Volume 18, Number 17, April 21, 2004

Comment:

Another Al Qaeda Attack Warning is Apparent

Global stability is always diminished by war in any measure. 

Arguably war has as one of its purposes the eventual improvement in at least regional stability by removing an unreasoned threat to the peace. Such should have been the case with Iraq, but we must now focus on the home front as well.

If the chaos in Iraq has allowed the secondary proliferation of chemical and nuclear warfare materiel, global stability may be a bygone concept.

Notwithstanding fears of secondary proliferation, before events in Iraq yield any sort of improvement in regional stability, a major battle must be fought: the 'Al Qaeda movement' versus the United States of America.

The timing of this battle is now. 

It will last until at least June 30, says AL Qaeda in an intercepted communiqué to Usama Bin Laden about the strategy for Al Qaeda-aligned combatants in Iraq opposing U.S. and pro-liberation forces there (Kill Americans and Shiites.).

Those who still don't believe Al Qaeda is influencing the insurgency in Iraq should take a close look at the simultaneous detonations of car bombs in various locations in Basra and Zubair, Iraq this morning. It smacks of Al Qaeda-style training. The well-planned attacks are almost certainly signed by Ahmad Al-Khalayla who has pleaded to Usama Bin Laden that he must kill Shiites in Iraq whom as a collective group have taken the side of the "Crusaders" (Americans).

Al Qaeda mass murders Muslims when that is convenient to its maniacal goals.

Ahmad Al-Khalayla (Abu Musab Zarkawi) an Ansar al-Islamist has been credited with authoring a rambling strategic doctrine for the disruption and or defeat of coalition forces in Iraq. The document was intercepted by Kurdish intelligence officers. 

Al-Khalayla (Abu Musab Zarkawi) is also viewed as somewhat of a loose canon in the Al Qaeda terrorist organization. He advocates killing Shiites in Iraq which belies Al Qaeda's extensive preaching about defending Muslims (so-called brothers). 

Al-Khalayla who has a wooden leg as a result of injuries sustained during the Taliban ouster in Afghanistan, is better known as Abu Musab Zarkawi. (see also Video: American Hostage Beheaded by Zarkawi?) Al-Khalyla is allegedly Usama bin Laden's Jordanian chief of operations. He is believed to be entrenched in Iraq stirring up trouble.

According to intelligence gained from the testimony of the 125 captured Al Qaeda contacts of Al-Khalayla, this Ansar al-Islamist is a key player in Al Qaeda's chemical warfare effort. The fact of his presence and apparent authority on behalf of Al Qaeda in the region is truly noteworthy and foreboding.

Al-Khalayla has been sniffing around Syria and Iraq in the past year or so seeking to advance the secondary proliferation of Iraq's chemical warfare programme. Ansar al-Islam, to which he is a patron, ran an extensive camp featuring a range of chemical labs in Northern Iraq near the Iranian border. 

One must wonder how much of the missing radioactive material stolen from the Tuwaitha nuclear site southwest of Baghdad has fallen into Al Qaeda hands. (Although it has low potency it does pose a threat as a terrorist's psychological weapon.) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has complained that the facilities at Tuwaitha where tons of low-grade uranium are stored has not been properly guarded.

The missing elements of Iraq's chemical weapons programmes, be they large stockpiles or small caches, are apparently missing. Certainly no one has raised the blue flag to say, "Here it is!" save a few Iraqi looters who responded to an award offering. The bulk of the unaccounted radioactive material is missing.

Al Qaeda has vowed to kill at least 4 million Americans and is seeking ways to achieve that goal. 

America is not included in Usama Bin Laden's offer (See "Bin Laden's statement..." below.) made  last week to Europe for three months stay of attacks while Europe considers an offer of truce in exchange for withdrawing from the Bush-led "Global War on Terrorism." The statement emphatically excluded the U.S. 

This can be read as a warning.

