Suicide Attacks Against Allied Troops Part of Global Jihad

CNSNews.com ^ | March 31, 2003 | Julie Stahl

[Tailgunner Joe]

Suicide bombers reportedly sent to attack U.S. and allied troops in Iraq are part of the global call for jihad on behalf of Iraq, an Israeli expert said on Monday.

Four US soldiers were killed in a suicide car bombing at a roadblock south of Baghdad on Saturday in the first suicide terrorist attack of the war against U.S. troops.

Senior Iraqi defense official Lt. Gen. Hazem al-Rawi claimed that the suicide attack was "the beginning of a long path of jihad [holy war] for Iraqis and Arabs against the invaders."

Al-Rawi said more than 4,000 suicide bombers eager to attack the allied forces have come to Iraq from "all Arab countries, without exception."

The U.S. has questioned the number of bombers, but is taking the possibility of suicide attacks seriously.

Two Palestinian militant groups said over the weekend they had sent militants to carry out suicide attacks against U.S. and other allied troops.

Islamic Jihad, which claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya on Sunday and called it a "gift" for the Iraqi people, announced in a statement in Beirut that it had sent suicide bombers to defend the Iraqi people.

It was the second Palestinian group to do so. In an interview published in the Israeli Arab newspaper A-Sennarah on Saturday, Col. Munir Maqdah, a top Fatah commander in Lebanon, said Fatah militants had already been sent to Iraq to perpetrate suicide attacks against allied forces and more were on the way.

Israeli expert Yoni Fighel of the International Policy Institute on Counter-Terrorism near Tel Aviv said that statements by Islamic Jihad are usually "accurate" and can be verified therefore he believes the Islamic Jihad claims are true.

Nevertheless, the calls from Palestinian groups must be viewed in the global context, he said.

"We have to analyze [the reports] within the global jihad call worldwide for warriors and suicide bombers to concentrate [on] Iraq," Fighel said in a telephone interview. "[There has been] a flow of statements and calls of Islamic factions to regroup and come to Iraq to the ultimate new jihad front."

"The Islamic radicalization...is an inherent part of the Iraqi method of struggle," Fighel said.

"It's an obvious fact that [Iraq] cannot confront the U.S. in a symmetrical way. They cannot show relative advantage unless they wage an unconventional warfare. The unconventional warfare is guerrilla warfare," he added.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas issued a call for an army of suicide bombers to confront American troops long before the war started.

Earlier this month, media reports showed a camp in Baghdad where Arab volunteers were being trained to carry out suicide attacks for the sake of the Islamic struggle against the infidels.

"This call [for suicide attacks] was endorsed by Islamic clerics," Fighel said. Among them is Sheikh Yousef Kardawi, who is based in Doha, Qatar. Kardawi has said that every Arab Muslim that blows himself up against the "American aggression" in defense of the Islamic state will be a "martyr."

Other prominent clerics include Sheikh Mohammed Tantawi of the Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt who was issuing the same call. However, two weeks ago he withdrew the call under intense pressure from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and after receiving an invitation to travel to the U.S. Now he says it's permissible to use suicide attacks against Israel but not against Americans.

Last week, a top Syrian cleric Sheikh Ahmed Kaftaro also called on Muslims to use suicide attacks against U.S. and allied troops.

According to Fighel, radical Islamic websites have also issued calls for Afghan veterans to regroup in Iraq.

One of them, Mufakarat el Islam, quoted a Saudi-owned, London-based Arabic newspaper (A Sharq Al Awsat) as saying that thousands of Arab Mujahadeen veterans of the Afghan wars had infiltrated into Iraq in order to participate in the war against the Americans.

"What we see is a buildup of the Islamic movement calling for volunteers to come to participate [in the fight] for Muslim soil [that has been] invaded by infidels," Fighel said.

That buildup is within the ideology of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Fighel said, and it follows a pattern adopted by Islamic militants to fight the ultimate jihad during the Afghan war against Russia. "The new jihad front against infidels is in Iraq," he added.

Al Qaeda supporters in the Gulf have also been called upon to resist and to perpetrate attacks against allied logistical sites and to kill soldiers and American citizens," Fighel said.

Fifteen U.S. servicemen were injured in such an attack on Sunday when they were rammed by a truck driver as they waited to go into a store.

