Return-Path: <sentto-279987-1761-1000294796-fc=all.net@returns.onelist.com> Delivered-To: fc@all.net Received: from 204.181.12.215 by localhost with POP3 (fetchmail-5.1.0) for fc@localhost (single-drop); Wed, 12 Sep 2001 04:42:10 -0700 (PDT) Received: (qmail 12422 invoked by uid 510); 12 Sep 2001 11:40:14 -0000 Received: from n31.groups.yahoo.com (216.115.96.81) by 204.181.12.215 with SMTP; 12 Sep 2001 11:40:14 -0000 X-eGroups-Return: sentto-279987-1761-1000294796-fc=all.net@returns.onelist.com Received: from [10.1.4.55] by hp.egroups.com with NNFMP; 12 Sep 2001 11:39:57 -0000 X-Sender: fc@big.all.net X-Apparently-To: iwar@onelist.com Received: (EGP: mail-7_3_2_1); 12 Sep 2001 11:39:55 -0000 Received: (qmail 36242 invoked from network); 12 Sep 2001 11:38:20 -0000 Received: from unknown (10.1.10.142) by l9.egroups.com with QMQP; 12 Sep 2001 11:38:20 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO big.all.net) (65.0.156.78) by mta3 with SMTP; 12 Sep 2001 11:32:25 -0000 Received: (from fc@localhost) by big.all.net (8.9.3/8.7.3) id DAA31212 for iwar@onelist.com; Wed, 12 Sep 2001 03:08:23 -0700 Message-Id: <200109121008.DAA31212@big.all.net> To: iwar@onelist.com (Information Warfare Mailing List) Organization: I'm not allowed to say X-Mailer: don't even ask X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.5 PL1] From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net> Mailing-List: list iwar@yahoogroups.com; contact iwar-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list iwar@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:iwar-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com> Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 03:08:22 -0700 (PDT) Reply-To: iwar@yahoogroups.com Subject: [iwar] Interesting summary information... Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Extracts from WTCP report <a href="http://www.intelcenter.com">http://www.intelcenter.com> World Trade Center (WTC) - - Southern tower of World Trade Center collapses. - - 50,000 people work in WTC. - - In the first attack, a plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan at 08:45 EST., followed by another plane into the South Tower at 9:03 EST. Both towers later collapsed. - - Crashed at around 08:45 EST into Tower 1 of the World Trade Center. - - Both north and south towers of WTC collapsed. North tower collapsed at 10:29 EST. - - Building Seven of the complex collapsed. Building housed the NYC OEM and Secret Service. - - 78 NYPD officer missing - - 200 firefighters missing presumed dead. Pentagon - - At 09:38 EST a suspected Boeing 767 crashed into the Army corridor of the Pentagon - - Outside of 5th corridor hit, Army corridor. 60ft. lateral section collapsed all five stories. - - 2nd aircraft believed to be threatening Pentagon. F-16 scrambled to intercept. - - An American Airlines Boeing 757. Hijackers - - Team of 3-5 people on each plane. Armed in at least two cases with knives. George Washington Bridge - - Two-three people arrested. Van with explosive device(s) found possibly on NJ Turnpike near NYC's George Washington Bridge. Later NYC Police Chief said no explosives were found. SIGINT Intercepts - - Intercepts reportedly caught members talking about hitting two targets and referring to al-Qaeda. State Dept. - - Reported car bombing at State Dept. Was later proved to be a false rumor. United Airlines Flight 93 - - United Airlines Flight 93 , a Boeing 757, crashed at 10:10 EST just north of the Somerset County Airport, about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Flight was from Newark, NJ to San Francisco. The flight had 38 passengers and a crew of eight. - - Witnesses said the plane hit at a 45 degree angle. - - Passenger locked in bathroom with cell phone said we are being hijacked to an emergency dispatcher. Conversation was cut-off after a loud noise. - - Mark Bingham, passenger on plane used airphone to call mother. The passenger told his mother that three hijackers were on board and have threatened that they have a bomb. - - No terrorism transponder alert code keyed in. United Airlines Flight 175 - - United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767, from Boston to Los Angeles, with 56 passengers and nine crew members on board, crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center at around 09:20 EST. - - No terrorism transponder alert code keyed in. American Airlines Flight 11 - - American Flight 11 from Boston to LA. A Boeing 767 with 81 passengers and 11 crew members hijacked and lost. - - Plane crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:48 EST. - - Barbarra Olson told her husband that the hijackers were armed with knives and box cutters. They herded all of the passengers and pilot(s) to the back of the plane. Olson called her husband by cell phone twice. Olson knew about the two crashes. - - Plane crashed into Pentagon. - - No terrorism transponder alert code keyed in. American Airlines Flight 77 - - American Flight 77 from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles. A Boeing 757 with 58 passengers and 6 crew members Hijacked and lost. - - Crashed into Pentagon. - - No terrorism transponder alert code keyed in. Keyed Microphone - - Microphone keyed open on one of the flights. Islamic Jihad - - Islamic Jihad Movement announces that it objects to the targeting of civilians in terrorist attacks. Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Japanese Red Army (JRA) THREAT & CLAIM MONITOR (TCM) ID #09-2001-0007 TCM Issue Date: 11 Sept. 2001 Group: Japanese Red Army (JRA) Source: al-Jazeera TV, Doha, 16:25 GMT, 11 Sept. 2001 An unidentified caller said in a phone call to al-Jazeera that the Japanese Red Army (JRA) claimed responsibility for the airline hijackings and crashes in New York City and Washington, DC on 11 Sept. 2001. The caller stated the attacks were in retaliation for those killed in Hiroshima during World War II. The caller was speaking Arabic with a foreign accent. Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine [DFLP] - - Deputy secretary-general of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine [DFLP] strongly denounced attacks. Alleged Warning of Attack by Osama bin Laden - - Following excerpt from Reuters: Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) warned three weeks ago that he and his followers would carry out an unprecedented attack on U.S. interests for its support of Israel, an Arab journalist with access to him said Tuesday. Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor of the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi, an Arabic-language weekly news magazine, said Islamic fundamentalists led by bin Laden were ``almost certainly'' behind the attack of the World Trade Center in New York. ``It is most likely the work of Islamic fundamentalists. Osama bin Laden warned three weeks ago that he would attack American interests in an unprecedented attack, a very big one,'' Atwan told Reuters. ``Personally, we received information that he planned very, very big attacks against American interests. We received several warnings like this. We did not take it so seriously, preferring to see what would happen before reporting it.'' Atwan has interviewed bin Laden and maintains close contacts with his followers. Afghanistan - - Missile/air strikes in Kabul Afghanistan begin around 23:00 GMT/18:00 EST. - - White House said it did not launch strike. - - Afghan opposition forces claim responsibility for strikes in Kabul. Abu Hamza al-Masri - - London-based leader of the Supporters of Sharia. - - Known associations: Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, Aden-Abyan Islamic Army al-Gama'a al-Islamiya (IG) - - On August 21, 1998, the IG issued a statement entitled "Your Crime Will Not Pass Unpunished" in response to the US strikes in Afghanistan and Sudan. The statement called on Muslims to "besiege the US Embassies in our Muslim countries and force the rulers to close them down." In addition, the statement encourages potential attackers by saying, "To those against whom war is made, permission is given to fight because they have been wronged." - - The last major attack by the IG was the November 1997 shooting in Luxor, Egypt. Since then the group has undergone considerable factionalization and conflicting statements about its intentions have been issued. While recent declarations of ceasefire by certain leadership elements have been issued, it is doubtful that these apply to all factions. Another factor involved in the lack of activity within Egypt may also be the groups shift in focus. Much as the Egyptian Islamic Jihad has, the IG has also begun to concentrate more of its activities outside of Egypt and work more closely with the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and other groups in the International Islamic =46ront network. - - The IG has vowed to implement a fatwa issued during the beginning of Oct. by Abd-al-Rahman, currently serving a life sentence in a US prison, urging Muslims to "kill Jews wherever they are found." The IG issued a statement on 9 Oct. asserting that jihad to liberate Palestine is a "religious duty by the consensus of Muslims. Any Muslim who