Listening to the Enemy

Al-Qa'ida's Sawt al-Jihad Magazine Threatens 'Major' Attacks

On 8 February, a jihadist website posted a message from the Al-Qa'ida Organization in the Arabian Peninsula, announcing the release of their 30th issue of their online magazine Sawt al-Jihad, and providing links to the publication in both PDF and Word formats. This 56-page issue comes after almost two years of absence. In the introduction of this edition, the author assures Bin Ladin that the mujahidin of Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula are keeping their promise and are preparing for "what will please him," threatening new attacks against "Crusader" interests in the Arabian Peninsula. The magazine also includes an article on Bin Ladin's strategy to use "the oil weapon" against the West.

To find out what else was in this issue published by the enemy expand the post:

• "Oh, House of Salul -The Outcome Belongs to the Righteous," by Muhammad Ibn-Abdallah al-Nasir, is the introductory article in which the author reminds the House of Saud [The Saudi Royal family] of God's promise to the believers. Al-Nasir promises Usama Bin Ladin that the mujahidin are keeping their commitment, writing "Your soldiers in the Arabian Peninsula are working, planning and preparing for what will please you, and will please the believers." The author also threatens "Crusaders" in the Arabian Peninsula, adding: "With the beginning of this new year, we ask God to make it a year of victory and of empowerment for the mujahidin in the Arabian Peninsula. Let the Crusaders and their followers in the Arabian Peninsula know that we have been preparing, for a while, for major operations that will shake the foundations of the Crusaders in the Arabian Peninsula, with God's might and strength and not ours. The Crusaders will not enjoy their living in the peninsula of Muhammad, prayers and peace be upon him, as long as we breath. This matter is part of the project of the mujahidin that aims at cleansing the Arabian Peninsula from the filth of the polytheists and the bases of the Crusaders that are spread all over the Arabian Peninsula."
• "Eyewitness News as Seen through the Eyes of the Mujahidin," lists events that had taken place since the release of the 29th issue, beginning with the Buqayq oil refinery attack, which took place in February 2006, and ending with the escalation of the US military presence in the Arabian Gulf.
• "A Special Interview with one of the Partakers in the Buqayq Raid - Badr Ibn-Abdallah al-Humaydi," gives details of the Buqayq oil refinery attack, and accuses the Saudi government of lying about its outcome. This article is followed by copies of the two statements issued by the group last year, in which they claimed responsibility for the said attack.
• "Proving the Inaccuracy in Saying 'The Deed is Infidel but the Doer is not,'" by Shaykh Abdallah Ibn-Sa'd al-Fahd, argues that the doer of an infidel act should rightfully be considered infidel, as the one guilty of committing the act.
• "Issa Ibn-Sa'd Ibn-Muhammad Al Awshan- The Knight of Jihad Media," by Majid Ibn-Muhammad Ibn-Sa'id al-Qahtani, is a six-page article which gives a detailed biography of the Saudi jihadist and poet Issa Al Awshan, who was killed at the hands of Saudi security forces in 2004, after he had assumed the responsibilities of Al-Qa'ida's media activities following the death of his predecessor Yusuf al-Ayiri.
• "Declaring War on Iran," by Abu-Ali al-Shimali, says that the temporary "marriage of pleasure" between Iran and the US is over, and that the US is now preparing for a war against Iran.
• "A Shout Following the Whisper in the Ear of Salman al-Awdah," by Abu-Hamzah al-Najdi, reminds Islamic preacher and supervisor of the Islam Today Internet forum, cleric Salman al-Awda, of Yusuf al-Ayiri's advice to him not to support Hizballah, which he did not take seriously. Now, the author reiterates the same message and calls on Al-Awdah to stick to the true teachings of Islam.
• "The Anticipated Revolution," by Abu-Amir al-Najdi, is a poem that calls on the Muslims to rise and prepare for the revolution of glory.
• "Bin Ladin and Oil Weapon," by Adib al-Bassam, discusses the strategy of attacking oil installation and facilities, and explains that this has always been the strategy of Bin Ladin and Al-Qa'ida. It also explains its effectiveness in the war against industrial countries, especially the United States.
• "Iraq Yesterday and Today," by Yahya Ibn-Zayid Al Zayid, in which the author describes the situation in Iraq before and after the fall of Baghdad, and describes how the tree of jihad developed and grew, until it got to the formation of the Islamic State of Iraq.
• "Interview with Martyr: Karim al-Tuhami al-Mujati," is an interview conducted by the magazine with this Moroccan "jihad leader," only few days before he was killed in the Al-Ras attack, in April 2005. In this interview, Al-Mujati answers questions, discusses prisons in Bosnia and talks about the jihad leaders under whom he had fought.
• "Ask the People of Knowledge, Fatwas in Jihad and Religious Politics" part of a question and answer series about jihad. In this issue, Shaykh Abdallah Ibn-Sa'd al-Fahd answers the question: "What are the types of Al-Diyar [homes or countries]? And what are their rulings?" in which he explains the two types: The Muslim Diyar and the Diyar of the Infidels.
• "Readers' Contributions," is a section which includes letters from readers expressing admiration and support for the mujahidin.
• "Letters and Responses," is a section containing a number of responses to readers' letters. The magazine provides the http://contactus.arabform.com website address as contact information for readers to use for their correspondence.

In addition to the above, the magazine contains a footnote in which Sawt al-Jihad expresses its gratitude to the Global Islamic Media Front for their continuous support in releasing their productions. It also announces that the third series of "Blood that Will Not be Wasted" video on the "martyrs" of Al-Qa'ida Organization in the Arabian Peninsula, will be released soon, and will be available on their website.

In the final page, Sawt al-Jihad posts images of the covers of four of its publications and asks the readers to participate in their printing and distribution.

Still think the information war isn't important to winning this conflict? Think again, it is the complete apathy and unwillingness of the mainstream media to show to the world publications like this, that make the leadership around the world believe that there is no hope and that we must negotiate with the enemy. We can not let their words go unspoken and shown to the light of day. We must not let the isolationism of the democratic party and the appeasement factions around the world dictate to us our demise.