that a group suspected of ties to Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula, attacked the refinery, in the Ibqiq region of the country, with two explosives laden cars.

Explosions and gunfire are reported; Saudi sources indicate that the explosions may be part of an attempt to take over the facility.

The explosions apparently resulted when Saudi security fired on two explosives-packed cars as they approached the refinery.

February 24, 2006: Al-Arabiya Journalists Murdered in Iraq

According to the Saudi-based Arab News, three journalists working for Dubai’s Al-Arabiya satellite channel were kidnapped and murdered in Iraq Wednesday night sending another wave of shock, fear and sadness in the media industry.

“According to eyewitnesses and the official account given by the Iraqi security forces, armed individuals ambushed Atwar Bahjat and her colleagues Adnan Khairallah and Khalid Mahmoud while she was interviewing people on the outskirts of Samarra, kidnapped them and then killed them,” Al-Arabiya spokesman Jihad Ballout said by telephone from the satellite channel’s headquarters in Dubai. Continue reading

February 24, 2006: US Asks Yemen to Arrest Prominent Scholar suspected of funding terrorism

The United States has officially asked Yemen to arrest a prominent scholar whom Washington accuses of funneling funds to terror groups, Yemeni state media said yesterday.

Sheikh Abdul-Majid Al-Zindani, 56, is listed by the United Nations and the United States as one of the financiers of terror activities.

“The American side has asked the Yemeni government to arrest Sheikh Al-Zindani, freeze his assets and prevent him from traveling abroad,” said the Defense Ministry’s newspaper ‘26 September’.

February 22, 2006: Michigan Muslim leader calls for the “physical death” of those who “defile” the Prophet Mohamed

A Muslim leader of a Michigan mosque with links to a man who taught confessed shoe-bomber Richard Reid at the Finsbury Park Mosque, has called for the “physical death” of those who “defile” the Prophet Mohamed and other Prophets of Islam, describing it as “blasphemy”.

Hanafi Abdul-Malik, Imam of the downtown Flint Michigan mosque Muslim House made the statements to a reporter for the Flint Journal.

The article in the Journal quotes Abdul-Malik as saying:

"Muslims respect God and all his prophets," Adbul-Malik said. "We would not bring harm to any of them."
"For anyone to defile any of them as has been done to the prophet Muhammad is blasphemy," he said. "We think the consequence for doing so is physical death."

This isn't the first Muslim House Imam to make controversial statements.

Another Muslim House Imam has acknowledged that he lectured at the Finsbury Park Mosque and the two British Muslims involved in suicide bombings in Israel, Asif Hanif and Omar Sharif, and the ‘shoe bomber’ Richard Reid attended his lectures.

Imam Ramee Mohamed sought asylum in the UK in 2004, claiming he feared persecution should he return to the US. He was arrested in the UK in April 2004, and deported back to the US.

An article published April 26, 2004, in the Guardian UK said:

An article published on the front page of last week's Sunday Express, headlined "Maddest asylum plea yet", claimed Mr Muhammed taught Richard Reid - the so-called "shoe bomber"- and had links with the radical preacher Abu Hamza..
Imam Muhammed claims the article is untrue and has complained to the Press Complaints Commission. He admits Richard Reid attended a lecture of his at the Finsbury Park mosque, but says that was six years ago and that he was lecturing on brotherhood. He says he knows Omar Bakri Muhammed, leader of the fringe group al-Muhajiroun, but has no links with him.

By June 2005, Imam Ramee was back in Chicago at the “Takin it to the Streets 2005” Festival. Since returning to the US, Imam Ramee, a former Marine, has been interviewed by the FBI and placed on a list of people suspected of having terrorist links. (This has prevented him from returning to his old job as a prison officer and bans him from leaving the US.)

On July 25, 2005, Muslim House Imam Ramee Mohamed posted the following information on the website of the “Jamaatul Qadir International Educational Trust”, an organization that was run by Imam Ramee. (The website has been removed from the internet, but the contents remain in the Google Cache.)