We should not let the rising bloodshed in Iraq totally persuade our view away from the home front as we head toward June 30. Standing guard with watchful eyes in North America needs to be everyone's responsibility.

Micheal John O'Brien, Editor

Testing Einstein's Theory: Gravity Probe B Away after 24Hr Delay

Gravity Probe B, a NASA satellite that will validate two key aspects of Einstein's general theory of relativity, was launched yesterday aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

Boeing and NASA officials had halted the countdown Monday approximately three minutes before liftoff after it was determined that there was insufficient time to confirm that the correct wind profile data had been loaded aboard the Delta II based on a weather balloon that was monitoring upper level winds.

The Delta II lifted off precisely at its rescheduled time at 9:57:24 a.m. PDT from Space Launch Complex 2W at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Following a 75-minute flight, the two-stage rocket deployed the spacecraft to a circular-polar orbit, approximately 400 nautical miles above the Earth.

Our Delta team did a great job in preparing and launching this extraordinary mission, said Will Trafton, vice president and general manager, Boeing Expendable Launch Systems. We're proud to continue our support for NASA in their quest to learn more about our universe, and we're looking forward to hearing the results of this important science experiment.

A Delta II 7920-10 configuration launch vehicle was used for the mission and features the Boeing Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine, nine solid rocket boosters and a 10-foot diameter payload fairing.

Gravity Probe B will test two predictions made by Albert Einstein in 1916 as part of his general theory of relativity.

The two predictions are the Geodetic effect the amount by which the Earth warps local space time in which it resides, and the frame-dragging effect the amount by which the Earth drags local space time with it as it rotates.

The spacecraft will send back data on changes in the spin axis direction of four onboard, ultra-precise gyroscopes in relation to the spacecraft's guide star, IM Pegasi, that will enable scientists to determine if space time is distorted by the Earth's presence and rotation.

The mission will be conducted over a 16-month period, and scientists also hope to learn more about the structure of the universe in terms of the relationship between space and matter.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin Space Systems developed the Gravity Probe B spacecraft.

The next mission for the Delta team is the launch of a U.S. Air Force Global Positioning System satellite, GPS IIR-12, in June aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $27 billion business. It provides systems solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the world's largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in launch services.

Lakhdar Brahimi May Have Solution To Interim Iraq Governance

Welcoming the highly constructive recommendations made by United Nations special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on the creation of an interim government to administer Iraq following the transfer of sovereignty after 30 June, United States representative John Negroponte said this morning that his country looked forward to working closely with him in the coming days.

Briefing the Council on the situation in Iraq, he said the United States appreciated the wide-ranging consultations that Mr. Brahimi had held in Iraq over the last 10 days. But, he noted that the new government would be challenged by those who, even now, were challenging the transitional authority in the country, as well as multi-national force. The transfer of sovereignty would not bring total calm to Iraq and the multi-national force would be needed until Iraqi forces under training could provide total security for their country.

The United States would, therefore, remain involved in Iraq after the transfer of sovereignty, he said, adding, We will stay the course. The United States was committed to ensuring security for a renewed presence in Iraq both before and after the transfer of sovereignty on 30 June. It would continue to work with the United Nations security assessment team presently in the country.

With the support of the United Nations, the United States had begun to solicit contributions for forces dedicated solely to providing security for the Organization's personnel and facilities. There was a broad desire within the international community for the United Nations to play a role after 30 June and Member States wishing to provide troops to help in that task were urged to contact the United States delegation or those of other Coalition members as soon as possible.

Emphasizing that there was no place in Iraq for armed militias, he said it was the multi-national force's objective to prevent any party from exercising influence through violence. The Coalition Provisional Authority was in productive negotiations to ensure the reintegration of armed bodies that were not under government control and the multi-national force would have no choice but to deal firmly with those who refused to negotiate.

Against the backdrop of deepening unrest in Baghdad and with the spate of increasingly brutal violence in outlying Iraqi cities and towns since the beginning of the month, he said, the multi-national force remained committed to the creation of a democratic, peaceful and stable Iraq, living at peace with its people and neighbours. It would stay the course in the face of the continuing threat posed by insurgent forces, loyalists of the former regime and terrorists who had infiltrated the country from outside.