can do this duty and fails to do it is a sinner who deserves God's wrath." The statement addressed the Muslims: "Today, you are standing at a dangerous crossroads. You should rise to the level of the grave event that threatens your holy places and destroys your existence. Otherwise, do not expect anything from politicians except more sweet words, embellished promises, and other rounds of the policies of deception." The statement said: "The Islamic nation is free of all the agreements and treaties concluded with the Jews," noting that the Jews themselves "realize that these agreements were concluded behind the back of the Islamic nation and without its approval." The statement stressed that the jihad option "is the only option." It said: "The angry uprising of the masses of the nation is a real and sincere expression of their attitude. The existing regimes have no choice but to respond to the masses. This is the choice they have between the nation's choice of jihad and the smart talk of politicians, who claim that these flagrant violations are the tax of peace. We never had peace with the Jews. They imposed their goals by force and by pursuing a policy of fait accompli to consolidate the occupation." The statement pledged to "support fully the Islamic resistance in all its factions inside Palestine to ensure its continued struggle." al-Muhajiroun - - UK Leader is Anjem Choudary. - - IIF issues threat. - On August 22, 1998, the International Islamic =46ront (IIF) issued threats for revenge against the US and Israel. The threats were sent via faxes from Peshawar, Pakistan, to the London base of the fundamentalist group al-Muhajiroun (reported mouthpiece of the IIF). It said the IIF was mobilizing against the US and Israel to: bring down their aircraft; prevent the safe passage of their ships; orchestrate occupation of their embassies; force closure of American and Israeli companies and banks. The group warned that the actions would be "pitiless and violent." On August 24, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, who describes himself as the British spokesman of the IIF, said in response to the possibility of attacks in Britain and Europe, "I would take the threat very seriously. I would expect that Muslims in Europe will take action." - - Has a major branch in Pakistan' - - Group has endorsed the actions of Osama bin Laden. - - Group hosted a conference in 1998 in which Hamas, Hezbollah, and Egyptian and Algerian fundamentalist groups took part. - - Has stated that the US, Israel, Russia, and Britain have declared war on Islam. - - Was scheduled to hold a conference on Sept. 19, 1999 in London. The theme of the conference was to be unifying the fundamentalist movement. (Whether or not the conference actually took place has not been confirmed yet.) - - The British Charity Commission reportedly withdrew al-Muhajiroun's charity license around Nov. 1999. The licenses for the Sharia Court of the UK and the London School of Sharia were also revoked. All three organizations are supervised by Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed. Commenting on the loss of the licenses Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed said, "that the withdrawal of the Sharia Court's license is part of the attempt to tighten the noose on Islamists in Britain." He added that "in the past, we used to work within the legal limits, but it seems that from now on we have no other option but to work outside the allowed limits." Ayman al-Zawahirri - Prior to the US strikes on August 20, 1998, on the same day, Ayman al-Zawahiri contacted The News, a Pakistani English-language daily, and said on behalf of bin Laden, "bin Laden calls on Moslem Ummah (community) to continue Jihad (holy war) against Jews and Americans to liberate their holy places. In the meanwhile, he denies any involvement in the Nairobi and Dar es Salaam bombings." Al-Zawahiri is the head of the military wing of the International Islamic Front and of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. - - A.K.A. - Abu Muhammad, Abu Fatima, Muhammad Ibrahim, Abu Abdallah, Abu al-Mu'iz, The Doctor, The Teacher - - DoB June 19, 1951 in Egypt - - Hair: Brown/Black; Eyes: Dark - - Speaks Arabic and French - - He is a physician and in addition to his advisory roles to Osama bin Laden. He is also believed to serve as his doctor. - - Shortly after the USS Cole attack, he issued a call for jihad, urging Muslims worldwide to attack US and Israeli targets to avenge the deaths of Palestinians killed in the past two weeks of clashes with Israel. He reportedly faxed his call to the Islamabad bureau of the Abu Dhabi channel of United Arab Emirates Television, according to its bureau chief Jamal Ismael. - - According to al-Sharq al-Awsat, "The official records of the Egyptian authorities indicate that Ayman Muhammad Rabi' al-Zawahiri, known as Ayman al-Zawahiri, was born in Cairo on 19 June 1951. He joined the National School in Misr al-Jadidah and was transferred to the National School in al-Ma'adi where he spent the primary and middle stages and obtained his secondary certificate from al-Ma'adi School in 1968. He enrolled at the faculty of medicine at Cairo University and graduated from it in 1974. Al-Zawahiri lived at the family house No. 10 on Street 154 in the al-Ma'adi District south of Cairo. This district is known in Egypt as the district of the rich. The house is a two-level villa currently occupied by his mother Mrs. Umaymah 'Abd-al-Wahhab and his niece. His two sisters Hibah and Aminah are married and his two brothers Muhammad and Husayn live outside Egypt, the former is currently in Afghanistan. Al-Zawahiri has a private clinic that still has a plate bearing his name at Street 77 in al-Ma'adi District south of Cairo." - - Became leader of the Jihad organization in 1991. - - According to al-Sharq al-Awsat interview with Zawahiri's lawyer, Muntasir al-Zayat, "=8Awho knew him for many years, namely his lawyer Muntasir al-Zayyat. Al-Zayyat said: One needs to talk in detail and explain about Dr. Ayman whether with regard to him or to his early beginnings in the mid 1960s and his association with figures who contributed to the establishment of the Jihad movement. I regard it more of a movement than an organization and more accurately a case of thought. In those days there were Yahya Hashim and Isma'il Tantawi and at that time Ayman al-Zawahiri was in his early beginnings and there was 'Isam al-Qamari and others. This was the group in the beginning and it started to establish the roots for the Jihad thinking based on the writings of Sayyid Qutub and Salim al-Rahhal and afterward Kamal al-Sa'id Habib and Muhammad 'Abd-al-Salam Faraj. All of these were different schools of thought and together they formed the Jihad Movement, which is a movement of thought based on extremism with regard to religion and embraces the principle that ignorance should not [providing missing word "not"] be excused. It differs from the school of the Islamic Group that used to excuse ignorance. [Abu-Stayt] When did his association with the fundamentalist groups begin? [Al-Zayyat] In fact, he was influenced by some of his friends and I believe that in the beginning it was perhaps with Yahya Hashim. Yahya Hashim was a former public prosecutor who left his job and joined the ranks of the Jihad early on and was killed in clashes with the police in the early 1970s. He caused a transformation in the thinking and course of al-Zawahiri. Al-Zawahiri was deeply influenced by him. After that, al-Zawahiri adopted the coup method instead of the popular revolution method that was embraced by the Islamic Group at that time. Al-Zawahiri was also a professional in underground work and even when he allied himself with the group of 'Abd-al-Salam =46araj, the southern organization of the Islamic Group, he was carrying out underground activities at that time. He based his thoughts on pouncing on the regime either by recruiting elements within the army and carrying out a coup or exploiting and seizing any situation of a popular rebellion to achieve the coup. [Abu-Stayt] How was he arrested? [Al-Zayyat] The person who exposed Ayman al-Zawahiri in 1981 was a young man at the time called Mustafa 'Awad, who was arrested with a bag in his possession in which some belongings of Ayman al-Zawahiri were found. Al-Zawahiri admitted this and it was confirmed by the testimony of his colleague in prison and by his lawyer. - - Comments made by Ayman al-Zawahiri to Egyptian prosecutors according to the al Sharq al-Awsat, " We now return to the statements of al-Zawahiri before the prosecution in which he discussed in detail the names of a number of those whom he succeeded in enlisting in the organization that he later established. Al-Zawahiri said: Before I was arrested, our organization was made up of myself as amir along with Muhammad 'Abd-al-Rahim, Sayyid Imam, Amin al-Dumayri, Nabil al-Bar'i, Khalid Midhat al-Faqiyy, Khalid 'Abd-al-Sami', Mustafa Kamil Mustafa, 'Abd-al-Hadi al-Tunisi, and my brother Muhammad. The three others are in an Arab country and the security authorities did not know anything about us. Al-Zawahiri said: The first meeting between me and 