Western Goverments seeks to lock-up Ulema that speak the truth Did Usama order the Muslims to fight or did the Quran, which is the pure unchanged words of ALLAH SWT ?

But Imam Ramee continues to preach his brand of Islam to the Muslims of America. Now one of his colleagues is calling for the death of anyone who insults the name of the Prophet Mohamed.

And now one of his colleagues is calling for the death of anyone who "defiles" the prophet Mohamed.

Does anyone else have a problem with this?

February 21, 2006: Note to Hamas: Some of "us" can read Arabic - so hiding images of the Star of David being nuked on Arabic pages doesn't work!

Well, it seems that the "peace-loving", "democratically-elected" folks in the military wing of Hamas have forgotten one key point: some infidels read Arabic too!

The Arabic version of the website of the Ezz el din Qassam brigades at http://www.alqassam.com/arabic/ shows the following images of the Star of David being destroyed in a nuclear explosion.

Arabic words then appear saying "Only the Ezz el din Qassam website tells the whole story of the most elusive squad [to be uncovered] in the history of the Entity [Israel], in the city of Ramallah."

Every few seconds there are repeated images of a nuclear explosion destroying the Star of David.

The English version of their website at http://www.alqassam.com/english/ doesn't show the images - instead it opts for a much more politically correct appearance.

(Special thanks to the Palestinian Media Watch for pointing out the images.)

February 21, 2006: Hamas Military Wing denies that their Commander, Mohamed Deif, has left Hamas for Al Qaeda

Apparently the folks with the military wing of Hamas, the Ezz El Din Qassam Brigades, are trying to put a spin on reports that their leader, Mohamed Deif, had left Hamas for the greener pastures of Al Qaeda.

The press release, issued in English, can be read here.

February 21, 2006: Former Exec at Dubai Ports appointed by Bush as Maritime Administrator, reporting to Norman Mineta, Transportation Secretary

According to a January 24, 2006, press release on the DPWorld website, Dave Sanborn, Director of Operations for Europe and Latin America for the Dubai-based company was appointed by US President George W. Bush to serve as Maritime Administrator, a key transportation appointment reporting directly to Norman Mineta the Secretary of Transportation and Cabinet Member.

The press release states that the confirmation process is to begin this month.

Republican US Senator George Allen from Virginia introduced Sanburn for confirmation before the Senate on February 7, 2006. In his introduction, he said:

Finally Mr. Chairman, I would like to introduce another fine Virginian, David Sanborn of Smithfield, VA who the President nominated to serve as Administrator of the Maritime Administration. He is a graduate of the Merchant Marine Academy. David has impressive credentials and a wealth of experience, both domestically and internationally, but most importantly a sincere desire and vision to promote our nation’s ports and shipping industry.
Most recently, as Director of Ship Operations for Dubai Ports International, he was responsible for expanding port infrastructure and efficiency, while developing successful new lines of business. As Senior Vice President of Service Delivery, a company based out of Norfolk, VA, he controlled cargo logistics and demonstrated his ability to seamlessly coordinate shipping with rail and truck operations. Operating multi-million dollar budgets, overseeing staff of hundreds, and redesigning organizations are familiarities extensive to David Sanborn that will undoubtedly ensure his success as Administrator. I look forward to working with him and working with this committee toward his swift confirmation.
transcript

According to the USDOT Maritime Administration website, as Maritime Administrator, Sanburn would have direct responsibility for processing "process applications submitted by private industry parties to construct, own, and operate deepwater ports".

February 21, 2006: Marriott refuses counter-terror group, but hosts Muslims Students Association Eastern Zone Conference

The Marriott Hotel chain refused to host the upcoming counter terror symposium that is being organized by Jeffrey Epstein and the America’s Truth Forum. According to Epstein, Peter Cantone, General Manager for Marriott Georgetown, turned down the group in November, saying:

Your event is too controversial to be held on the property. This decision is based upon business considerations, as the event would call for heightened security since protestors might be attracted from both the student body and off campus. I'm concerned that these protestors might block the main hotel entrance, leading to confrontations with hotel guests and/or room cancellations. Our decision was made due to the objectionable content on your group's website.