He said the multi-national force had conducted the full spectrum of military affairs, including offensive combat operations when necessary, as well as reconstruction and other activities. The initial focus of reconstruction had been the restoration of electricity, public facilities and business. Engineering units had been critical to restoring those services to pre-conflict levels. In addition, multi-national force tactical units had assisted in local construction of schools, hospitals, post offices and other public buildings. They had also disposed of thousands of tons of explosives, including mines, and helped to distribute the new Iraqi currency.

In addition to the multi-national force's broad-based efforts, he said, a long-term objective was the training and equipping of Iraqi forces to provide security. Significant progress had been made, given the vacuum caused by the dissolution of the Iraqi army and police force. Iraqis continued to sign up and 75,000 police recruits were in training as at the beginning of April. Some 32,000 members of a civil defence corps would support police efforts, providing fixed-site security, convoy security, patrols, cordons and checkpoints.

Bin Ladin Taped Message to Europe
A Follow-Up to Al Qaeda Victory in Spain

This is a message to our neighbours north of the Mediterranean, containing a reconciliation initiative as a response to their positive reactions. 

Praise be to God; praise be to God; praise be to God who created heaven and earth with justice and who allowed the oppressed to punish the oppressor in the same way.

Peace upon those who followed the right path: 

'Oppression kills the oppressors'

In my hands there is a message to remind you that justice is a duty towards those whom you love and those whom you do not. And people's rights will not be harmed if the opponent speaks out about them.

The greatest rule of safety is justice, and stopping injustice and aggression. It was said: Oppression kills the oppressors and the hotbed of injustice is evil. The situation in occupied Palestine is an example. What happened on 11 September [2001] and 11 March [the Madrid train bombings] is your commodity that was returned to you.

It is known that security is a pressing necessity for all mankind. We do not agree that you should monopolise it only for yourselves. Also, vigilant people do not allow their politicians to tamper with their security. 

Having said this, we would like to inform you that labelling us and our acts as terrorism is also a description of you and of your acts. Reaction comes at the same level as the original action. Our acts are reaction to your own acts, which are represented by the destruction and killing of our kinfolk in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine. 

The act that horrified the world; that is, the killing of the old, handicapped [Hamas spiritual leader] Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, may God have mercy on him, is sufficient evidence. 

We pledge to God that we will punish America for him, God willing. 

Which religion considers your killed ones innocent and our killed ones worthless? And which principle considers your blood real blood and our blood water? Reciprocal treatment is fair and the one who starts injustice bears greater blame.

'Bloodsuckers'

As for your politicians and those who have followed their path, who insist on ignoring the real problem of occupying the entirety of Palestine and exaggerate lies and falsification regarding our right in defence and resistance, they do not respect themselves. 

They also disdain the blood and minds of peoples. This is because their falsification increases the shedding of your blood instead of sparing it.

Moreover, the examining of the developments that have been taking place, in terms of killings in our countries and your countries, will make clear an important fact; namely, that injustice is inflicted on us and on you by your politicians, who send your sons - although you are opposed to this - to our countries to kill and be killed. 

Therefore, it is in both sides' interest to curb the plans of those who shed the blood of peoples for their narrow personal interest and subservience to the White House gang. 

We must take into consideration that this war brings billions of dollars in profit to the major companies, whether it be those that produce weapons or those that contribute to reconstruction, such as the Halliburton Company, its sisters and daughters. 

Based on this, it is very clear who is the one benefiting from igniting this war and from the shedding of blood. It is the warlords, the bloodsuckers, who are steering the world policy from behind a curtain.

As for President Bush, the leaders who are revolving in his orbit, the leading media companies and the United Nations, which makes laws for relations between the masters of veto and the slaves of the General Assembly, these are only some of the tools used to deceive and exploit peoples. 

