Tawfik Hamid: Jihadists Hide Deadly Intent in Phony Language

CNN has reported that Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzam the American, appeared in a video that has been made available on the Internet. Gadahn was portrayed as though he had offered "condolences" for innocent victims.

“On the heels of a U.S. announcement of a massive troop surge for Afghanistan," CNN reported, "an al-Qaida spokesman Saturday appeared to be trying to improve the group's image in the region with a new audio message in English.

Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzam the American, appeared in a 17-minute video released on Islamist online forums late Friday, offering condolences to the families of innocent people killed in al Qaeda attacks.”

For the complete CNN text, Go Here.

It is important to note that many could perceive that the title CNN used as a positive al-Qaida step, yet careful observation and analysis of what has been said clearly reveals that the condolences were offered only to Muslims and non Muslims were not included.

Gadahn’s video statement : "We express our condolences to the families of the Muslim men, women and children killed in these criminal acts and we ask Allah to have mercy on those killed and accept them as shohadaa [martyrs]," he says. "We also express the same in regard to the unintended Muslim victims of the mujahedeen's operations against the crusaders and their allies and puppets, and to the countless faceless and nameless Muslim victims of the murderous crusades" in Afghanistan, Pakistan's Waziristan regions and Swat Valley, and elsewhere.”

The title that fits more with what Gadahn actually has said is “al-Qaida offers 'condolences' ONLY for Muslim victims” rather than “al-Qaida offers 'condolences' for innocent victims."

Sincere condolences should be offered for all innocents who are killed, irrespective of their faith.

The message of Adam Gadahn was portrayed as if it is a good thing, yet in actuality it only confirmed that many Islamists do not see a need to offer condolences for innocent victims if they are non-Muslims.

Failure to include non-Muslims in the condolences indicates serious disregard for the lives of non-Muslims.

Undervaluing the lives of non-Muslims, which is taught widely within mainstream Islamic jurisprudence and various Shariah books, is one of the main factors that leads some devout Muslims to develop the mind of a terrorist that does not show respect for human lives of the "others."

Dr. Tawfik Hamid is the author of "Inside Jihad." A former associate of Dr. al-Zawahiri (second in command of al-Qaida), he now is a reformer of Islam. For information, visit www.tawfikhamid.com. Hamid's writings in this blog represent only his thoughts and not the views of the institute where he works.

NewsMax

American Jihadist Denies Al Qaeda Behind Deadly Bombings in Pakistan

A U.S.-born Al Qaeda spokesman, in a newly released English-language video, denies the group was behind a series of bombings in Pakistan that have killed hundreds of civilians, calling such attacks un-Islamic.

Adam Gadahn, who commonly delivers the terror organization's English messages, said the extremist network was being framed for the bloodshed by the U.S. and Pakistani intelligence services.

"The perpetration of such deplorable acts and the pinning of responsibility for them on the mujahedeen only serves the enemies of Islam and Muslims, who are today staring defeat in the face," he said, blaming the "puppet media" for implicating Al Qaeda in the attacks.

"The mercenaries of the ISI, RAW, CIA or Blackwater are the real culprits behind these senseless and un-Islamic bombings," he added.

The ISI and RAW are the Pakistani and Indian intelligence agencies, respectively, while Blackwater is the private security firm — now called Xe Services — whose involvement in the killings of Iraqi civilians have tarnished its reputation throughout the Muslim world.

More than 500 people have died in a slew of attacks in Pakistan that began in October, just as the Pakistani army started waging a ground offensive against the Taliban in South Waziristan, a tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

A single truck bomb in the northwest city of Peshawar killed more than 100 people at a market that sells mostly women's clothes and children's toys. More recently, twin bombs at a similar market in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore killed nearly 50.

Pakistani authorities have laid blame for the recent spate of attacks on the Pakistani Taliban or their affiliates, which include Al Qaeda and other local militant groups.

Such groups, which analysts say are increasingly intertwined, most often to attack security targets. But the militants generally avoid claiming responsibility for assaults that kill a large number of civilians.

In a transcript of the video released by the SITE Intelligence Group, a Washington-based monitor of militant Web sites, Gadahn told Pakistanis their real enemies were secular regimes, corrupt police, judges and tribal nationalists.

Gadahn's message may resonate in Pakistan, where conspiracy theories are rife, support for militancy has only recently taken a downturn and anti-Americanism is widespread.

After the market blast in Peshawar, many Pakistanis expressed disbelief that Islamist groups could have attacked other Muslims in such a manner. And in some corners of the Pakistani media, Blackwater has increasingly been floated as a culprit in nefarious events.

Gadahn grew up in Los Angeles and then moved to Pakistan in 1998, according to the FBI. He is said to have attended an Al Qaeda training camp six years later, serving as a translator and consultant for the group.

Al Qaeda's media arm, al-Sahab, is increasingly using English-language videos to address Muslims in Pakistan who are unlikely to speak Arabic. Gadahn's message specifically addressed Muslims in south Asia, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

FoxNews

Al Qaeda Releases New Video Predicting Obama's Fall

Al Qaeda released a 106-minute Arabic language video Tuesday titled "The West... and The Dark Tunnel" featuring Al Qaeda's second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri predicting the downfall of Barack Obama.

During the documentary-style video to mark the ninth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, Al Qaeda leaders comment on events in the past year such as the U.S. presidential elections, the global financial meltdown, and the latest on jihadist movements around the world.

"America has come in a new, hypocritical face. Smiling at us, but stabbing us with the same dagger that Bush used," said Zawahri in the message.

"God willing, your end will be at the hands of the Muslim nation, so that the world and history will be free of your crimes and lies," he said addressing Obama at the end of the two-part video.

In addition to Zawahiri, other Al Qaeda leaders speaking in the video include Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, Attiya Allah, Abu Yahya al-Libi, and Adam Gadahn.

As in the past, Al Qaeda attempted to conflate Obama with his predecessor, George W. Bush, who was widely disliked by Muslims for his invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Many analysts believe that Al Qaeda has been alarmed by Obama's comparative popularity in the Middle East, especially following his landmark speech to the Muslim world in Cairo in June.

Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzam al-Amriki, an American who grew up in southern California and converted to Islam and joined Al Qaeda, also speaks on the election of Obama. Gadahn was charged with treason in 2006 and there is a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

Gadahn's remarks celebrating the defeat of Bush and ridiculing Obama suggest the video was made in late August or early September.

"The important question is will Obama and his Democrats learn from his predecessor's mistakes or will they go on repeating them until they too leave office in humiliation and disgrace," said the heavily bearded American, dressed in a white robe.

"Unfortunately for the Democrats, and judging by their first seven-and-a-half months at the helm of the sinking American ship, the prognosis doesn't look good," he said.

The message included a lengthy section on U.S. prisons and torture facilities and showed footage of what appeared to be an American torturing an Afghan for information by dunking his head into a bucket of water.

The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist Web sites, identified the person conducting the torture as Jonathan Keith Idema, who also appeared in last year's Al Qaeda video.

The message also discussed the progress of the various jihadi movements around the world, in particular Taliban victories against U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

The video's strident anti-American tone and detailed enumeration of what it describes as the U.S. crimes was in sharp contrast to the earlier bin Laden message, which appeared to be an appeal to the American people to sever their ties with Israel and end the war with Al Qaeda.

Source: FoxNews