He also references the firebombing of Dresden and Tokyo and ties them to Fallujah right before the Hiroshima and Nagasaki reference - - physical destruction of entire cities and rationalization for targeting large civilian population concentrations.
"Going the extra mile" to preemptively justify the attacks.
I'm pretty sure this is also not the first time Zawahiri extended this invitation to Islam (last call). But this time through an American voice.
Again, "going the extra mile".
"Going the extra mile" because the attack is to be of such a scale that it will inevitably create controversy even among their own radicals as to the morality of such mass death and devastation.
Remember the fatwa - - ten million.
The civilization which perpetrate the Crusades, the Inquisition, and countless other unholy bloodbaths. The civilization which shamelessly brought us lynch laws, Jim Crowe, and a death row where only convicts of certain races are sent. The Civilization that introduced us to the Concentration Camp, extraordinary rendition, and Abu Ghraib and her sisters. The Civilization which enslaved Africa, slaughtered the Native Americans, firebombed Dresden, Tokyo, and Fallujah, and nuked Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Civilization that shows more concern for the Buddhas of Banyan and the walls of Babylon than it shows for the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. The Civilization that facilitated the establishment of Israel over the dead bodies of the Muslims and upholds and defends its tyranny to this very day.
I'm still transcribing and will post the entire thing shortly.
Notice that he plays the race card too...
WHITFIELD: And meantime, lots of questions about this new tape from al Zawahiri, when it was recorded and where. Someone who evaluates such video and audio reportings, counter terrorism expert Laura Mansfield. She joins us now from Greenville, South Carolina.
All right, Laura, when did you get wind of this tape?
LAURA MANSFIELD, TERRORISM EXPERT (via telephone): We first heard that this tape was that coming out Thursday evening when a banner was displayed on several different Jihadi message boards basically announcing THAT a tape coming from Sahab which produces al Qaeda's video would be out featuring Adam Kadam from California who they call Kadam, the American and Dr. Ayman al Zawahiri.
The tape was supposed to be entitled, "Invitation to Islam." And they said you have a standard coming soon banner.
The tape actually popped out about a couple of hours ago, again on the same Jihadi message board. The tape is 48 minutes and one second long and it's an interesting tape.
WHITFIELD: And what's particularly notable now -- you mentioned Adam Gadahn, the American who is being used to help introduce al Zawahiri. What about the message that's being conveyed, what's particularly striking about the message by Adam Gadahn as well as Zawahiri in your view.
MANSFIELD: Well, the message is addressed to the American people and the people of the west, the unbelievers of the west in general. And both Adam Gadahn and Zawahiri make specific statements to that effect, that this is to the people of the west, specifically to the Americans.
It's interesting because it's the first time we've seen a tape that pops out with Gadahn makes an introduction, Zawahiri comes in, makes actually -- and then Gadahn comes in again and then Zawahiri...
WHITFIELD: Like an endorsement.
MANSFIELD: And Zawahiri comes in for four minutes and then the rest of the 48 minute tape, about 42 minutes of the tape, is totally Adam Gadahn because it's kind of interesting because you thought you would hear more from Zawahiri.
On the other hand, since Gadahn is an American, he's speaking in English to the American people, I suppose it makes sense to have him as a spokesperson.
WHITFIELD: So, in your view, is this like Gadahn endorsing what al Zawahiri is saying? Or is it a word-for-word translation of what al Zawahiri is saying? MANSFIELD: He takes -- Zawahiri only speaks for about four minutes while Gadahn speaks basically for 43 minutes.
Gadahn takes what Zawahiri has said in this tape and previous tapes and what bin Laden has said in videotapes and basically reiterates their Islamist ideologies and presents reasons why we should convert.
They go so far as to say, this is not a type when you should procrastinate, this is actually what Zawahiri says, you should not procrastinate or backslide, time is short.
WHITFIELD: Do you also interpret this as perhaps a new way to threaten Americans by saying if you don't convert to Islam, you will suffer?
MANSFIELD: Yes. I think it's definitely, it's definitely a threatening tape. Basically, Islamists believe that they have to give, issue a warning and an opportunity to convert to infidels, to unbelievers before they can launch attacks against them. So, many analysts will probably agree with me on this that this may very well be a warning before something else.
Again, no definitive things on the tape in terms of timing, but the tape appears to -- itself appears to have been made within the last month. It makes specific reference to the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
It also proceeds to give a chronology of what it considers crimes by the Americans throughout the world and it specifically references her Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
WHITFIELD: Counterterrorism expert Laura Mansfield, thanks so much for your point of view.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0609/02/cst.02.html
http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20060903/630000000020060903112446E6.html
2006/09/03 11:24 KST
(LEAD) Pyongyang's suspicious missile activity detected: sources
SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean and the U.S. intelligence authorities have detected suspicious vehicle movements in and out of North Korea's major missile test site, a government source here said Sunday.
"Military intelligence officials have spotted movements by several large vehicles in the North's Gitdaeryeong area," the source spoke on condition of anonymity. "They don't rule out the possibility that it is part of preparations for additional missile tests."
North Korea test-launched six short-and medium-range missiles from the Gitdaeryeong site in its eastern coastal area, on July 5, along with a long-range Taepodong-2 missile from separate facilities.
Officials at South Korea's foreign and defense ministries have said that North Korea may take additional provocative steps including either missile launches or a nuclear test. This may be timed with a summit between South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and his American counterpart George W. Bush in Washington in the middle of this month, they added.
The United Nations adopted a punitive resolution against Pyongyang, but the North threatened to take stronger physical action.
On Saturday, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency announced that it successfully completed a test of its missile defense system.
The latest test was widely believed to be aimed at shooting down missiles fired from North Korea.
Pyongyang immediately attacked the U.S. exercise, calling it a war threat and vowed to beef up its self-defense measures.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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