'Abbud al-Zumar was at 10 o'clock in the evening on 6 October 1981, that is about eight hours after the assassination of al-Sadat. I went to the apartment in the al-Haram district in which he was hiding and I had Amin al-Dumayri and Sayyid Imam with me. We went in a car and Sayyid Imam and I stayed in the car while al-Dumayri went up to the apartment and brought down al-Zumar. I had a discussion with him over two issues. First, satisfaction with what was achieved in the assassination incident and not turning the matter into a confrontation with the government. Second, the issue of his knowledge of 'Isam al-Din al-Qamri and whether there was someone called Jamal Rashid among those who carried out the assassination. Al-Zumar replied by saying that he did not know al-Qamri or Rashid. He also affirmed that the ones who carried out the assassination were persons under his immediate command. I met with 'Abbud al-Zumar three times after that, once a day or two days after the first meeting. I had with me Amin al-Dumayri and 'Isam al-Qamri and we met in a car outside the apartment in which he was hiding. Al-Qamri asked him if there was a plan to attack those who were present at the funeral of al-Sadat as he had heard something about it. Al-Zumar replied by saying that he was thinking about this matter. The second meeting was on 11 October inside his apartment and I had with me Amin al-Dumayri. We talked about the Asyut operation and what happened during it and I recall that I said to him that there were more losses than benefits from the attack on the security directorate in Asyut. We agreed with 'Abbud to meet the following day and he asked me to bring 'Isam al-Qamri along because 'Abbud asked al-Qamri to bring 10 hand grenades and two pistols. The following day al-Qamri brought the grenades and we went to see 'Abbud at his apartment. During the meeting, he gave both Amin al-Dumayri and 'Isam al-Qamri some explosives and a fuse and several detonators. He also gave al-Qamri two small boxes of ammunition of 6,7, and 9-mm caliber and explained to 'Abbud the idea of the hand grenades that he manufactured and how they were used. - - Comments by people who knew Zawahiri according to the al-Sharq al-Awsat, "Kamal Habib, who was imprisoned for 10 years in connection with the same case, spoke about that period. Habib said: I came to know Ayman in early 1981 and I had not met him in person prior to that time. This is because I was with the group of Salim al-Rahhal who used to go around with closed Jihad groups. At some point I came to know 'Isam al-Qamri, who was in the army with the rank of major and Ayman was in his group, which was also a closed group and had a history of secrecy and stern organizational work. It included Isma'il al-Tantawi, Muhammad 'Abd-al-Rahim al-Sharqawi, and Nabil al-Bar'ati and this group started nearly in the late 1960s. Habib added: This group started to receive the fundamentalist ideas within the framework Faqiyy, who taught the members of the group. This group remained closed and discussed affairs of the religion which was its pivot. When the military youth group emerged, the al-Qamri group did not join it due to differences and reservations over the secrecy of the group. The October War broke out in 1973, the brother of 'Alawi was martyred in it and the question was asked as to whether this martyrdom was true. The group used to adopt the view of the military coup since it is the more legitimate and less bloody than popular revolutions. Moreover, 'Isam al-Qamri had joined the war college and actually believed in this jihad thought. Kamal Habib also talked about the behavior of Ayman al-Zawahiri in prison. Habib said: While in prison, I used to meet him in court during the trial sessions. He is a very calm person and polite and has more of a strategic thought than being an intellectual or the owner of jurisprudence interpretations or even a student in search of knowledge." "Muntasir al-Zayyat was imprisoned as a member of the Jihad Organization that is led by al-Zawahiri. Al-Zayyat said: I met him for the first time in the Liman Turrah [names as transliterated] prison after we were both accused in Case No. 81/42 following the assassination of al-Sadat. We spent three years together in prison and his most significant characteristic was his calmness and composure. At the same time however, he was firm and adopted a firm position on the religious authority of Dr. 'Umar 'Abd-al-Rahman and he has his own opinion about this issue. He often spoke to Dr. 'Abd-al-Rahman, who relinquished his religious authority in order to prevent bloodshed and to unify the ranks. Al-Zayyat added: We knew that he was a skilled doctor and surgeon and after he was released from prison in 1984 he lived a normal life and continued to work at his clinic in al-Ma'adi. However, we felt that he was determined to leave Egypt and learned that he had set out to study the mistakes of the past and draw up visions for the future. The trial of al-Zawahiri in connection with the aforementioned case ended and he was sentenced to three years in prison, which he served and was released at the end of it. He returned to live a normal life and opened a clinic on Street 77 in the al-Ma'adi District near the house of his family and where he lived with his wife whom he married in 1979. He continued to live there until he left Egypt in 1985. He went to the Pakistani City of Peshawar initially to work as a doctor treating the wounded mujahidin, who were later known as the Arab Afghans. A new chapter began when al-Zawahiri inaugurated a special center for the Jihad Organization in Peshawar called the Islamic Jihad Bureau and that as in 1987. Afterward, he published a monthly magazine called 'al-Fath' [conquest] and came to know Usamah Bin-Ladin and his men. 'Abdallah 'Azzam played a part in convincing them of the person of al-Zawahiri and his organizational method and vision of employing the Afghan jihad arena in the training of Arab members preparatory to re-exporting the back to their own countries once again. Meanwhile, the Peshawar, on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, had turned into the biggest duty free market for manufacturing and exporting violence. Al-Zawahiri by that time had entrenched his relationship with Bin-Ladin who introduced him to the Afghan leaders such as Hikmatyar and more recently the Taleban Movement as one of the leaders of the Egyptian mujahidin, who continued to flood into the Afghan arena. Bin-Ladin also introduced al-Zawahiri as someone with a superior strategic thought and he was allowed to establish a guesthouse called Bayt al-Qa'idah [base house] for the Arab arrivals. There, he started to receive hundreds of young men who came from the Arab countries. In the mean time, the Palestinian 'Abdallah 'Azzam was killed along with two of his sons in an assassination operation that continues to be shrouded in mystery. There are speculations about this operation and some went as far as accusing Usamah Bin-Ladin of being responsible for this massacre. In order to justify this claim, it has been said that Bin-Ladin did that so that 'Azzam, who was then called the amir of the mujahidin, would not rival him. 'Azzam played a major role in entrenching the presence of al-Zawahiri and he provided him with moral and material support and facilities by the Afghan leaders. Before al-Zawahiri became established in Peshawar, he practiced a simple role as a doctor treating the mujahidin who were fighting battles inside the Afghan territories around the cities of Jalalabad and Khost and Jaji [name as transliterated]. However, the relationship between al-Zawahiri and Bin-Ladin was tantamount to a turning point in the lives of the two together and perhaps also the third man 'Azzam. The thing that happened is that Usamah Bin-Ladin was the one who partnered al-Zawahiri in the establishment of the so-called World Front for the Liberation of the Holy Places. Al-Zawahiri was assisted in the shura council of the front at that time by a group of leaders from the Jihad Organization. They were 'Adil 'Abd-al-Quddus, 'Abdallah Muhammad Rajab, Ahmad Salamah Mabruk, Murjan Mustafa Salim, Tharwat Salah Shihatah, Nasr Fahmi Nasr, and his brother Muhammad Rabi' al-Zawahiri and others, several of whom were either arrested or later handed over to the Egyptian government by international security apparatuses. The relationship between al-Zawahiri and Usamah Bin-Ladin become so entrenched to the point that by then they had a common destiny." - - Zawahiri and the creation of the Vanguards of Conquest according to al-Sharq al-Awsat, "We now return to the end of the Afghan war. We start with the return of those who are known as the Arab Afghans to their country. The Egyptian security apparatuses arrested more than 800 person who were accused at the time of establishing a religious organization called the Islamic Conquest Vanguards [Tala'i' al-Fath al-Islami]. The story of this organization is told by Salah Sulayman, the first defendant in the case of the assassination attempt against 'Atif Sidqi to the Egyptian prosecutor. Sulayman said: The story of those called the Arab Afghans started when al-Zawahiri met with a young Egyptian man called 'Adli Yusuf, alias Suhayb al-Masri, and who was barely 20 years old and who arrived in Peshawar from one of the villages of the Bani Mazar Center in al-Minya. He joined the Afghan mujahidin and later became a liaison officer between the Afghan leaders and the Arabs who came to Peshawar. He then worked as a trainer and instructed thousands of fundamentalist elements on the arts of using weapons and handling explosives and the rules of military topography and street battles. He returned to Egypt in 1985, at the instruction of al-Zawahiri and funded by Bin-Ladin, to call the young men of rural Egypt at the Universities of al-Minya and Asyut to travel to Afghanistan and carry out the jihad there. Many responded to him, foremost of whom was Tal'at Fu'ad Qasim. He was 34 years old at the time and an engineering graduate from the University of al-Minya. He was included in the list of charges in the major jihad case in 1981 and his name was 11th on that list ahead of al-Zawahiri. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but managed to escape to Sudan in 1988 and from there he went to Sanaa and then Karachi via Dubayy and finally ended up in Peshawar. There, he rivaled his adversary al-Zawahiri on the confidence of Bin-Ladin and within a few months managed to establish a guesthouse that he named Bayt al-Ansar [house of partisans] and that was better than that of al-Zawahiri. Thus, he found himself pitted in a clear rivalry with the Zawahiri group and this rivalry later on turned into a silent conflict that gradually started to surface with the arrival of more newcomers from Egypt and the Arab countries most of whom joined Tal'at Fu'ad Qasim, alias Abu-Talal al-Qawasimi. They included Muhammad Shawqi al-Islambuli whose reputation had arrived ahead of him as the brother of Khalid al-Islambuli, the killer of al-Sadat. They also included Mustafa Hamzah and Tal'at Yasin Hammam and others who joined Bayt al-Ansar which was run by the Egyptian Islamic Group." - - More details on al-Zawahiri from al-Shaq al-Awsat profile, "Al-Zayyat recalls the story of the journey of al-Zawahiri from Egypt. Al-Zayyat said: He left Egypt toward the end of 1985. We had filed a lawsuit for him and Amin al-Dumayri with the state council and they won a stay of execution against the decision of the minister of interior banning their travel. At the time, Ayman al-Zawahiri left and I was with him one day before he left and he told me that he was going to Jeddah because he had signed a contract as a doctor with the Ibn al-Nafis clinic in Jeddah. I met him in Jeddah between 1985-1986 and toward the end of 1986 he went directly to Afghanistan from Jeddah. He went to Peshawar and worked as a doctor in the medical relief caravans and there he came to know Usamah Bin-Ladin and 'Abdallah 'Azzam and began to reorganize his ranks and papers and he opened the first camp there for the Egyptian jihad groups. Ayman al-Zawahiri also helped the Islamic Group to have their own camp there and he started to teach Bin-Ladin the jihad thought until he adopted the jihad thought and jurisprudence and personally participated in the jihad operations. Al-Zawahiri also surrounded Bin-Ladin with a number of clergymen who later became his closest aides and advisers and subsequently Ayman al-Zawahiri became the dominant force. For he surrounded Bin-Ladin with Abi 'Ubaydah al-Banshiri, who drowned off one of the African coasts two years ago, and Abu-Hafas al-Masri, alias Abu-Sunnah, who is wanted by the United States as the right hand man of Bin-Ladin. I would say that in this way and through this network of aides and Sa'id Salamah, who is in charge of Bin-Ladin's projects in Sudan, and they were all members of the Jihad Organization, al-Zawahiri completely mentally and financially controlled Bin-Ladin. Thus, the largest share of the support that Bin-Ladin was giving went to al-Zawahiri and the Jihad Organization while he only supported the Islamic Group with tiny morsels. Thus, his relationship with al-Zawahiri became without limits while his relationship with the Islamic Group became marred by some degree of reservation. In order for the picture to be complete we move once again from the information by the lawyer of al-Zawahiri to the confessions of Salah Sulayman, the first defendant in the case of the assassination attempt against 'Atif Sidqi. Sulayman was responsible for operating the electronic circuit of the remote control equipment to detonate the explosive charge, which was placed inside the Opel car and which was used to intercept the motorcade of the former Egyptian prime minister. He affirmed that his Conquest Vanguards group was called the Vanguard of the Soldiers of God, which was led by Nazih Nushi Rashid, who was killed when he blew himself up in a suicide operation against former Interior Minister Hasan al-Alfi. Sulayman added that this group had received intensive training inside the Afghan territories on the use of combat arms such as tanks, anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, and on planting and removing mines. Then they moved to Sanaa and established a number of camps near the mountainous regions such as the Badr, al-Qadisiyah, and al-Maraqishah camps. There, they received other kinds of training represented by the technical aspects of guerilla warfare such as the use of light defensive and offensive weapons such as Kalashnikov rifles and fast-firing pistols and handling explosives and timing and remote control devices. The identity and names of the persons who were in charge of training were shrouded with mystery. For according to the confessions and the story of the defendant, he affirmed that they did not their real names but every one of them had a nom de guerre. Thus, the number of groups that al-Zawahiri pushed into Egypt increased and there were repeated arrests to the point that their numbers exceeded 1,000. This forced the authorities to divide them up into four groups and they were all put on trial before the military courts in separate cases and death sentences were passed against some and prison sentences were passed against others. This led to the eruption of deep differences within the organization. These coincided with differences between al-Zawahiri and Sayyaid Imam al-Sharif, alias Dr. Fadl, the interlocutor of the organization who was shrouded with mystery. Al-Sharif accused al-Zawahiri of stealing his publications and attributing them to himself after they had agreed together to publish in the name of the 'Jihad Group in Egypt'. Then there was the dispute between al-Zawahiri and his deputy Muhammad Makkawi, who was known as the colonel because he was in the army before joining the organization and traveling to Afghanistan. Lawyer Muntasir al-Zayyat talked about these differences. Al-Zayyat said: I am the lawyer of both men and I do not have any details about the cause of the disagreement. However, I asked a number of members from the Jihad Organization, who were arrested and accused in cases of violence and who had met the two men in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I asked them about the reasons for the disagreement between the men after Arab newspapers and magazines had published interviews with Makkawi who leveled strong accusations against al-Zawahiri. They were all unanimously agreed that the relationship between the two men only started in Peshawar. Makkawi had gone there after being acquitted in Case No. 401 in 1987. He left Egypt and started to search for a role among the Jihad leaders. However, he was surprised to find that rising up in the leadership within the Jihad Organization required certain criteria that did not apply to him. Moreover, al-Zawahiri was in control of things inside the organization and subsequently he, along with five others, announced a split from the Jihad Organization. [Abu-Stayt] But Makkawi announced on several occasions that he was the commander of the Conquest Vanguards Organization? [Al-Zayyat] The investigations in the different Conquest Vanguards cases revealed that the defendants were members of the Jihad Organization led by al-Zawahiri. Makkawi had many times claimed responsibility for operations that were carried out inside Egypt but when the culprits were arrested they would start shouting the name of al-Zawahiri from inside the docks. In fact, some of them would say that they did not know a person called Muhammad Makkawi." - - Information on Zawahiri colleagues from al-Sharq al-Awsat, "There is his brother Muhammad al-Zawahiri. According to US intelligence services information, he is responsible for Jihad's military wing and member of its Shura Council. He was in charge of contacts with the Organization's leaders inside Egypt and moved with his brother Ayman. Muhammad al-Zawahiri is also in charge of the plans for the operations that the Organization delegates to its military wing to carry out. There is also fugitive Tharwat Salah Shihatah who was sentenced to death in the 'Atif Sidqi case in 1993. He is a member of the Shura Council too and took over charge of the Organization's civilian committee after the extradition of Ahmad Mabruk to Egypt. The same sources confirm that Shihatah accompanies al-Zawahiri like his shadow and that he has moved between several countries, such as Yemen, Sudan, Azerbaijan, and Dagestan. The most mysterious person among al-Zawahiri's men is Subhi Muhammad Abu-Sinnah, alias Abu-Hafs al-Masri. He is regarded as one of al-'Qa'idah Organization's leaders. The US authorities want him and have put up a $5 million reward for any information that will lead to his arrest. He is very close to Usamah Bin-Ladin and took charge of al-Qa'idah following the death of Abu-'Ubaydah al-Banshiri who was killed in mysterious circumstances while in the Great Lakes area in west Africa. Then comes 'Abd-al-'Aziz Musa al-Jamal. He is the current field commander of al-Qa'idah's training camps in Afghanistan. He picked three members to train on flying gliders in preparation for an operation to rescue the detainees from the Turrah Prison in Cairo. 