The Zarqawi Tapes

Well, there are news reports that new tapes of ObL of al Qaeda fame and his brother-in-arms abu Musab al Zarqawi in Iraq (apparently Baghdad) have been aired on al Jazeera.

If those reading this blog can understand Arabic this link will open up the video. It's from New BKP a blog devoted to counter terrorism and is archived at U.S. Archive Organization.

I speak and understand very little Arabic but had a friend watch and listen to the latest al Zarqawi video with me. It was obvious Zarqawi was reading from a teleprompter and his performance came across like an infomercial.

My buddy was a journalist in his country of origin so he got to the main points of the message. It's in no way complete, fully accurate or translated word for word. I'm presenting the jist of it here:

The message is for the unbelievers (kafirun). The Christians & Zionists are attempting to colonize the Islamic Nation (umat al Islam). He says we, as in Muslims, have to thank God for this opportunity to fight (the unbelievers).

He tells America that their soldiers can't sleep so they have to take sleeping pills (drugs) to help them sleep. He tells the United States and those helping the push for democracy in Iraq is against the Islamic Nation (umat Islamia). The support for democracy that is advertised in Iraq daily is nothing - it is a joke. The new Iraqi government is theatre. This is a Christian and Zionist plan, in which we aren't going to allow this plan to be successful.

Those Iraqis who help the United States in Iraq is like a poisoned dagger in the heart of the Islamic Nation. We announce again those who help the United States by making a government without using Sharia al Islam (Islamic law) - we will fight them.

Americans and those helping them (the Iraqi government) are sons of the Devil (shaytan). The Iraqi Parliament are unbelievers and ignorant (ie idiots). They play with the people's (nas) minds to change them from Islam and direct them the wrong way. The Christians behind this are against Islam and they are son's of the Devil (shaytan).

Where are you brave men in Baghdad? Where are you fursan (fighters who ride horses ie braver than brave) in Mosul? Where are you brave men in Kurdistan? Where are you sons of Salahadin Aubi? (Kurdish Islamic leader who fought the Crusaders in al Quds (Jerusalem), who, incidentally, spared Jewish and Christian women and children). Where are you to help us fight?

We thank God that we made an organization of Islamic shura* in Iraq, sooner or later, to ensure that by our authority, Sharia (Islamic law) covers all of Iraq so that God's name is everywhere and I am a soldier for this very important purpose.

* (religious consultation of the people in the community are used to solve every problem that a group of individuals faces starting from within the family, to the problems of the community and continuing even to the political affairs)