But apparently Marriott’s concerns are only with groups that present a negative view on terrorism.

In fact, just a few miles away, the Marriott UMUC Inn near College Park, MD, will be hosting the Muslim Students Association East Zone Conference. (See http://www.msa-national.org/zones/ezusa/conferences.html and www.marriott.com/wasum.)

Epstein has invited such speakers as Dr. Daniel Pipes, Robert Specer, Harvey Kushner, Joe Kaufmann, Brigitte Gabriel, and myself, among others.

Among the speakers invited by the MSA-EZ, according to their website is Sirraj Wahhaj, identified by Assistant US Attorney Mary Jo White as an unindicted coconspirator in the government’s terror case against Egyptian Shekh Omar Abdul Rahman.

February 21, 2006: Mecca-Cola, Hamas profiting from Cartoon Intifada

by Laura Mansfield

Much of the fallout from the Cartoon Intifada has been obvious: a boycott throughout much of the Islamic world of Danish products; riots in the streets of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia; attacks on consulates and western businesses.

But for Mecca Cola, the United Arabic Emirates-based company that competes head to head in Muslim populations with Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola, the fallout has been positive, with a ripple effect on their donations to Palestinian organizations linked to terror.

They have seen sales of Mecca Cola products triple since the outcry over the cartoons began.

According to Mecca Cola World Co. chairman Taoufik Mathlouthi "Growth came with these Danish caricatures. It's crazy but our sales multiplied by three. We cannot supply all the demand we have right now.”

In fact, business is so good that they have launched a new energy drink called “Mecca Power” with the slogan “get the Halal power”. Halal is an Arabic word that means “permitted” or “lawful” and is used to indicate something that is permissible under Islamic law.

This is good news for Palestinian charities in Gaza and the West Bank, which receive 10% of the proceeds of every can of Mecca Cola sold.

A press release on their website says:

Mecca-Cola says that it definitely will give money to charity and has gone to great pains to assure that its donations don't go to terrorism.
Ten percent will go to buy books and school equipment for Palestinian children, and the other 10 percent will go to local charities in France, Mathlouthi said. It is important for the Mecca-Cola boss to donate goods and not cash, states Mathlouthi: "We don't want people to think that we support soldiers or terrorist groups, only suffering children."

The Mecca Cola website includes an undated image of the charities that receive donations at http://www.mecca-cola.com/en/beneficiary.php. The document, which lists the charities and certifies their charitable status, is signed by Dr. Mousa Zabout.

But a United Nations, Division of Palestinian Rights, document published in 2003 describes Zabout as follows: “Moussa Zabout, a Gaza physician with ties to Hamas and Islamic Jihad”. And at least two of the charities on the list of recipients were temporarily shut down by the Palestinian Monetary Fund under pressure from the US as fronts for PA rival Hamas.

We’ve requested a current list of charities from the Public Relations Department at Mecca Cola, and have received no reply.

The question needs to be answered.

Does Mecca Cola continue to fund Hamas-linked charities from sales of their products, not just in the Islamic world, but in the UK, France, and other parts of Europe?

February 20, 2006: Transcript of yesterday's Osama Bin Laden tape

The following is a transcript of the tape released on the internet yesterday by Sahab Institutes, the self-described media production arm of Al Qaeda, featuring a voice over translation of last months audio taped message from Osama Bin Laden. Please note that this is not my translation, but simply a transcription of the translation read by an individual who claims to be Azzam the American, aka Adam Gadahn.

