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Severed head video gives insight into cruel psychology of terrorists
LondonSundayTimes [registration required] ^ | 12/30/01

Posted on 12/29/2001 3:48:31 PM PST by NativeNewYorker

THE video begins innocently enough: a wildlife documentary presented by Sir David Attenborough shows him raving about rare insects and exotic plants against the backdrop of an active volcano. There is no sign of Al-Qaeda’s evil here, nor at the end of the tape, which features Princess Diana and Prince Charles at the start of a visit to Kuwait more than a decade ago, writes Mark Franchetti.

Sandwiched incongruously between them, however, is a macabre insight into the gruesome world of Osama Bin Laden’s disciples: a group of Arab soldiers, somewhere in the mountains of Afghanistan, are tossing a severed head around for the camera. They taunt the bloody skull, shaking it by the hair, lift an eyelid to simulate blinking, and throw stones at it, while chanting a chorus in praise of Allah.

The film is just one among a surreal video library collected from the caves of Tora Bora, Bin Laden’s underground redoubt in the White Mountains of eastern Afghanistan, and from Al-Qaeda safe houses nearby. The innocuous beginning and end appear to have been added to fool anyone who might have stumbled across the tapes.

The videos were stolen by villagers before American special forces could retrieve them, and are now quietly traded on the backstreets of Jalalabad — with audio cassettes, documents, CD-Roms, and several passports of suspected Bin Laden supporters.

It is the videos, though, that offer the darkest insight into the psychology of Al-Qaeda members, revealing for the first time what they were watching — as well as producing — for propaganda and educational purposes.

One film, entitled Preparing for Martyrdom, is a lengthy weapons training video recently shot by Arab terrorists at an Al-Qaeda training camp at Durunta, a few miles west of Jalalabad. Arabic-speaking instructors, their faces blacked out, demonstrate how to use weapons ranging from handguns to anti-aircraft guns.

The same video includes footage of Abdullah Azam, a Jordanian Palestinian extremist revered by Bin Laden as a father figure, who was assassinated in Pakistan in 1989. Azam is shown delivering tirades against America and Israel before a crowd of worshippers. “Our leaders are wasting time with public works,” he rants, in a clip between demonstrations on a grenade launcher and a sniper rifle.

Other tapes feature news reports from recent conflicts involving Muslims, including Bosnia, Algeria, Israel, Chechnya, Lebanon and Afghanistan. Religious music has been taped over the original commentaries.

The grisly highlights include the beheading with a knife of a hostage in Chechnya and a prisoner being tortured with a sizzling piece of metal. Another close-up shows a victim’s tongue being cut out.

It is not clear how much of the collection was made inside Afghanistan, and how many of the tapes came instead from supporters in Pakistan and further afield. Under Taliban rule, ordinary Afghans faced public floggings and up to three months in jail if caught watching television, but members of Al-Qaeda had free access to satellite television.

“As soon as the Arabs left all hell broke loose,” said one trader. “In Jalalabad, neighbours went through the safe houses and took whatever they could, and in Tora Bora it was the same. I took four tapes but had to destroy two because my father is a very religious man and became terribly angry. I have no idea what was on the tapes I burnt. Who knows, maybe Bin Laden himself.”



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
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1 posted on 12/29/2001 3:48:31 PM PST by NativeNewYorker
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To: NativeNewYorker
The beheading of the Russian soldier is one of the most gruesome things I've ever seen. I posted a link from my server on another thread, and I will repost it if requested. However, I, as always, must emphasize that the video is extremely graphic and very disturbing. It is not for the feint of heart or those with weak stomachs. I mean it.
2 posted on 12/29/2001 3:58:24 PM PST by SBeck
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To: NativeNewYorker
The grisly highlights include the beheading with a knife of a hostage in Chechnya and a prisoner being tortured with a sizzling piece of metal. Another close-up shows a victim’s tongue being cut out.

Nice. Wonder what Noam Chomsky would say about this? Just a bit of harmless multiculturalism, no doubt. Or as the Supreme Court declared in its Casey decision defending abortion, each individual has the right to make up his own morality and interpret the universe as he sees fit. So, no doubt this kind of behavior is OK for Arabs.

3 posted on 12/29/2001 4:05:21 PM PST by Cicero
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To: Cicero
3 - Which reminds me: Have the PETA dolts weighed in on that goat-grabbing game?
4 posted on 12/29/2001 4:07:16 PM PST by NativeNewYorker
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To: NativeNewYorker
They taunt the bloody skull, shaking it by the hair, lift an eyelid to simulate blinking, and throw stones at it, while chanting a chorus in praise of Allah.

