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The Power of Truth

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  • The Power of Truth



    On 16 December 2007, Ayman al-Zawahiri invited journalists and Jihadist enthusiasts to ask him questions via the primary Jihadist web forums. Zawahiri promised to personally answer some of those questions in a subsequent statement. On 2 April 2008, As-Sahab Media released the first part of Zawahiri’s response in the form of a one hour, forty-three minute audio statement, which was accompanied by Arabic and English transcripts.

    Zawahiri used the opportunity to publicly address topics that have been dogging him for years. He answered some questions directly, like whether al-Qa’ida’s willingness to kill innocent Muslims in the course of their operations is apostasy. He sidestepped other questions, including more politicized ones about al-Qa’ida’s increasing difficulties in Iraq and, in particular, al-Qa’ida’s official position toward Iran.

    "The Power of Truth?" is the CTC's assessment of Ayman al-Zawahiri's 2 April 2008 response to his solicitiation for questions.
    You can find the report here

    You can find the original questions asked of al-Zawahiri here
    "So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

  • #2
    That was fascinating and much more informative than anything even in the major papers like the WA post or NY times. Through the contrasts it sites between AQ and HAMAS it did seem like we might find some common ground to deal with HAMAS in the region if and when they stop calling for the destruction of Israel and firing rockets out of Gaza daily. I was unsettled by the number of strong jihadi groups operating out of iraq which aren't mentioned often in the press. it does sound liek some of them are as organized as the Tim McVeigh cell here which was a bit of a relief. Lots of rage not much organizational structure from the sounds of them and infighting. I can't see how AQ is maintaining legitimacy in the wide moslem world the way the skirt or obfuscate major differences between their Jihad and a legitimate one as outlined in the Koran. Do they hate us that much they can overlook such major flaws like the Jordan/NY civilian deaths and moslem deaths?

    On a side not do you know what happened to MEK? I know they killed American consular guards in Iran in the 70s and were part of the forces who seized our embassy. I was upset to see them not handled the same as other terrorists we caught in Iraq. i thought their leadership should of been tried for the murder of a US Marine and their part in the Embassy takeover. They were jailed in Iraq not Gitmo and I never read more about them. Where are they today? my fear back then especially because i just didn't have a lot of faith in those in charge on the civilian side at home was we would make a mistake we have in the past and back terrorists who had shared goals( destabilizing Iran)
    Where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost.”
    ~Ronald Reagan

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    • #3
      Killing of Innocents
      Al-Qa’ida is often accused of unjustifiably killing fellow Muslims, many of whom have nothing to do with supporting Arab regimes or local security forces. Historically, al-Qa’ida has been at its theologically weakest and ideologically most defensive in trying to justify the killing of innocents. Zawahiri’s 9 July 2005 letter to Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi, for instance, warned of the negative impact attacks on Muslim civilians would have in the Middle East. Zawahiri’s warnings proved prescient months later when Zarqawi attacked three hotels in Amman, Jordan.5 Popular support for al-Qa’ida in Jordan plummeted from 56% in 2003 to 20% in 2007.6 Not surprisingly, many questioners asked Zawahiri to clarify his position on attacks that kill Muslims. Zawahiri was intractable on the issue:
      …We haven’t killed the innocents; not in Baghdad, nor in Morocco, nor in Algeria, nor anywhere else. And if there is any innocent who was killed in the Mujahideen’s operations, then it was either an unintentional error, or out of necessity as in cases of al-Tatarrus.”
      'Mas'alatut al-Tatarrus (the issue of non-Muslims taking Muslims as human shields) offers the Jihadist movement its most reliable religious safeguard from charges of apostasy for killing Muslims. Zawahiri employs the al-Tatarrus defense, but offers nothing new to the debate, instead referring to a compendium on the topic assembled by Abu Yahya al-Libi. In that book, Abu Yahya defines al-Tatarrus as “the instrument of war known as the human shield as a way of protecting someone from the attacks of an enemy.” Abu Yahya explains that there are two types of al-Tatarrus, the first being when a non-Muslim enemy forces innocents (often times Muslim prisoners) as a shield in order to deter an attack. The second type is when Muslims willingly choose to conduct business or occupy a non-Muslim venue. 7
      A bit of a tangent, but does the term al-Tatarrus derive from the Mongols, or is it a false friend/cognate?
      "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

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      • #4
        i agree with Roosveltrepub comments

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