In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful, from Osama bin Mohammed bin Laden to the American people, peace be upon he who follows the guidance.
This message of mine concerns the war in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and how it can be stopped.
I had not intended to speak to you in this regard, because the the matter is settled as far as we are concerned, and iron is blunted only by iron, and because our situation is going from good to better, and your situation is the exact opposite of that.
However, my enthusiasm for discussing it was awakened by the repeated fallacies of your president Bush, in his comments on the results of your opinion polls, which show that the vast majority of you want the troops to be pulled out of Iraq.
That he objected to this desire, and said that forced withdrawal, sends the wrong message to the enemy and that is better for us to fight them on their soil than for them to fight us on ours.
Before I respond to these fallacies, I say that the war in Iraq is blazing fiercely, and the operations in Afghanistan are continuously escalating in our favour and for Allah is our praise.
And the Pentagon numbers indicate an increase in the number of your killed and injured, in addition to the massive material losses, not to mention the collapse of troop morale over there and the increase in the suicide rate among them.
You can imagine the state of psychological collapse which befalls this soldier as he plucks the body parts of his companions after they were ripped apart by the mines.
And after this experience, the solider is caught betweeen two fires. If he refuses to leave his military barracks for the patrols, he will be hit by the butcher of Vietnam's harsh punishments. While if goes out, he will be devoured by the duel of mines. So he is stuck between two things, the sweetest of which is bitter, which puts him under awful psychological pressure, fear, humiliation and coercion and his people don't care about him.
So the only solution he finds is to commit suicide, and this is what you have been hearing about. The suicide is a powerful letter to you, which he wrote with his life and blood as pain and regret gripped him.
For you to rescue whatever can be rescued from this hell, the solution is in your hands, if the situation at all matters to you.
As for the news of our brothers, the mujahadeen, it differs from what the Pentagon makes public. For it indicates that what is carried by the media, is no more than a tenth of the truth, about what is happening on the ground.
And among the things which deepen the doubts about the information provided by the White House administration, is its targeting of those media outlets which transmit some of the facts from the ground. And recently it has surfaced in documents that the butcher of freedom in the world, had resolved to bomb the head offices of the Al-Jazeera satellite channel in Qatar, after he had bombed its offices in Kabul and Baghdad, although it, as it stands, is the instrument of your servants there.
And from another perspective, the Jihad is continuing with strength, and for Allah has all the credit, despite all the barbaric, repressive steps taken by the American army and its agents to the extent that there is no longer any mentionable difference between this criminality and the criminality of Saddam.
The criminality has gone as far as raping women and holding them hostage in place of their husbands who has neither strength nor power except with Allah. As for the torture of men, it has now come to the use of burning chemical acids and electric drills in their joints and if they despair of them, they sometimes place them heads down until death. And if you wish, read the humanitarian reports about the atrocities in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and Bagram.
So I say that despite all these barbaric methods, they have not dulled the resistance and the mujahadeen are strengthening and increasing by the grace of Allah. In fact, reports indicate the rapid defeat and failure of the project of the sinister quartet of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz. While the declaration of the defeat and the task of staging it is a matter of time, which depends to some extent on the awareness of the American people of the size of this tragedy.
Thinking people are aware that Bush doesn't have a plan to achieve his so-called victory in Iraq. And if you are to compare the small number of Americans killed before the day Bush made his foolish, fake, staged declaration on the aircraft carrier about the end of major combat operations, with the many times greater number of killed and injured in the minor operations, you would realise the truth of what I say.
Bush and his administration possess neither the will nor desire to leave Iraq, for their own dubious reasons.
Starting over again, I say the results of the surveys please rational people, and that Bush's objection is erroneous. The facts on the ground bear witness, that the war against America and its allies has not remained confined to Iraq as he claims, but rather Iraq has become a point of attraction and recruitment for qualified forces.
And from another perspective, the mujahadeen by Allah's grace, have been able to penetrate time after time all the security procedures undertaken by the oppressive countries of the alliance, as evidenced by what you have have seen in terms of the bombings in the capitals of the most important European states in this alliance of aggression. As for the delay of similar operations in America, it is not because of the impossibility of penetrating your security arrangements, but rather operations are in preparation, and you shall see them on your own soil when they are completed, with Allah's permission.
On the basis of the preceding, the falseness of Bush's statement becomes evident, as well as the truth of the position which he evaded, and which is the essence of the results of the opinion polls, that we withdraw the troops, and it is best that we do not fight the Muslims on their land, nor they fight us on ours. We have no objection to responding to you with a long-term ceasefire, with just conditions we will honour and fulfil, because we are a nation which is forbidden by Allah from treachery and falsehood, so that the two sides in this ceasefire might enjoy peace and stability, and so that we may rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan, which have been destroyed by the war.
There is no shame or defect in this solution, other than its preventing the flow of tens of billions to the influential people and war-mongers in America who supported Bush's election campaign with billions of dollars. From this we can understand the insistance of Bush and his gang on continuing the war.
So if you are sincere in your desire for stability and peace, here we have responded to you. And if Bush insists upon continuing to lie and oppress, then it benefits you to read the book, Rogue State, in whose introduction, the author says that if he were president, he would stop all operations against the United States, then offers apologies to all the widows, orphans and victims of torture. Then he would declare a permanent end to American intervention in the nations of the world.
Finally, I say to you that victory in the war is either ours or yours. If it is the former, then it is to your eternal regret and sorrow, and by the grace of Allah, the wind is blowing in this direction. And if it is the latter, then read history, for we are a people who don't rest under oppression, and who seek revenge for as long as we live and it won't be long before we retaliate like we did on September 11th, with Allah's permission.
And in this way your minds will continue to be exhausted, your life will continue to be a burden and things will not be to your liking. As for us, we have nothing to lose. For the swimmer in the sea, does not fear the rain. You have occupied our land, attacked our honour and dignity, spilled our blood, plundered our wealth, destroyed our homes, displaced us and meddled in our affair and we shall do the same to you.
You have attempted to prevent us from living an honourable life, but you can never succeed in preventing us from dying an honourable death.
Refraining from the obligatory Jihad is a deadly sin in our religion, and for us the best way to be killed is in the shadow of the sword. Do not be deceived by your forces and modern weaponry, because they win some battles but lose the war. Patience and steadfastness are better than them, and it is the end that counts.
We persevered in fighting the Soviet Union with simple weapons for ten years, and we drained their economy and they became mere history by the grace of Allah, and in that there is a lesson for you. And we shall persevere in fighting you, with Allah's permission, until the most impatient of us dies. And we shall not flee from the fight until the weapon itself flees.
I have sworn to only live free, even if I find bitter the taste of death, lest I be humiliated or deceived and peace be upon he who follows the guidance.