"Islam is a peaceful, loving religion." It's obvious by the respect they show for the dead.

5 posted on 12/29/2001 4:09:27 PM PST by nicmarlo
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To: NativeNewYorker
They taunt the bloody skull, shaking it by the hair, lift an eyelid to simulate blinking, and throw stones at it, while chanting a chorus in praise of Allah.

The "praise be to Allah" chorus seems to be a common thread running through everything those Islamaturds do.

As a result, I don't see much of a difference between "Allah" and "Satan"

6 posted on 12/29/2001 4:09:43 PM PST by Mulder
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To: Mark17
More from our peaceful and loving brothers.
7 posted on 12/29/2001 4:15:44 PM PST by ambrose
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To: NativeNewYorker
Basically, I think these videos ought to be broadcast on Al Jezeera. Let the Muslim world find out what these thugs are really like. Let people watch this stuff while eating their dinners.
8 posted on 12/29/2001 4:16:38 PM PST by McGavin999
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To: SBeck
The beheading of the Russian soldier is one of the most gruesome things I've ever seen. I posted a link from my server on another thread, and I will repost it if requested

Neighbor, I would appreciate that link, or just the address... those who don't understand these things, or believe, should have the opportunity to see, and learn.

One of the things I deeply believe is that we are put on this Earth to stand, and bear witness, that we can testify to others about the sublime good, and utter evil, that Man is capable of doing.

9 posted on 12/29/2001 4:17:26 PM PST by backhoe
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To: SBeck
i got a copy of that. that guy's knife was really dull.
10 posted on 12/29/2001 4:22:51 PM PST by Rustynailww
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To: backhoe
OK, here's the link.

Warning: the video is extremely graphic and very disturbing. Do not click to it if you have a weak stomach. I mean it.

11 posted on 12/29/2001 4:23:52 PM PST by SBeck
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To: SBeck
"It is not for the feint of heart"

Women do that to me all the time.

--Boris

12 posted on 12/29/2001 4:24:25 PM PST by boris
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To: Mulder
"...As a result, I don't see much of a difference between "Allah" and "Satan"..."

I've reached the point where I don't see any difference.

And I'm not saying that for effect. I honestly, sincerely, genuinely do NOT believe that this 'allah' is the God of Jews and Christians.

'Satan', as far as I can tell, is the most plausible alias for this malevolent being on whose behalf so much slaughter has been done.

13 posted on 12/29/2001 4:25:56 PM PST by DWSUWF
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To: McGavin999
Basically, I think these videos ought to be broadcast on Al Jezeera. ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, MSNBC, et al. Let the Muslim world find out what these thugs Muslims are really like. Let people watch this stuff while eating their dinners.
14 posted on 12/29/2001 4:26:07 PM PST by VMI70
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To: SBeck
Thank you. You warning is noted. People need to see, and understand.
15 posted on 12/29/2001 4:27:17 PM PST by backhoe
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To: SBeck
I just clicked on the link and all that loaded up was a torn roll of film. I guess that symbolizes that something's wrong with the link.
16 posted on 12/29/2001 4:31:53 PM PST by oldvike
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To: SBeck
That poor, poor man. How utterly unbelievably despicable are the "men" who did that to him!
17 posted on 12/29/2001 4:32:22 PM PST by nicmarlo
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To: NativeNewYorker
Under Taliban rule, ordinary Afghans faced public floggings and up to three months in jail if caught watching television, but members of Al-Qaeda had free access to satellite television.

Like any good censor, they had to see what they were passing judgement on and blocking out...

18 posted on 12/29/2001 4:38:21 PM PST by weegee
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To: Cicero
Nice. Wonder what Noam Chomsky would say about this? Just a bit of harmless multiculturalism, no doubt. Or as the Supreme Court declared in its Casey decision defending abortion, each individual has the right to make up his own morality and interpret the universe as he sees fit. So, no doubt this kind of behavior is OK for Arabs.

The abortionists' argument is "it's legal (over there), get over it!".

19 posted on 12/29/2001 4:42:36 PM PST by weegee
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To: oldvike
You're lucky. All I got was the old hourglass and frozen screen. And I'm on DSL!
20 posted on 12/29/2001 4:42:50 PM PST by LuigiBasco
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