[Poohbah]

Having this guy in jail would put too many people at risk from his followers.

Think cheese and mousetrap.

[kcvl]

'Al-Qaeda' tape urges Iraq civil war

From correspondents in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
April 7, 2004

A MAN claiming to be a senior al-Qaeda figure that the United States believes is operating in Iraq has released a tape calling for the country's Sunni Muslims to fight Shi'ites and claiming responsibility for high-profile attacks there.

The 33-minute audiotape appeared today on a website known as a clearinghouse for militant Islamic messages.

The speaker introduced himself as Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian also known as Ahmed al-Khalayleh who is thought to be a close associate of Osama bin Laden. It was the first tape of any kind attributed to him to be made public.

The tape's authenticity could not be verified immediately. Terrorism experts say that even when such statements cannot be traced to al-Qaeda, they serve the group's cause by inspiring sympathisers.

Zarqawi's whereabouts are unknown, but the web site on which the tape appeared had a transcript heading that said Zarqawi was in Iraq.