'Ali Abu al-Sa'ud, Abu-'Umar, is a former lieutenant colonel in the Egyptian Armed Forces. He was discharged in 1984 and then went to the United States where he enlisted in the US Army. He returned to Egypt in 1995 and then fled back to the United States with a forged passport. He is regarded as one of the most important and most mysterious leaders of the Jihad Organization because of his role, the tasks he was entrusted with, and his connections with US organs. Available information about him says that he is in charge of the Organization's base in the United States and had in the past trained some of Jihad's members in Afghanistan's camps. He is one of the nine defendants sentenced to death in the Returnees from Albania case. We cannot look at al-Zawahiri's men without mentioning 'Ali Amin al-Rashidi, alias Abu-'Ubaydah al-Banshiri. His security file in Egypt includes information that indicates that he was a police officer who was dismissed after the assassination of former President Anwar al-Sadat in October 1991 because his brother in law 'Abd-al-Hamid 'Abd-al-Salam was involved in it, together with Officer Khalid al-Islambuli and others. He left Egypt in 1983 and became the military commander of the camps for training al-Qa'idah's fundamentalist members. Al-Banshiri also took charge of forming armed fundamentalist groups in Africa and trained them on the use of weapons and explosives. He was as well the liaison officer between these groups, Bin-Ladin, and al-Zawahiri until he became involved later on in the US embassies' explosions in Kenya and Tanzania. There is also 'Adil al-Sayyid 'Abd-al-Quddus. Egypt's security services say that he is in charge of the Jihad base in Austria and a fugitive from two death sentences. One of them was issued in the 1993 'Atif Sidqi case and the other was issued last April in the case of the revival of the Organization. He is in charge of the group's families committee and a Shura Council member. He has submitted a request for political asylum to the Austrian authorities. Here we must point to one of al-Zawahiri's most prominent aides who later turned against him and became his most ferocious enemy. It is Ahmad Husayn 'Ajizah. Information reported by the security services and confirmed by confessions made by persons close to him indicate that the dispute between 'Ajizah and al-Zawahiri began when the first asked for his authorities to be increased. But his request was turned down because more than 1,000 Jihad members in the Vanguards of Conquest case were arrested in 1993 and 1994. According to statements made by al-Zawahiri later, the arrests were the result of 'Ajizah's bad planning. The noticeably reserved comments by Muntasir al-Zayyat, the fundamentalists' lawyer in Egypt, only deepen the mystery of the nature and causes of this dispute between al-Zawahiri and 'Ajiazah. He said: There are things I talk about as an eyewitness and in which I can personally evaluate through my knowledge some the aides around Ayman al-Zawahiri, some of whom are my friends. Some of them worked for me. My love for them is one thing but my evaluation of their competence is something else. I was not however intimate with the relationship between al-Zawahiri and Ahmad Husayn and therefore I cannot evaluate it objectively because my evaluation will be based on the cases that I was involved in. This is not enough to judge their relationship, particularly as my relations with Ahmad Husayn 'Ajizah was not deep. We stay with al-Zawahiri's men to reach 'Isam Shu'ayb Muhammad who is described by security sources as the Jihad member responsible for receiving and housing the Organization's members in Jordan and Yemen. He also took part in the raids they carried out during their stay in Yemen to provide the necessary funds for the Organization's activities and weapons, as the same sources confirm. Usamah Siddiq Ayyub, a fugitive from two life sentences and 15 years hard labor, left Egypt for Afghanistan in 1989. He moved between Sudan, Yemen, and Jordan to receive the Organization's members and house them. He finally settled in Germany in March 1996 where he sought political asylum. There finally remains one of the most prominent figures who was very close to Ayman al-Zawahiri and then clashed with him, thus revealing much about what was happening inside the Organization and which no one knew before then, including international and Arab intelligence services. We are talking about Sayyid Imam al-Sharif, alias Dr. Fadl. His role as the Jihad's leading ideologue was known before his differences with al-Zawahiri escalated. It became clear that Fadl represented the group's jurisprudence authority and was the Jihad leader until 1991. He resigned from the leadership in favor of al-Zawahiri following a rift in the ranks and limited himself to the issuance of shari'ah research papers, publications, and leaflets. His most notable book is the "Mainstay of Preparation" [Al-'Umdah fi I'dad al-'Uddah]. Its publication in Afghanistan and Pakistan caused a great uproar among the fundamentalist organizations in general and the Egyptian ones in particular. The only other book to rival it in causing uproar was the "Bitter Harvest" in which he accused al-Zawahiri of falsely putting his name as the author of the [first] book. It is recalled that the second book contained caustic and bitter criticism of the Muslim Brotherhood and its political and organizational experience. The vicious differences between Dr. Fadl and al-Zawahiri ended only after the intervention of Bin-Ladin and the Taleban Movement that asked him to be charge of one of its higher religious schools. - - Ayman al-Zawahiri made an appearance on al-Jazeera in Sept. (date??). Among the comments he made was that he would do all he can to free Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman from his prison in the US. While many in the US have forgotten that the US is even holding Sheikh Rahman, this is something that continues to come up in different messages and threats issued by Muslim extremist groups, including comments by Osama bin Laden and Rifa'i Ahmad Taha. Comments by bin Laden and Taha regarding the release of Rahman have even been recorded on CD and are being distributed. Egyptian Islamic Jihad - - Lead by Ayman al-Zawahiri (although there are numerous reports that he has resigned from his leadership role), who is also the head of the military council for Osama bin Laden's International Islamic =46ront (IIF) - - On April 1, 1999, Egyptian Islamic Jihad issued a statement saying, "We declare to the entire world our rejection of any truce with the (Egyptian) regime. Our battle is essentially with the US and Israel=8A Any truce with the regime of Hosni Mubarak will constitute a truce with the US and Israel." The group said the statement was issued to mark the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty in March 1979. - - The Egyptian Islamic Jihad is one of the primary groups involved in Osama bin Laden's terror network. The group's leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, lives in Afghanistan with bin Laden and controls the military wing of the International Islamic Front. The group has experience in carrying out car bombings, assassinations, and terrorist attacks against official targets. It has shifted its attention outside of Egypt and begun to work more closely with the al-Gama'a al-Islamiya (IG) at Osama bin Laden's apparent urging. International Islamic Front (IIF)/al-Qaeda - - The International Islamic Front (a.k.a. World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders or al-Qaeda) is an alliance of terrorist groups from around the world. It was formed in February 1998 after months of discussion and planning between its members. The group's Consultative Council is headed by Osama bin Laden. The group's military wing is headed by Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is also the head of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Speculation has arisen that the Liberation Army of the Islamic Sanctuaries, which claimed responsibility for the August 7 bombings in East Africa, is actually the military wing of the International Islamic Front. Among the groups falling under the organization's umbrella are