But the most alarming thing, Fighel said, is the apparent Syrian backing of the attacks.

"What is concerning me is that maybe the Syrians are supporting this phenomenon," Fighel said. "[Munir or Salah] would not have dared to issue such statements unless Syria had authorized it... I don't know where the Syrian government is heading."

Syria has apparently opened its borders to allow militants to cross into Iraq to fight the allied troops.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld delivered a stern warning to Syria on Friday that the U.S. considered the movement of military supplies and people across the border into Iraq as "hostile acts."

Fighel says the U.S. may have underestimated the "peril" and pattern of opening Iraq as a Jihad front but the allies would in the end be victorious.

"The U.S. has overwhelming superiority over Iraq. There is no doubt that at the end of the day the U.S. will prevail," he said.

[My2Cents]

It amazes me that the Islamo-nuts have called for a jihad to support Saddam. Saddam never seemed like much of a religionist, if you know what I mean. I guess the war in Iraq simply gives the jihadists an excuse to get crazy and blow themselves up.

[angkor]

The more the merrier.

They're all going to end up dead.

[Dutch Boy]

Let's turn over all the rocks. Then we can see who the enemy is and where they are.

[Cindy]

ISLAM ONLINE.net - Fatwa Application: "SELLING FOOD TO US TROOPS FIGHTING IN IRAQ" (March 31, 2003) (Read More...)

INDY STAR.com - INDIANA NEWS (AP): "IMMIGRATION RUMOR SENDS SOME EVANSVILLE WORKERS RUNNING" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "EVANSVILLE, IND. -- A rumor that immigration officials were afoot caused about three dozen AmeriQual Group LLC's workers to flee its plant, briefly slowing production of prepackaged meals for the military. Between 30 and 40 temporary workers left the plant on U.S. 41 Wednesday after rumors spread that federal immigration officials were in the building.") (March 28, 2003) (Read More...)

FOX NEWS.com (AP): "ATTACKER DRIVES TRUCK INTO AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN KUWAIT" (ARTICLE NOTE: The suspect is believed to be an Egyptian.) (March 30, 2003) (Read More...)

ALERT...ARAB NEWS.com: Baghdad. "SUICIDE BOMBER 'OPENS DOOR TO JIHAD'" by Robert Fisk, The Independent (March 31, 2003) (Read More...)

FOX NEWS.com: "HOMICIDE BOMBER KILLS FOUR U.S. TROOPS IN NAJAF" (March 29, 2003) (Read More...)

ALERT...ISLAM ONLINE.net: "SUICIDE BOMBER WAS ARMY OFFICER, MORE TO FOLLOW: IRAQ" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "BAGHDAD, March 29 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Baghdad said Saturday, March 29, a suicide bomber who killed U.S. troops in central Iraq was seeking to teach the Americans a "lesson" and warned of more such attacks to come. A non-commissioned officer, Ali Jaafar Musa Hammadi al-Numani, wanted to "teach the invaders a lesson in the same manner of our Palestinian martyrdom fighters" who have carried out suicide attacks against Israel, state television said. "This is a blessed start. The enemies will face steadfastness, courage and martyrdom's souls," it warned. The television said the attack near the Muslim holy city of Najaf left 5 U.S. troops dead, "a great number of others killed, two armoured personnel carriers destroyed and two tanks damaged." The United States said four of its soldiers were killed. Describing the attack, the television said that "after kissing the holy Koran" he "drove a booby-trapped car toward enemy tanks and armoured personnel at the outskirts of Najaf." "He turned himself, his car and the explosives that he is carrying into a destruction missile by exploding himself at 10:15 am (0715 GMT) today," it said. President Saddam Hussein decided to award the "martyrdom fighter" two top posthumous medals of honor, including the decoration of Umm al-Maarik, or the Mothers of All Battles, as Baghdad calls the 1991 Gulf war, the report said. Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan later said: "This is only a beginning and you will hear good news in the coming days. We will use any means to stop the enemy and kill the enemy. "The whole Iraqi people, including its women, will transform themselves into fedayeen (martyrdom fighters)," he vowed in a press conference in Baghdad." (March 29, 2003) (Read More...)