February 19, 2006: Sahab Enterprises releases new videos containing translations of last months Bin Laden and Zawahiri tapes

Two new videos, one of Osama Bin Laden and the other showing Dr. Ayman al Zawahiri, were released tonight on the internet by Sahab Enterprises.

These are the statements that were aired a month ago by Al Jazeera.

The video of Osama Bin Laden does not show actual video footage of Bin Laden; instead it shows a still image, while a person believed to be Azzam the American (Adam Gadahn) reads an English translation of his statement.

The Zawahiri video shows video footage of Zawahiri maksing his statements, with English subtitles.

We are in the process of analyzing the material and will update shortly.

The videos, with the translations, can be downloaded from:

Osama Bin Laden Video

Ayman al Zawahiri Video

February 17, 2006: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

According to an announcement at http://maniacmuslim.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=6367, Iman Sirraj Wahhaj, named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the US government's case against Egyptian sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman (the Blind Sheikh), will be delivering today's Kutba (or sermon) at a rally today in front of the Danish consulate in Manhattan.

The announcement describes the event as a "PROTEST RALLY infront of the DANISH Consulate in Manhattan".

The rally is to be held today between 12 noon and 3 pm.

The announcement goes on to state:

Yhe Majlis-e-Shura of Greater New York is requesting that you and your family, and all friends attend this Rally on Friday, 2.17.06 to be held at 2nd Ave., and 48th Street in Manhattan.
Imam Siraj Wahaj will give the Juma Khutba.