the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, IG, Association of Pakistani Religious Scholars, al-Ansar Movement (Kashmir), Jihad Movement (Bangladesh), and an amorphous group known as the Afghan military wing. Al-Zawahiri reportedly played a key role in the formation of the coalition. The Egyptian veterans of the Afghan war form the leadership of the group. Osama bin Laden who lives in Afghanistan, as does al-Zawahiri, heads the Consultative Council because of his financial resources and connections. Bin Laden has a long history of involvement in terrorist attacks targeting the US. He claimed responsibility for the December 1992 attempted bombing of US soldiers in Yemen and publicly stated that his forces fought against US soldiers during OPERATION RESTORE HOPE in Somalia in 1993. Four of his followers confessed to the 1995 bombing of a Saudi National Guard building in Riyadh, which killed five US soldiers and two Indians. He is suspected of financing the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the 1995 al-Khobar Towers bombing. Bin Laden's force is believed to number around 3,000 fighters. Many of whom fought in Somalia, Eritrea, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Tajikistan, and Yemen. Al-Zawahiri heads the military wing because of his experience in carrying out terrorist attacks. In 1993, in separate incidents, al-Zawahiri's group, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, used car bombs to attempt to assassinate the then Egyptian Prime Minister Atef Sikdi and then Interior Minister Hassan al-Alfi. In 1995, Egyptian Islamic Jihad blew up the Egyptian Embassy in Pakistan, killing 15 and injuring 60. The group claimed responsibility for the bombing saying it was in retaliation for Pakistan's extradition of its members to Cairo. The International Islamic Front is part of the new face of terrorism where overarching sponsors, like Bin Laden, provide the financial support and previously unconnected groups, such as those under the influence of Al-Zawahiri, share support and infrastructure. The end result is a well-funded organization with both expertise and a global reach. Previously, nation-states filled the role of international terrorism sponsor. This new type of organizational structure poses many new problems for investigators and countries that want to respond to attacks on their nationals. For investigators, the trail has become infinitely more intricate. Bombings such as those in East Africa and at al-Khobar towers do not follow a clear trail of responsibility. A disciplined cell structure and the involvement of various players from a host of nations and groups makes the task of finding the culprits complex and difficult. In terms of how to respond, the lack of a nation-state player inextricably complicates the ability of a country to strike back. Quite frankly, there is no single target that a retaliating nation can identify as either emblematic or responsible for the terrorist act. Liberation Army of Islamic Sanctuaries - - Mohammad Salah, the reporter in Cairo for the al-Hayat who took the call claiming responsibility for the East Africa bombings by a group called the Liberation Army of the Islamic Sanctuaries said that he suspects that the group may be the name of the armed wing of the International Islamic Front. Though the connection has yet to be confirmed it is an idea that is very plausible. Muhammed Atef - - Believed to be second-in-command of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda organizatio= n. - - A.K.A. - Abu Hafs, Abu Hafs El-Masry El-Khabir, Taysir, Sheikh Taysir Abdullah, Abu Khadijah - - Born in Egypt - - Height: 6'4" to 6'6"; Weight: Thin; Hair: Dark Brown/Black; Eyes: Dark; Citizenship: Egyptian - - Speaks Arabic Sheikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi - - The following translation is by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI): Leading Egyptian Cleric Calls for Jihad In an interview, Sheikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, the Sheikh of Al-Azhar the highest ranking religious official in Egypt and a presidential appointee - called for Jihad against Israel "in defense of the holy places, the liberation of the land, and the repulsion of the enemy." He stated that combating the oppression is incumbent upon the entire Islamic nation [Ummah] and not an obligation of the Palestinians alone. Sheikh Tantawi also declared that Islam requires that the leaders and people of the Arab and Islamic states support the Jihad of the Palestinian people. (1) Jihad is Mandatory QUESTION: "The unjust Israeli attacks on our brothers in Palestine have led many clerics [Ulama] to demand the revival of the spirit of Jihad in the souls of the youth of the [Islamic] nation, in order to confront the enemy and liberate the pillaged land. How do you view this call now? Do we need to declare a Jihad against Israel?" ANSWER: "Jihad in the path of Allah is a virtue that binds Muslims at all times, and it is an obligation on everyone who is able to carry it out, and tens of Qur'anic verses narrate the virtue of Jihad in the path of Allah, as well as tens of prophetic Hadiths [traditions]. =85Jihad to confront the enemy and liberate the pillaged land is an obligation on Muslims in every time and place. Jihad in Islam was not legislated in order to fight faithful people, or to take away their money, violate their [women=92s] honor, occupy their land, curtail their freedoms, or negate their dignity. Rather, the Jihad was legislated to repel the aggressor enemy, support the oppressed, exalt the word of the Allah, and to fight the vile. This is what our brothers are now doing in occupied Palestine. Their Jihad against the enemy, against oppression, and against the Israeli tyranny is a legitimate and noble Jihad. It is obligatory for the entire [Islamic] nation=85 to support them in their Jihad. It is sufficient=85 that they are wage Jihad in the name of the entire [Islamic] nation and advancing their spirits in sacrifice to the religion of Allah and in defense of the blessed Al-Aqsa mosque. =85The entire [Islamic] nation=85 supports them=85 in the defense of their holy places and asserts their legitimate rights to [wage] Jihad to stop the enemy and the oppression which they have endured Allah afflicted them with, and since the entire Ummah was afflicted by, what is called 'Israel.'" On Fighting the Jews QUESTION: "Does this mean that fighting the Jews is a duty, so that the land can be liberated and Israel restrained from its tyranny and enmity?" ANSWER: "Allah the Almighty says in His book, 'Fight in the path of Allah those who fight you and do not transgress, for Allah does not love transgressors.' =85Fighting in Israel is an obligation=85 in support of the oppressed, and it is=85 fighting in order to repel the aggressors. As long as the Jews are aggressors and pillage our rights and spill our blood, it is our duty to fight them. If they stop fighting, recognize our rights, and return the pillaged land to us, then it is our duty to treat them well and adhere to our [good] treatment of them=85" "Peace is rejected" Q: "Several days ago during the Al-Quds rally, you raised the slogan, "What was taken by force can only be returned by force." Does this mean that you have lost hope in the peace negotiations with Israel and that you support the choice of force?" A: "Israel is the one that is forcing us to choose force, because it does not want a just and comprehensive peace with us=85" Endnotes: (1) Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 10, 2000. The initial interview was in the United Arab Emirates paper Al-Khaleej. Osama bin Laden - Bin Laden has a long history of involvement in terrorist attacks targeting the US. He claimed responsibility for the December 1992 attempted bombing of US soldiers in Yemen and publicly stated that his forces fought against US soldiers during OPERATION RESTORE HOPE in Somalia in 1993. He is believed to have supplied the weapons, which shot down US helicopters. Four of his followers confessed to the 1995 bombing of a Saudi National Guard building in Riyadh, which killed five US soldiers and two Indians. He is suspected of financing the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the 1995 al-Khobar Towers bombing. - - A.K.As - Usama Bin Muhammad Bin Ladin, Shaykh Usama Bin Ladin, the Prince, the Emir, Abu Abdallah, Mujahid, Shaykh, Hajj, the Director - - Walks with a cane. - - DoB - 1957 in Saudi Arabia; Hair: Brown; Eyes: Brown; Height: 6' 4" to 6' 6"; Complexion: Olive; Weight: Approximately 160 pounds; Build: Thin - - Bin Laden's force is believed to number around 3,000 fighters who have fought in Somalia, Eritrea, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Tajikistan, and Yemen. Shortly after the bombings, a US official was quoted anonymously by CNN as saying, there was "a dispersement of people away from bin Laden's bases of operation within Afghanistan in the aftermath of the explosions." While the movement of bin Laden's people is not a clear indication of responsibility, it does warrant interest. His financial wealth is estimated to be between US$200-250 million. - - Makes use of