ALERT...WorldNetDaily.com: "BAGHDAD SHEIK CALLS MUSLIM WORLD TO JIHAD" (March 29, 2003) (Read More...)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "RUMSFELD WARNS SYRIA, IRAN" (March 29, 2003) (Read More...)

WorldNetDaily.com: "BAGHDAD-TERROR PROBE SPREADS TO 11 NATIONS" (March 29, 2003) (Read More...)

An Interesting Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding an EVENING STANDARD article published in THIS IS LONDON.co.uk: "IRAQ'S 'MRS. ANTHRAX' REVEALED" (March 28, 2003) (Read More...)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "IRAQI AGENTS NABBED IN LIKELY PLOT AGAINST U.S." by Jerry Seper (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Iraqi intelligence agents posing as diplomats have been arrested in a suspected plot to carry out terrorist attacks against U.S. targets in two foreign countries, the State Department confirmed yesterday. The unidentified agents, members of the Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS), also known as the Mukhabarat, were detained and "terrorist material was confiscated," mainly explosives, the department said. (March 29, 2003) (Read More...)

INA TODAY.com - INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANALYSIS -- TODAY: "SADDAM'S SS Iraqi Elite Units Revive Horrors of Hitler's Dreaded Elite Force" by Toby Westerman (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Founded in 1995, the Fedayin answer to no authority except Uday. The Fedayin is independent of the regular military chain of command, and of the Baath political party, which dominates Iraq's political life.") (March 28, 2003) (Read More...)

INA TODAY.com - INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANALYSIS -- TODAY by Toby Westerman: "LATEST GUERILLA TACTICS USED AGAINST U.S. TROOPS Iraqi Ayatollah Vows to 'Resist' U.S. After Saddam's Fall" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al Hakim, the leader of the Iran-based Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), is vowing "to resist foreign domination" if a non-Iraqi controlled government follows Saddam's ouster, according to a recent report from the Italian news daily La Stampa. The SCIRI is a leading member of the coalition of anti-Saddam Iraqis organized by the U.S. to eventually govern a post-Saddam Iraq. Of all the organizations participating in the anti-Saddam coalition, the SCIRI has by far the largest military force and the greatest number of members in Iraq.") (March 26, 2003) (Read More...)

MEMRI.org - MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE Inquiry and Analysis Series No. 128: "IRAN AND THE WAR ON IRAQ" (March 26, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "SUICIDE SPEEDBOAT INTERCEPTED BY IRAN Saddam's Vessel with 1/2-Ton of Explosives Caught On River, Trio of Others Elude Capture" (March 26, 2003) (Read More...)

ALERT...WorldNetDaily.com: "IRAQ EQUIPS 'NAVAL MARTYRS' Obtains Rubber Boats for Suicide Attacks Against U.S., Allied Forces" (March 12, 2003) (Read More...)

ALERT: WORLD OF ISLAM.info (via WWW.JIHADONLINE.net): "SYRIAN MUFTI CALLS FOR MARTYR OPERATIONS AGAINST U.S." -Posted by Jihad (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "DAMASCUS, March 27 - Syrian mufti Sheikh Ahmad Kaftaro, the country's top Muslim religious authority, called Thursday, March 27, for martyr operations against the U.S. and British invaders in Iraq. "I call on Muslims to use all means possible to thwart the aggression, including martyr operations against the belligerent invaders," he said in a statement, a copy of which was faxed to Agence France-Presse (AFP). "Resistance to the belligerent invaders is an obligation for all Muslims, starting with (those in) Iraq," the mufti said. Conveying the same message, Al-Azhar delivered a statement on March 9, calling upon all Muslims for Jihad against Anglo-American invasion. Jihad is an individual duty for all Muslims if the U.S. launches a war against Iraq. Arabs and Muslims should be on high alert to defend themselves, their doctrine and lands," Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Academy told IslamOnline.net Monday, March 10." (March 27, 2003)