February 17, 2006: Hey Pot, this is Kettle. Do you get to pick and choose when to follow Islamic law?

by Laura Mansfield

Hey Pot. This is Kettle again. I’m confused and hope you can help me to understand.

I understand that Muslims are required to follow the teachings of the Prophet Mohamed, and to follow the Qu’ran. I understand that in some cases “things changed” and the Prophet Mohamed changed his instructions.

But I’m really confused about this issue, and watching all the fighting and rioting in the streets over the cartoons has only heightened my confusion.

In his final sermon, the day before he died, Islam teaches that the Prophet Mohamed said the following:

"With Allah the months are twelve; four of them are holy; three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumaada and Sha'ban."

I know that the month between Jumaada and Sha’aban is the month of Ragab.

And I know that the other three months when fighting and warfare are strictly forbidden by Islamic shari’a are Dhul-Qi'dah ("month of rest"), Dhul-Hijjah ("month of Hajj"), and Muharram (“forbidden”).

Islam teaches that the Prophet Mohamed specifically said that there was to be no fighting and warfare during these months. He said this in his last sermon. It’s pretty safe to assume, since he died the next day, that he didn’t change this command.

So, Pot. Can you tell me something?

How come it’s ok for Muslims to riot and fight during those months? That burned out KFC and the angry mobs sure looked like the results of fighting to me. And it’s certainly the month of Muharram.

Do you get to pick and choose which Islamic laws you follow?

Do you get to pick and choose when to follow them?

Come on, now Pot. Give me the answer, please.

February 15, 2006: The Pen is Mightier than the Sword…

by Laura Mansfield

At least it appears that the Muslim world thinks based on their reaction to the cartoons that they claim insult the Prophet Mohamed.

First, let’s call the riots and violence over the publishing of cartoons that the Islamic world didn’t like what it is – a Cartoon Intifada.

This entire charade is every bit as orchestrated as the Al Aqsa Intifada, and every bit as phony. Now I have no doubts that individual Muslims are truly outraged, but that outrage is being orchestrated purely for political reasons that have nothing to do with the name of Islam.

The Muslim world is screaming over the “desecration” of the image of one of the Prophet Mohamed. They cite various quotations from the Qu’ran and the Hadith that prohibit the displaying of images of the Prophet Mohamed.

And the quotations that they cite do certainly prohibit that the Prophet Mohamed be portrayed in any illustration or statue.

But it doesn’t stop there.

The Qu’ran actually prohibits that any persons or animals be portrayed in a picture or a statue.

In March 2001, the Taliban of Aghanistan destroyed two ancient giant statues of Buddha in Bamiyan. The reason: Supreme Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar issued a statement declaring “The real God is only Allah, and all other false gods should be removed.”

Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi is quoted as saying “Islam prohibits statues and three-dimensional figures of the living creatures. The prohibition is even more stressed in case the statue is for a being already dignified i.e. Angels, prophets, the Virgin, or idols like cows for Hindus.”

But the prohibition doesn’t stop there. A strict interpretation of Islamic law also bans dolls if they have human-like faces. Many interpretations also forbid any drawings, photographs, or films where people are shown.

This is why when you walk into a mosque you never see any statues or illustrations of people or animals. Instead you will see intricate patterns in the carpets, woodwork, and inlays. You will see beautiful calligraphy and elaborate designs. But you won’t see statues of photographs.

Obviously this prohibition is enforced rather selectively. After all, there are statues all over many Islamic countries. (Do you remember the statue of Saddam Hussein being toppled in Baghdad?) Even in Iran and Saudi Arabia, two countries where Islamic law is enforced extensively, you’ll find videos and films, as well as cartoons and photo studios.

In fact, if you follow only a narrow interpretation of this prohibition to impact only images of Prophets or “Holy Ones”, you’ll find that it is enforced only sporadically. Under strict Islamic law, images and pictures of Jesus Christ are also prohibited; this means virtually every church in the world, including those in Islamic nations, is violating Islamic laws prohibiting the depiction of a Prophet, since Jesus is considered a Prophet of Islam.