amateur radio networks for communications and has the ability to hijack time on satellites for communications. - - Is believed to have a close relationship with Sheik Abdel Majid Zandani, a Yemeni fundamentalist cleric who recruited Yemenis to fight in Afghanistan and is now a leading figure in the country's main opposition party. Osama bin Laden - June 10, 1999 al-Jazeera Interview On June 10, 1999, Qatar's al-Jazeera satellite news station aired an interview with Osama bin Laden. During the course of the interview bin Laden continually returned to the issue of the Western presence in Arab countries. He said, "We want our land to be liberated from the Americans. All beings have an instinct to fight against intruders even the chickens or chicks have this instinct." He went on to say that he is "trying to wake the people up to liberate the region from the Jews and the West." Bin Laden said that despite the fact that the US and the Mujahideen fought against a common enemy, the Soviets, in Afghanistan that he "always hated the Americans because they are against Muslims although they were supporting us=8A but not in the name of God but rather to protect themselves. We didn't want the US support in Afghanistan but we just happened to be fighting the same enemy. Their support wasn't agreed upon." An editor from al-Quds, who spent some time with bin Laden, said that bin Laden thinks he lived more than he should have and he believes he should have died during his Jihad or Holy War in Afghanistan. The editor said that you get a sense of sorrow from bin Laden that he did not become a martyr fighting the Soviets. He said bin Laden is living for his after life not for his life here. When Osama bin Laden was asked whether he distinguishes between men, women, children, and the elderly, he said, "You say I am fighting against the American civilians. My enemy is every American man who is fighting against me even by paying taxes." Bin Laden equated the paying of taxes by Americans to be no different than those that lift weapons against him. While not accepting responsibility for the bombing of the US embassies in East Africa, bin Laden did say that he admired those who carried them out. Despite his denial of involvement he did comment on why the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya was attacked. "The Embassy in Nairobi was responsible for the killings of 13,000 Muslims in Somalia. The Muslims were grilled like you would grill a sheep. Whenever a Muslim would defend himself, they would always be blamed. There has been plans to divide Sudan for a few decades now and all those plans are carried out by the US Embassy in Nairobi which has the largest CIA station in the area." He said the bombings against Americans were good because "we want them to get a taste of what we have been tasting in Sabra and Shatilla, Kana, and Deer Yassen." Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed - - Leader of the al-Muhajiroun and the Sharia Court. - - Associate of Supporters of Sharia leader Abu Hamza - - Has passed on threats from Osama Bin Laden's IIF - - Has issued open letters to Osama bin Laden - - Endorsed bin Laden's efforts in a declaration issued on November 20, 1999. The declaration was part of the Conference of Islamic Revivalist Movements. Members of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Egyptian and Algerian fundamentalist groups were present at the meeting. - - London Press Association Report - March 9, 1996 - "In an interview with the Observer newspaper, Omar Bakri Mohammed, the leader of the al-Muhajiroun (the Emigrants) Party, pledged allegiance to the group which has killed scores of Israelis in recent suicide bombings. He said: "In Bosnia, Kashmir, Palestine,and Chechnya, all those areas occupied by non-Muslim powers, we will support the struggle verbally, financially, physically if we can. Muslims must know their duty to support the jihad." Mohammed claimed that secret organizations to tap funds and recruit fighters are already well-established in Britain, but added: "It would not be wise to give details." My party is trying to achieve an intellectual revolution so we must work overground. Their work is underground." He said the role of his party was "to be the eyes and ears and tongue of Hamas, which wants to establish an Islamic state". To describe Hamas as a terrorist organization was, he said, "an insult to Muslims who are struggling for a good cause". - - DoB 1959 in Syria - - Formerly the UK leader of the militant group Hizb-ut Tahir. Left to found the al-Muhajiroun at the end of Jan. 1996. Runs the School of Sharia in Tottenham, north of London (according to a 1996 report) - - Al-Sharq al-Awsat - Jan. 19, 1999 - "He said that the interrogation [by Scotland Yard] focused generally on what was published by The Birmingham Post regarding the al-Muhajiroun Movement's dispatching about 300 Muslim youths last year for training in military and fedayeen actions and tank combat by the al-Ansar movement in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Bakri added: "I explained to the Scotland Yard officers that sending Muslim youths to train in combat actions has nothing to do with Yemen or the mujahideen in Afghanistan. In fact it comes under the individual duties imposed on every Muslim, including the duty to prepare for combat. It is exactly the equivalent of joining the regular armies in our Muslim countries." He categorically denied financing the Muslim youths going to Pakistan and Afghanistan from Britain. He said: "The duty of preparation is like the duty of pilgrimage; it is imposed on every capable adult, and he should use his own money." Supporters of Sharia At a news conference in London on January 20, 1999, Abu Hamza al-Masri, the leader of the London-based Supporters of Sharia (Islamic law), warned that westerners should leave Yemen. He called on "all Muslim groups to rise and join hands to free the Yemeni people from the oppression of the Yemeni government." The cleric admitted that both his son and stepson were being held by authorities in Yemen but denied that his group had sent anyone to Yemen to conduct acts of violence. "There is no direct connection with me. One (of the people being held) is my stepson but I was not aware he was in Yemen. I am not cooperating with these people. They have not gone there with our permission or support," al-Masri said. He also said that his news conference was intended to warn westerners of the dangers in Yemen. "I would rather argue with you here and have you stay safe than for you to go to Yemen and come back in a coffin," he said. Al-Masri is an Egyptian-born cleric who lost an eye and both hands while fighting with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan. He and the activities of his Supporters of Sharia group have been exposed to considerable law enforcement and media attention since his son, Kamal, and stepson, Ghailan, were detained by authorities in Yemen along with four other Britons and two Algerians on terrorism charges. In the wake of that arrest, al-Masri has made a number of "threatening" statements to the media. Speaking in a recent telephone interview Supporters of Sharia leader Abu Hamza al Masri said he would urge his followers to strike back if his son and stepson were found guilty of terrorism in Yemen. He said, "When you find no ears to listen, then military action is permissible by Islam." Abu Hamza made a similar threat in early May when Aden-Abyan Islamic Army leader Abu Hassan was sentenced to death. Abu Hamza is believed to have contact with Osama bin Laden and is involved in a variety of fundamentalist activities, including the running of a training camp for terrorist fighters. Threats (as of 06/17/99) The last major round of terrorist threats issued from Muslim militant groups, some of whom are part of bin Laden's network, occurred during the end of 1998 and beginning of 1999. On February 13, 1999, the al-Hayat said it received a handwritten letter from the Armed Islamic =46ront. In the letter, the group threatened to bomb the embassies of the US, Britain, France, and five Arabic countries. The threat specifically mentioned Europe as where the attacks would take place. It said, "They are targets to bomb in all European capitals." The attacks are to be carried out in retribution for "the muzzling of the mouths and the imprisonment of (Muslim clerics), their displacement and banishment and the domination and tyranny" against Muslims. On December 18, 1998, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and Vanguards of Conquest issued a new threat, stating in part that the group will not be "satisfied with the empty statements of condemnation that we are used to hearing from (Arab) regimes. We say it loud and clear that we will retaliate for what is happening to the sons of our nation in Iraq. For the crimes committed by the US against our Islamic nation will not pass without punishment." The statement was signed by the Vanguards of Conquest's secretary general, Abduallah Mansour. It was published in the al-Hayat on December 19. On December 21, an anonymous caller to the al-Hayat said there would be attacks against US interests and