January 22, 2007

New al Qaeda Video: Zawahiri Taunts Bush

UPDATE: Laura Mansfield, who first discovered the video, has graciously agreed to let Howie upload it to Google Video. You can watch the entire video here, or go to Laura's website and download it. She also tells me she should have the entire transcript of the video up soon.

A new as Sahab produced propaganda video by al Qaeda's #2 in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has been released on the internet. The video is subtitled in English, which means that the message is directed to an American audience.

You can download the entire subtitled video at Laura Mansfield's website. I'm watching it as we speak. Regrettably, as Allah notes, the subtitles are a little hard to read at times. If you get a chance to watch it, you'll immediately get the little joke Allah makes about a "disembodied head". It appears that Zawahiri made this video in front of a blue screen.

Laura Mansfeld says:

In the video, Zawahiri specifically addresses President Bush's plan for Iraq. He also specifically addresses the American people, saying "Security is a shared destiny. If we are secure, you might be secure, and if we are safe, you might be safe. And if we are struck and killed, you will definitely - with Allah's permission - be struck and killed".

The video also calls for the release of Al Qaeda members in American prisons, specifically mentioning the Blind Sheikh, Dr. Omar Abdul Rahman.

The video appears timed to coincide with the State of the Union Address

This appears to be another in a long line of tapes in which Al Qaeda leaders concurrently warn the West and offer a mutual security "deal" - a complete lie and impossibility, of course, but Al Qaeda will continue to make the "offer."

Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda’s number two, presents a speech titled: “The Correct Equation,” in a 14:11 minute video produced by the group’s multimedia arm, as-Sahab. The speech, including English-subtitles, concerns the Iraq security plan announced by U.S. President George W. Bush to send an additional 20,000 American troops to Baghdad, and the necessity of the Muslims joining the Mujahideen and supporting their jihad in all theaters of war, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Chechnya, Somalia, and Algeria. Zawahiri taunts Bush, questioning: “why send 20,000 only - why not send 50 or 100 thousand? Aren't you aware that the dogs of Iraq are pining for your troops' dead bodies?.” He then invites the American President to send the entire American Army to Iraq as he believes the Mujahideen are capable of destroying the equivalent of ten armies......

The remainder of the speech serves to incite Muslims to jihad, using Bush’s security plan and continuing actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and now Somalia, as justification. Zawahiri argues that every Muslim today is responsible for the defense of Islam and the efforts to “liberate” Muslim captives, foremost being the “Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel Rahman. Zawahiri also entreats “Arab nationalists and leftists” to return to Islam and refuse international law that has divided their land and Muslim Nation.