The 1976 film The Message, directed by Mustapha Akkad who was killed in the hotel bombings in Amman, Jordan a few months ago, caused a similar outcry some thirty years ago. The movie was supposed to open in London with the title Mohammed, Messenger of God, but the name had to be changed at the last minute. The reason: the theater received bomb threats because Mohammed's name was in the title.

The Supreme Council of the World Mosque Conference in Mecca and the National Assembly of Pakistan both banned the film; the scholars in Cairo who had previously approved the script now called the movie "an insult to Islam." Turkey and Tunisia were the only Islamic countries to allow the film to be shown.

The problems weren’t restricted to the rest of the world. A group of black Muslim terrorists from the small Hanafi sect, under the leadership of Khalifa Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, invaded the B'nai B'rith building and two others with plenty of weaponry, taking more than 100 hostages. Their demands were simple: cancel the American premiere of Mohammad: Messenger of God. After talking to the ambassadors of several Muslim countries, and meeting with a handful of diplomats who promised to try and stop the film, the group surrendered. Their leader, Khaalis was sentenced to 21 to 120 years in prison for his role.

As this illustrates, bullying and violence in reaction to something that the Islamic world doesn’t like isn’t something new.

To put it simply, this is just a rerun of a technique that we have allowed to work in the past.

It’s time for us to say “No”.

They have their beliefs; we have ours.

If the Muslim world wants us to continue to respect their beliefs and teachings, then it is high time for a little quid pro quo.

February 14, 2006: Italy: Video Shows 'Extremist Language' Used by Imam at 2000 Convention in Italy

February 14, 2006: Iraqi Sunni Figure Says Sunnis Welcome, Give 'Shelter' to Abu-Mus'ab al-Zarqawi

February 14, 2006: Keyhan: Making N-Weapons Not Iran's Policy, But Knowledge Necessary For Future

February 14, 2006: Iran: Commander of 'Martyrdom-Seeking Forces" Threatens Retaliation Against US

The commander of the martyrdom-seeking forces said: "Now that America is mobilizing different forces against the holy establishment of the Islamic Republic and intends to insult our holy values, the entire forces of martyrdom-seeking armies in the world are on full alert and the strategic interests of Israel and America will be attacked and completely destroyed if there is the slightest threat against the Islamic Republic of Iran."

On Saturday night and in the gathering of the martyrdom-seeking forces in Shahr-e-Ray, Ja'fari spoke about the position taken by the Iranian president in Bushehr on the necessity to promote the culture of martyrdom-seeking and said: "The remarks of Dr Ahmadinezhad, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in Bushehr are the same as the words of Imam Khomeyni (may his soul be sanctified), the eminent leadership, our dear martyrs and the brave and courageous nation of Iran."

He added: "We can defeat the enemy only through martyrdom-seeking operations and by having faithful, brave, well-trained and devoted forces; God willing, we will witness an effective superiority (over the enemy) in the scenes."

The commander of the martyrdom-lovers base said: "America or other countries can never defeat us in any such probable wars."

He affirmed: "We tell the American nation that the main responsibility for future events lies with their president, Bush, and his adventurous positions. Therefore, it is easier and less costly for the American nation to control Bush than the future war, which will definitely cause heavy costs for them."

The commander of the martyrdom-lovers base added: "If the martyrdom-seeking forces receive the command to start operations, they cannot be controlled, and in that case, guerrilla wars will begin in different areas that may last several years."

(Description of Source: Tehran Siyasat-e Ruz in Persian -- conservative Tehran weekly published by `Ali Yusefpur, a member of the Islamic Revolution Devotees' Society (Jam`iyat-e Isargaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami))

February 10, 2006: Hello Pot? This is Kettle...