ALERT...Dubai GULF NEWS.com: Karachi from Mujahid Ali: "CLERICS CALL FOR 'JIHAD' AGAINST U.S." (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The clerics included the most prominent pro-Afghan Taliban cleric Maulana Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai. Also on the list of prominent clerics were Dr. Abdul Razzaq Sikander who heads the Islamic seminary of Binori Town – one of the biggest and most influential religious schools not just in the port city of Karachi, but in the country. All the clerics belong to the hardline Deobandi school of thought. They run one of the biggest chain of Islamic schools in the country and many of the Taliban leaders were their students. They are ideological gurus of the two factions of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, the two key component parties of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal which dominates the North West Frontier Province and Balochistan province which border Afghanistan. Key militant groups including the outlawed Harkat-ul Mujahedeen, the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Sipah Sahaba Pakistan consider Shamzai, who is believed to have ties with Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar and Osama bin Laden, their spiritual leader. The clerics said jihad had become mandatory on more than 1.2 billion Muslims. "They have to participate in the jihad according to their capacity. This has become mandatory against America, its allies and the Muslim rulers" who are siding with Washington, they said in a statement.") (March 25, 2003) (Read More...)

ALERT...TIMES ONLINE.co.uk: "TERROR GROUP CALLS MUSLIMS TO VIOLENCE" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "THE al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, one of the most active suicide terrorist groups in the Middle East, called on Muslims throughout the world to attack British, American and Israeli targets in response to the war in Iraq.") (March 24, 2003) (Read More...)

ALERT...ISLAM ONLINE.net - Fatwa Applications - Ask The Scholar: "SEEKING MARTYRDOM BY ATTACKING MILITARY BASES IN THE GULF" (March 24, 2003) (Full Text Here.)

ALERT...INA TODAY.com - INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANALYSIS -- TODAY: "AL QAEDA CALLS FOR WORLD-WIDE CAMPAIGN OF ESPIONAGE, SABOTAGE Assassinations Could Follow" by Toby Westerman (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Al Qaeda's call to the "brothers" is in retaliation for the U.S.-led attack against the regime of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The emotional appeal for "unity" following America's decision to attack Saddam gives evidence of a strong link between Baghdad and the terror network. In addition to spying on traditional military targets, Muslim spies, or "scouts" are to carefully watch high-ranking officers -- including supreme commander Tommy Franks -- and carefully note their habits. The officers' places of recreation and travel routes are of special interest to Al Qaeda, according to the Islamic Internet messages Die Welt cites. Observers note that Al Qaeda's keen interest in the movements of top U.S. and allied commanders raises the specter of assassination, a possibility made especially vivid by the recent murder of the Balkan reformer and Serb Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. Central Intelligence Agency resident operatives and their agents in Gulf states are also of interest. All those connected with the CIA "must be tracked down," declares the Al Qaeda message. Muslims working in allied bases in the Gulf are urged to provide a "long and detailed" list of information helpful to professional saboteurs, including the disposition of land, sea, and air forces. The "scouts" are to report all naval activity, the location of ships and where they dock, and pinpoint all operations centers. Muslims employed at allied military bases outside of the Gulf region are instructed to "locate command posts" and munitions areas, gather information on "how and where" aircraft and helicopters are fueled, note which units are stationed at the installation, and locate the position of Patriot missile batteries.") (March 20, 2003) (Read More...)

ALERT...DAILY STAR.com.lb - Lebanese News: "US TROOPS 'FACE SUICIDE ATTACKS" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Hizbullah secretary-general Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah told around 150,000 people gathered Thursday for Ashura that US troops will be met with "martyrdom" operations, not roses, if they attacked Iraq.") (March 15, 2003) (Read More...)

On The Net ... HIZBOLLAH.org - HIZBOLLAH's Web Site

ALERT...MEMRI.org - MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE Special Dispatch Series No.480: "JIHAD AGAINST THE U.S.: Al-Azhar's Conflicting Fatwas" (March 16, 2003) (Read More...)

ALERT...ISLAM ONLINE.net: Fatwa Application - Ask The Scholar - Title: "ATTACKING IRAQ & TARGETING THE U.S. INTERESTS" (March 15, 2003) (Read More...)

ISLAM ONLINE.net - Live Dialogue: "US MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS STAND ON IRAQI CRISIS" (March 16, 2003) (Read More...)

On The Net... GOOGLE Search Term: "MUJAHID"

ALERT...An Informative Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding this WorldNetDaily article: "AL-QAIDA SET TO UNLEASH FEMALE SUICIDE BOMBERS Group Carries Out Bin Laden Orders, Poised for Major Attack in America" (March 12, 2003) (Read More...)