All these pose a fatal threat to the whole world. 

The Zionist lobby is one of the most dangerous and most difficult figures of this group. God willing, we are determined to fight them.

'Reconciliation initiative'

Based on the above, and in order to deny war merchants a chance and in response to the positive interaction shown by recent events and opinion polls, which indicate that most European peoples want peace, I ask honest people, especially ulema, preachers and merchants, to form a permanent committee to enlighten European peoples of the justice of our causes, above all Palestine. They can make use of the huge potential of the media. 

I also offer a reconciliation initiative to them, whose essence is our commitment to stopping operations against every country that commits itself to not attacking Muslims or interfering in their affairs - including the U.S. conspiracy on the greater Muslim world. 

This reconciliation can be renewed once the period signed by the first government expires and a second government is formed with the consent of both parties. 

The reconciliation will start with the departure of its last soldier from our country.

The door of reconciliation is open for three months of the date of announcing this statement.

For those who reject reconciliation and want war, we are ready. 

As for those who want reconciliation, we have given them a chance. Stop shedding our blood so as to preserve your blood. It is in your hands to apply this easy, yet difficult, formula. You know that the situation will expand and increase if you delay things. 

If this happens, do not blame us - blame yourselves. 

A rational person does not relinquish his security, money and children to please the liar of the White House. 

Had he been truthful about his claim for peace, he would not describe the person who ripped open pregnant women in Sabra and Shatila [reference to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon] and the destroyer of the capitulation process [reference to the Palestinian-Israeli peace process] as a man of peace. 

He also would not have lied to people and said that we hate freedom and kill for the sake of killing. Reality proves our truthfulness and his lie.

The killing of the Russians was after their invasion of Afghanistan and Chechnya; the killing of Europeans was after their invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan; and the killing of Americans on the day of New York [reference to 11 September] was after their support of the Jews in Palestine and their invasion of the Arabian Peninsula. 

Also, killing them in Somalia was after their invasion of it in Operation Restore Hope. We made them leave without hope, praise be to God. 

It is said that prevention is better than cure. A happy person is he who learns a lesson from the experience of others. 

Heeding right is better than persisting in falsehood. 

Peace be upon those who follow guidance. 

attributed to: Usama Bin Laden

Editors note: 

We include the previous statement issued by Usama Bin Laden which in its tone is significantly different. 

Bin Laden Tape: 4 January, 2004

From Osama Bin Laden to his brothers and sisters in the entire Islamic nation: May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you. 

My message to you concerns inciting and continuing to urge for jihad to repulse the grand plots that have been hatched against our nation, especially since some of them have appeared clearly, such as the occupation of the crusaders, with the help of the apostates, of Baghdad and the house of the caliphate [the succession of rulers of the Islamic nation], under the trick of weapons of mass destruction. 

There is also the fierce attempt to destroy the al-Aqsa Mosque and destroy the jihad and the mujahideen in beloved Palestine by employing the trick of the roadmap and the Geneva peace initiative. 

The Americans' intentions have also become clear in statements about the need to change the beliefs, curricula and morals of the Muslims to become more tolerant, as they put it. 

In clearer terms, it is a religious-economic war. 

The occupation of Iraq is a link in the Zionist-crusader chain of evil. 

Gulf states 'next' 

Then comes the full occupation of the rest of the Gulf states to set the stage for controlling and dominating the whole world. 

For the big powers believe that the Gulf and the Gulf states are the key to controlling the world due to the presence of the largest oil reserves there. 

O Muslims: The situation is serious and the misfortune is momentous. 

By God, I am keen on safeguarding your religion and your worldly life. 

So, lend me your ears and open up your hearts to me so that we may examine these pitch-black misfortunes and so that we may consider how we can find a way out of these adversities and calamities. 

The West's occupation of our countries is old, yet new. 

The struggle between us and them, the confrontation, and clashing began centuries ago, and will continue because the ground rules regarding the fight between right and falsehood will remain valid until Judgment Day. 

