BAGHDAD, Iraq – Al-Qaida in Iraq’s leader, in a chilling audiotape released Thursday, called for nuclear scientists to join his group’s holy war and urged insurgents to kidnap Westerners so they could be traded for a blind Egyptian sheik who is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.
The fugitive terror chief said experts in the fields of “chemistry, physics, electronics, media and all other sciences – especially nuclear scientists and explosives experts” should join his group’s jihad, or holy war, against the West.
“We are in dire need of you,” said the speaker, who identified himself as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir – also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri. “The field of jihad can satisfy your scientific ambitions, and the large American bases (in Iraq) are good places to test your unconventional weapons, whether biological or dirty, as they call them.”
The 20-minute audio was posted to a Web site that frequently airs al-Qaida messages.
Thursday’s message focused attention on Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, a 68-year-old Egyptian cleric who was convicted in 1995 of seditious conspiracy for his advisory role in a plot to assassinate Egypt’s president and blow up five New York City landmarks including the United Nations. Abdel-Rahman is considered the leader of Egyptian Islamic militants, and the 1993 World Trade Center conspirators were known to have attended his lectures.
“I appeal to every holy warrior in the land of Iraq to exert all efforts in this holy month so that God may enable us to capture some of the Western dogs to swap them with our sheik and get him out of his dark prison,” said al-Masri, who is also Egyptian.
He also said more than 4,000 foreign militants have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 – the first known statement from the insurgents about their death toll.
It was unclear why al-Masri would advertise the loss of the group’s foreign fighters, but martyrdom is revered among Islamic fundamentalists, and could be used as a recruiting tool. Analysts said the announcement was likely a boast aimed at drumming up support.
“It’s showing the level of dedication to their cause, the level of sacrifice jihadists are making,” said Ben Venzke, director of the Washington-based IntelCenter, which monitors terrorism communications.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
