In a Jihadi speech delivered in an undisclosed location and aired on internet, al Qaeda’s highest military commander Abu Yahya al Libi called on Allah to take revenge on America by “humiliating Bush’s Party” and by “having Americans suppressing Americans and by having leaders oppressing them.”
This powerful statement, made public during a sensitive period of US election deserves high attention in terms of al Qaeda’s strategic aims regarding the outcome of American vote next week. Thanks to Laura Mansfield’s monitoring of the Jihadi web sites, a video tape of al Libi was made available to viewers in Arabic. The Mansfield bulletin said (with permission):
“Al Qaeda has finally made an official statement of policy regarding the 2008 US elections, and it is a ringing “anti-endorsement” for the Republican Party. The “anti-endorsement”, posted on the jihadist forums a week before the Election Day 2008, was included towards the end of the message. The message, from Al Qaeda leader (and Bagram prison escapee) Abu Yahya al Libi, was a Khutba or sermon delivered in honor of the Eid al Fitre holiday. Unlike 2004, when Bin Laden referenced both candidates by name, but refrained from actually endorsing either, Al Libi specifically calls for the wrath of Allah to be brought down upon the Republicans. The message is more of a “vote against” message calling for the party of Bush to be humiliated, rather than a “vote for” message promoting Obama and the Democrats:
Oh Allah, Lord of mankind, humiliate Bush and his party!
Oh, Allah, degrade and defy him!
Oh Allah, Lord of mankind, defy him!
Oh Allah, make him live a day like the day Pharoah, Haman, and Qarun experienced, making him an example…
Comments about the election have been few and far between on the jihadist forums and in message from Al Qaeda leadership this year. This is a sharp contrast to the 2004 election, when discussion about candidates Bush and Kerry began months in advance of Election Day, and culminated in an official As Sahab release of a video tape from Osama bin Laden. In a video released just 4 days before Election Day 2004, Bin Laden said:
Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or Al-Qa’ida.
Your security is in your own hands”
At this point, it is not known whether or not Bin Laden will comment on the 2008 US Presidential Election. With just days to go before the election, we’ll know soon whether or not Bin Laden will make a statement.
In the meantime, it appears obvious from Al Libi’s statement that Al Qaeda is not supporting the Republicans.”
- (End of Mansfield Bulletin). -
Going back to the tape (as of minute 43:30) I transcribed a more curious sentence. Al Libi said
“Allah strike America and its allies, torture them and send them catastrophes, in their own homeland (fi iqri darahum). He added (Sallithum al baadihim baada) “let Americans suppress each other”, and (Sallit alyhum awliw’ahum)“have leaders suppressing them.”
By operating a text analysis, one would link “humiliate Bush and his Party” to “have their leaders suppressing them.” If, as Laura Mansfield underlined, a call to humiliate Bush’s Party is a call to defeat John McCain in the forthcoming election, the call to have Americans suppressing each others and their own leaders suppressing them would only mean that the defeat of McCain would lead to a “suppression of Americans.”
Such a statement made by al Libi is revealing not necessarily of future events in the US, but of al Qaeda’s wishes to what may come -as a result of a divine intervention: that is a defeat of McCain and the reign of Americans suppressing Americans.
