MUST READ: AL-QAEDA'S ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ TURNS TO YOUTUBE

Al-Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq Turns to YouTube
By Abdul Hameed Bakier

In the last few years radical Islamist jihadis have exerted substantial efforts to boost their propaganda capabilities by encouraging their followers to exploit all means at their disposal, such as the internet, mobile phones and preaching in mosques. In his communiqués, al-Qaeda’s second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri has repeatedly emphasized the importance of jihadi media, declaring that 50 percent of the “war on the enemies” is a media war. The al-Qaeda leader has followed through by initiating an unprecedented public dialogue through jihadi websites (http://vb.roro44.com, December 18, 2007). In obedience to al-Zawahiri’s guidance, jihadis are now using their expertise in information technology to develop jihadi media capabilities. The most effective of these efforts is al-Qaeda’s so-called Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) “TV channel,” available on the video-sharing website YouTube (www.youtube.com:80/islamicstate).

Al-Zawahiri’s open dialogue was announced on jihadi websites in December 2007. Questions concerning global jihad were relayed through the most prominent jihadi websites (alfirdws.org; al-boraq.org; al-hesbah.com; ek-ls.org). Al-Qaeda’s media outlets are to publish al-Zawahiri’s answers some time after January 16, 2008. The most frequent questions posed to al-Zawahiri so far include: Why has al-Qaeda not attacked Jews in Tel Aviv? What is the purpose of attacking peaceful countries like Saudi Arabia that have many al-Qaeda sympathizers? How do you justify killing innocent bystanders in suicide attacks? Was there unanimous religious consent by ummah (Muslim community) sheikhs to perpetrate 9/11 attacks? Is al-Qaeda planning to attack targets in Egypt?

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1) Al-Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq Turns to YouTube

2) Al-Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq Turns to YouTube (PDF FILE)