Take note of this ground rule regarding this fight. There can be no dialogue with occupiers except through arms. 

This is what we need today, and what we should seek. Islamic countries in the past century were not liberated from the crusaders' military occupation except through jihad in the cause of God. 

Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, the West today is doing its utmost to tarnish jihad and kill anyone seeking jihad. 

The West is supported in this endeavour by hypocrites. 

This is because they all know that jihad is the effective power to foil all their conspiracies. 

Jihad is the path, so seek it. 

This is because if we seek to deter them with any means other than Islam, we would be like the one who goes round in circles. 

We would also be like our forefathers, the al-Ghasasinah [Arab people who lived in a state historically located in the north-west of the Persian empire]. 

The concern of their seniors was to be appointed officers for the Romans and to be named kings in order to safeguard the interests of the Romans by killing their brothers of the peninsula's Arabs. 

Such is the case of the new al-Ghasasinah; namely, Arab rulers. 

Words of warning 

Muslims: If you do not punish them for their sins in Jerusalem and Iraq, they shall defeat you because of your failure. 

They will also rob you of land of al-Haramayn [Mecca and Medina]. 

Today [they robbed you] of Baghdad and tomorrow they will rob you of Riyadh and so forth unless God deems otherwise. 

Sufficient unto us is God. 

What then is the means to stop this tremendous onslaught? 

In such hard times, some reformers maintain that all popular and official forces should unite and that all government forces should unite with all their peoples. 

Everyone would do what is needed from him in order to ward off this crusader-Zionist onslaught. 

The question strongly raised is: Are the governments in the Islamic world capable of pursuing this duty of defending the faith and nation and renouncing allegiance to the United States? 

The calls by some reformers are strange. 

They say that the path to righteousness and defending the country and people passes though the doors of those rulers. 

I tell those reformers: If you have an excuse for not pursing jihad, it does not give you the right to depend on the unjust ones, thus becoming responsible for your sins as well as the sins of those who you misguide. 

Fear God for your sake and for your nation's sake. 

God does not need your flattery of dictators for the sake of God's religion. 

Arabs 'succumbed to U.S. pressure' 

The Gulf states proved their total inability to resist the Iraqi forces. 

They sought help from the crusaders, led by the United States, as is well known. 

How can these states stand up to the United States? 

In short, these states came to America's help and backed it in its attack against an Arab state which is bound to them with covenants of joint defence agreements. 

These covenants were reiterated at the Arab League just a few days before the U.S. attack, only to violate them in full. 

This shows their positions on the nation's basic causes. 

These regimes wavered too much before taking a stand on using force and attacking Iraq. 

At times they absolutely rejected participation and at other times they linked this with UN agreement. 

Then they went back to their first option. 

In fact, the lack of participation was in line with the domestic desire of these states. 

However, they finally submitted and succumbed to U.S. pressure and opened their air, land and sea bases to contribute toward the U.S. campaign, despite the immense repercussions of this move. 

Most important of these repercussions is that this is a sin against one of the Islamic tenets. 


Saddam arrest Most important and dangerous in their view was that they feared that the door would be open for bringing down dictatorial regimes by armed forces from abroad, especially after they had seen the arrest of their former comrade in treason and agentry to the United States when it ordered him to ignite the first Gulf war against Iran, which rebelled against it. 

The war consumed everything and plunged the area in a maze from which they have not emerged to this day. 

They are aware that their turn will come. 

They do not have the will to make the difficult decision to confront the aggression, in addition to their belief that they do not possess the material resources for that. 

Indeed, they were prevented from establishing a large military force when they were forced to sign secret pledges and documents long ago. 

In short, the ruler who believes in some of the above-mentioned deeds cannot defend the country. 

How can he do so if he believes in all of them and has done that time and again? 

Those who believe in the principle of supporting the infidels over Muslims and leave the blood, honour and property of their brothers to be available to their enemy in order to remain safe, claiming that they love their brothers but are being forced to take such a path - of course this compulsion cannot be regarded as legitimate - are in fact qualified to take the same course against one another in the Gulf states. 