Kuwaiti embassies. Another threat from the Egyptian Islamic Jihad was published in the al-Hayat on December 11. The threat said in part, "Let the Americans know that we have resolved to fight them in a severe and long, drawn-out battle to be passed on to generations." While the Armed Islamic Front is a previously unheard of group, it is likely to be associated to Osama bin Laden and the core Egyptian terrorist groups. The letter fits with the current threat situation and the apparent increasing attention being paid to targets in Europe. The expansion of threats to other Arab countries also fits recent trends. The Cairo office of al-Hayat is the frequent recipient of threat letters and calls from associates of Osama bin Laden and Egyptian terrorist groups. UK Fundamentalist Conference (3rd) - - Conference was held at the Friends House in Central London on May 21, 1999= =2E - - Follow-up conference to the one sponsored by al-Muhajiroun leader Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed in 1998. - - Reportedly issued a statement stressing that the Islamic nation's principal problems lie in the absence of a caliphate, adding that the establishment of an Islamic caliphate will remain the primary central issue for Muslims all over the world. - - Called for more rapprochement between the fundamentalist movements and for focusing on the newborn Charter of Cooperation between the fundamentalist groups which was to appear in the weeks following the conference. - - A invitation was distributed to attendees for a Sept. 19, 1999 conference focusing on uniting the fundamentalist organizations. The conference was to be held at Albert Hall in London. The statement said, "It is known that Islam does by necessity call on Muslims to be brothers and urges them to support each other and not let each other down. This duty in itself is at times a heavier one for Muslim activists." It underlined the importance of appealing to the fundamentalists to remove mutual non-confidence from their hearts and tongues and abandon tribal, clannish, and partisan propensities. - - Al-Muhajiroun leader Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed focused his speech on the reason for the Islamic regimes' violence and backwardness. Saying, "The Islamic movements will be in a predicament if they do not unite their stands and forget their differences." - - Supporters of Sharia leader Abu Hamza delivered a speech reportedly entitled "Terrorism is the Solution." Threats/Fatwas Comments by Sheikh Omar Abd al-Rahman's attorney: Comments by Sheikh Omar Abd al-Rahman's attorney, Muntasir al-Zayyat, after a conference in support of the Sheikh in Egypt (The comments were published in the April 25, 2001 edition of al-Hayat.): "When the Jihad organization (which the Sheikh heads) found out that the CIA was involved in the extradition of three of its people, from Albania to Egypt, it decided to get involved in the bombings of the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. Therefore, once [the US] harms a cleric at the level of Sheikh Abd Al-Rahman, the revenge will be [accordingly] stronger and more violent and its impact wider... [the Muslim world] will not allow the indefinite humiliation of a cleric of the Al-Azhar institution, and the leader of the biggest Muslim organization in the world. The Sheikh has a privileged position not only within the Jihad organization, but also among all the fundamentalist organizations around the world. Despite the fact that the Sheikh's attorneys attempted to resolve the problem through the courts, while the leaders of his organization Al-Gama'ah Al-Islamiya practice restraint, it is inevitable that, as a revenge for hurting the honorable Sheikh, one or a few of those who love the Sheikh will turn to carrying out acts against American interests around the world... We warn and warn... The US will reap a bitter harvest if she continues humiliating Dr. Omar...the continuation of the Sheikh's abuse may result in an explosion of events targeted against US interests. Sheikh Omar has many followers." TTM Note: Al-Zayyat excluded the possibility that attacks would occur on Egyptian soil. Dr. Abd al-Halim Mansur, the head of Abd al-Rahman's defense team, said the responsibility for the Sheikh's life rested on US President George Bush and said that if any harm is done to the Sheikh, "the consequences will be disastrous," according to a report on the al-Hayat article issued by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). BEGIN MESSAGE - ----------------------------------------------------------- Al Jum`a 15 Rajab 1421 (ah) - 13 October 2000 (ce) - ----------------------------------------------------------- Press Release Dated 13th October 2000 THE MESSAGE FOR THE U.S. ARMY, EMBASSIES, BASES AND PLANES IS CLEAR: =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D GET OUT OF MUSLIM LAND OR ELSE =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D YOU ARE LEGITIMATE TARGETS FOR MUSLIMS WORLD-WIDE!!! Appeal for supporting the Jihad in Palestine, Defending Al-Aqsa Mosque & Celebrating the strike against the U.S. aggressors =96 At Regents Park Mosque =46riday 13th Oct from 2pm =96 5pm The barbaric U.S. army who are occupying Muslim land with their forces such as in Saudi Arabia and Iraq and who are actively supporting the pirate state of Israel must leave Muslim land immediately or face more strikes like the bombing of the American warship in the Yemeni port of Aden yesterday. The Islamic verdict on the occupation of foreign forces on Muslim soil is clear, the perpetrators will be a legitimate target wherever they are in the world. This is the clear message which the Mujahideen wish to send to the murderer and liar Clinton and his co-conspirators including Blair and Barak. You support the fascist state of Israel but you should be aware that it will definitely be liberated by Muslims and the hadith of the Messenger Muhammad (saw) will be accomplished i.e. =93The hour will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims kill them=94 no matter how much time or effort it takes. You have the choice of leaving peacefully or being subject to attack at any time because of your violation of Muslim honour, life and property. Muslims will never forget about the history of violations committed by Western regimes such as the U.S and Britain including the bombing of Sudan and Afghanistan in September 1998 and the continued bombing of Iraq. The army of Muhammad is rising and it is only a matter of time before the infidels are routed and Islamic law is established once again over Muslim land in the form of the Khilafah (i.e. the Islamic State). The U.S and its allies can never hope to defeat people who love death the way they love this life, they can never hope to extinguish the light of Islam which calls upon every Muslim to support the Jihad to liberate Muslim land wherever it is, they can never hope to sleep at night without fearing the Islamic Movements world-wide and the inevitable rise of the giant at any time i.e. a world-wide Islamic State and not a moment goes by without them wondering how the soldiers of Allah will shake them next. It is only by their puppets in Muslim lands such as Husni Mubarak and King Fahad that they are able to steal Muslim resources and maintain their hegemony over Muslim land, keeping Muslims divided through their own disease of nationalism. Verily the Messenger Muhammad (saw) said: =93The Muslims are one unique Ummah among the whole of mankind, their land is one, their war is one, their peace is one and their honour is one and any one of them can represent them all=94 and Allah (swt) says in the Qur=92an: =93And kill them wherever you meet them and turn them out from where they have turned you out=94 [EMQ 2: 191] and Allah (swt) says: =93If they seek your support you must support them =94 [EMQ 8:72]. We call upon Muslims in Britain to gather in their mosques today and pray for the liberation of all Muslim land and the establishment of the Khilafah. We call upon Muslims to fulfil their responsibilities and to join us in demonstrating against the atrocities being committed around the world by the Jews in Palestine, the U.S and the British. All are welcome outside Regents Park Mosque today from 2pm =96 5pm. AL-MUHAJIROUN The Voice, The Eyes & The Ears of The Muslims Tel: 0208 880 4628 =46ax: 0208 803 4541 Mobile: 07956 92 0006 or 07956 600 569 or 0956 950 124 END MESSAGE Copyright 2001 Tempest Publishing - The WTG-IU cannot be reproduced or redistributed in any format without express written permission from Tempest Publishing/IntelCenter. --This communication is confidential to the parties it is intended to serve-- Fred Cohen Fred Cohen & Associates.........tel/fax:925-454-0171 fc@all.net The University of New Haven.....http://www.unhca.com/ http://all.net/ Sandia National Laboratories....tel:925-294-2087 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Secure your servers with 128-bit SSL encryption! Grab your copy of VeriSign's FREE Guide: "Securing Your Web Site for Business." 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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : 2001-09-29 21:08:41 PDT