Replies

A Statement from Jund al-Sham Claiming Responsibility for the Explosions in New York

By SITE Institute
May 5, 2005

Today, May 5, 2005, Jund al-Sham (Soldiers of Levant) claimed responsibility for the small explosions outside of the British consulate in New York City, claiming that the attack was “the beginning of war inside and outside of America.” No one was hurt in the blast.

Since late March, Jund al-Sham has claimed responsibility for random attacks across the globe, including in Qatarand Lebanon. In addition, the group claimed responsibility for an explosion at a Texasoil refinery.

The group argues that the United States overlooked the Texas refinery explosion, and that more attacks will ensue. “We will not hesitate,” the communiqué states, “to hit the parties and coffee shops, the hotels and the churches, with the help of Allah.”

To complete its task, Jund al-Sham calls for “our cells in America to start battles in the streets.”

http://siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications43305&Category=publications&Subcategory=0

Al-Qaeda arrest: Hold the celebrations
By Syed Saleem Shahzad

KARACHI - Both the Pakistani and US governments have been effusive in welcoming the capture of 40-year-old Libyan Abu Faraj al-Libbi in Pakistan, claiming the arrest of the man they describe as the number 3 in al-Qaeda is a major blow for the group. He was wanted as the suspected mastermind of the two unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf in December, 2003.

However, Asia Times Online analysis based on months of inquiries suggests that Abu Faraj will prove of little value in helping the US or anyone else reach Osama bin Laden, or in debilitating al-Qaeda. Abu Faraj was captured as a result of a US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operation in the Pakistani tribal areas in North West Frontier Province.

"He was arrested along with five other foreigners ... and is giving a lot of information about al-Qaeda's methods of communications," according to the same US sources. The CIA approached Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence several days ago with a tipoff from someone in Abu Faraj's inner circle.

Although Abu Faraj has been widely promoted as a leading al-Qaeda figure, closer examination proves this to be incorrect.

It has been some time since al-Qaeda communicated through electronic means. Nowadays its relies solely on human resources to pass messages, and even this method is complex and involves layers of people. Each person involved in communication is monitored daily by various sources, and if they go missing for even a few days, the whole network changes its position and dumps that missing link until it is confirmed that he is not being monitored or cultivated by security agencies. Abu Faraj has been a target for many months, so there is little chance that al-Qaeda would have allowed him anywhere near its top echelons. Indeed, in all likelihood he had been stripped of his position as operational commander of al-Qaeda in South Asia.

Pakistani intelligence agencies are tight-lipped, but Asia Times Online's Washington-based sources maintain that Abu Faraj only spoke about his immediate contacts in al-Qaeda who passed on his messages. Of course, this chain might still be under investigation.

Al-Qaeda is a very different type of organization from, for instance, Palestinian groups, which promote champions such as Abu Abbas and Abu Nidal, who carried out repeated acts of terror.

Al-Qaeda does not encourage "heroes" in this manner. Instead, previously unknown people are picked for attacks, and only then do they come onto the radar of intelligence agencies and become wanted figures. Take for example Ramzi Binal Shib, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and Mohammed Atta, all involved in September 11, and dozens of others. They are set up for one event, and that's it. At best, they subsequently become facilitators, or yesterday's men.

With Abu Faraj's arrest, one cell is dead - maybe it was already. But new teams comprising unknown faces have been assembled or are in the process of being put together. Al-Qaeda's structure remains intact.

Excerpted

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GE06Df03.html