February 10, 2006: IAEA Diplomats Say Iran Has Blueprints for Suspected Nuclear Test Site

Iranian Group Warns West 'Very Fragile' Against Muslims' 'Fiery Wrath'

February 8, 2006: Posting on extremist website takes credit for downing UPS plane in Philadephia Credibility of posting in question

February 8, 2006: The Mohamed Cartoon Tsunami

February 8, 2006: Coming to America: Dyab Abou Jahjah to speak at PSM Conference at Georgetown p>February 8, 2006: Cartoon Jihad Hits New Lows: Arab European League Continues to Bottom Feed

February 7, 2006: Self Flagellation to the Extreme

February 7, 2006: Iran's President: Europe's leaders are “prisoners of a bunch of blood-sucking Zionists"

February 7, 2006: Hyundai Engineering To Arrange Muslim Prayer Room In Headquarters

February 7, 2006: "Musharraf survived rocket attack in Quetta"

February 6, 2006: Iran Calls For OIC Emergency Session To Discuss 'Islamophobia'

February 6, 2006: PA: Al-Aqsa Brigade Chief Blames German Teacher's Abduction on Local 'Lunatic'

February 3, 2006: World to Terrorists: Busted!

Continue reading...

Iran: Rafsanjani Warns IAEA Against 'Mistake,' Says Cartoons Part of 'Overall Plan'

February 3, 2006: Ferry carrying 1300+ passengers sinks between Saudi Arabia and Egypt

February 1, 2006: Islam and Cartoon Physics

January 31, 2006: CAIR to President Bush: Don’t say 'Islamo-fascism,' 'militant jihadism'

Authorities shut down Nashville interstate to investigate SUV

30 January 2006: American hostage Jill Carroll in tears in new video on Al Jazeera

30 January 2006: Zawahiri: alive and making threats!

27 January 2006: Zawahiri: Dead or Alive. An analysis of last weekend's tape

27 January 2006: They've told us who they are. Why won't we listen?

26 January 2006: HAMAS: What does their charter say?

26 January 2006: “With great power comes great responsibility…”

26 January 2006: HAMAS flag raised over Palestinian parliament building

26 January 2006: HAMAS wins elections in "Palestine"

26 January 2006: Iranian Daily: Palestinian Hamas Opens Persian Website

Russia: Russian Analysts on Possible Scenarios of US-Israeli Attack on Iran

January 23, 2006: Thoughts on Osama Bin Laden tape of January 18, 2006

Issue 13 of Ansar al Sunnah magazine gets graphic about their feelings for America

January 16, 2006: Guess who’s coming to dinner?

Inshallah

Inshallah: My journey into the world of Islam, and my escape

Laura's newest book - JUST RELEASED

The Beginning

A cacophony of sounds wrenched me from a sound sleep into that semi coherent state between sleep and wakefulness. The disorientation was brief. It was my first morning in Cairo, Egypt, and although I knew I was embarking on an adventure, I had no clue of the dark twists that my trek would take me on, deep into the bowels of Islamic fundamentalism. I didn’t realize that I had fallen into a rabbit hole reminiscent of that which Alice found herself in. That realization would come about an hour later.

For the moment, I only knew that I was halfway around the world, in an apartment on the 13th floor of a building at the beginning of the long wide thoroughfare that led from downtown Giza to the Pyramids. For a girl raised in the deep south, it was quite a contrast.

I grew up in a town of 8,000 people. From the sounds of things outside my window, it seemed that at least that many cars were on the street below my bedroom, all honking their horns in a discordant melody.

My husband was still sleeping peacefully. How in the heck could he sleep with all this noise? There was no chance of going back to sleep, so I decided to go take a shower.

That was my first adventure of the day! I’ll be gracious when speaking of the bathroom – if I had walked into a bathroom like this in any restroom anywhere in the United States I would have walked out and decided to just “hold it”. Clearly that wasn’t an option here. If my single experience with a bathroom at the Cairo Airport was any indication, this might be the Hilton of Egyptian bathrooms.

Continue reading...

Inshallah: My journey into the world of Islam, and my escape

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