Indeed, this principle is liable to be embraced within the same state itself. 

Those who read and understood the history of kings throughout history know that they are capable of committing more than these concessions, except those who enjoyed the mercy of God. 

Indeed, the rulers have practically started to sell out the sons of the land by pursuing and imprisoning them and by unjustly and wrongly accusing them of becoming like the al-Khawarij sect who held Muslims to be infidels and by committing the excesses of killing them. 

We hold them to be martyrs and God will judge them. 

All of this happened before the Riyadh explosions in Rabi al-Awwal of this year [around May, 2003]. 

This campaign came within a drive to implement the U.S. orders in the hope that they will win its blessings. 

'Miserable situation' 

Based on the above, the extent of the real danger, which the region in general and the Arabian Peninsula in particular, is being exposed to, has appeared. 

It has become clear that the rulers are not qualified to apply the religion and defend the Muslims. 

In fact, they have provided evidence that they are implementing the schemes of the enemies of the nation and religion and that they are qualified to abandon the countries and peoples. 

Now, after we have known the situation of the rulers, we should examine the policy which they have been pursuing. 

Anyone who examines the policy of those rulers will easily see that they follow their whims and desires and their personal interests and crusader loyalties. 

Therefore, the flaw does not involve a secondary issue, such as personal corruption that is confined to the palace of the ruler. 

The flaw is in the very approach. 

This happened when a malicious belief and destructive principle spread in most walks of life, to the effect that absolute supremacy and obedience were due to the ruler and not to the religion of God. 

In other countries, they have used the guise of parliaments and democracy. 

Thus, the situation of all Arab countries suffers from great deterioration in all walks of life, in religious and worldly matters. 

We have reached this miserable situation because many of us lack the correct and comprehensive understanding of the religion of Islam. 

Many of us understand Islam to mean performing some acts of worship, such as prayer and fasting. 

Despite the great importance of these rituals, the religion of Islam encompasses all the affairs of life, including religious and worldly affairs, such as economic, military and political affairs, as well as the scales by which we weigh the actions of men - rulers, ulema and others - and how to deal with the ruler in line with the rules set by God for him and which the ruler should not violate. 

Therefore, it becomes clear to us that the solution lies in adhering to the religion of God, by which God granted us pride in the past centuries and installing a strong and faithful leadership that applies the Koran among us and raises the true banner of jihad. 

The honest people who are concerned about this situation, such as the ulema, leaders who are obeyed among their people, dignitaries, notables and merchants should get together and meet in a safe place away from the shadow of these suppressive regimes and form a council for Ahl al-Hall wa al-Aqd [literally those who loose and bind; reference to honest, wise and righteous people who can appoint or remove a ruler in Islamic tradition] to fill the vacuum caused by the religious invalidation of these regimes and their mental deficiency. 

The right to appoint an imam [leader] is for the nation. 

The nation also has the right to make him correct his course if he deviates from it and to remove him if he does something that warrants this, such as apostasy and treason. 

This temporary council should be made up of the minimum number of available personnel, without [word indistinct] the rest of the nation, except what the religion allows in case of necessity, until the number is increased when the situation improves, God willing. 

Their policy should be based on the book of God [the Koran] and the Sunna [tradition] of his Prophet [Muhammad], God's peace and blessings be upon him. 

They should start by directing the Muslims to the important priorities at this critical stage and lead them to a safe haven, provided that their top priority should be uniting opinions under the word of monotheism and defending Islam and its people and countries and declaring a general mobilisation in the nation to prepare for repulsing the raids of the Romans, which started in Iraq and no-one knows where they will end. 

God suffices us and he is the best supporter. 

attributed to: Usama Bin Laden

Publisher and Editor In Chief:
Micheal John O'Brien
The Wednesday Report is published and printed weekly in hard copy by MPRM Group Limited
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