Posted on 11/19/2003 7:15:04 AM PST by Quilla
DUBAI (Reuters) - Islamists battling the U.S. occupation of Iraq are trumpeting their "victories against the infidels" through video clips posted on extremist Web sites.
At least two Islamist sites, accessed by Reuters on Wednesday, showed brief clips documenting what was described as attacks by the mujahideen, or Islamic fighters, on U.S. troops in Iraq.
The grainy images showed what appeared to be a U.S. military vehicle being struck by mortars, and a roadside explosion targeting what seemed to be another U.S. vehicle.
There was nothing in the videos to indicate where or when the incidents took place and they did not show any bodies.
On one site, Al Mujahedun, the images were entitled "Victories of the Islamic Army in Iraq" and were found among other clips with titles such as "The American Hell in Iraq" and "The Russian Hell in Chechnya".
It was impossible to authenticate the images on the site, which frequently changes it's Web address. Islamist Web sites often carry statements calling on Muslims to fight the U.S. occupation in Iraq.
London-based Islamist Yasser al-Sirry, head of the Islamic Observation Centre, said he had received a CD containing the video clips about a month ago, but did not say from whom.
Sirry, whose own Web site monitors other Islamic sites such as Al Mujahedun, said such videos have been circulating for some time.
He said the main purpose of the videos was to counter the "American lies" about the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq.
"The Americans are hiding their losses and their media is helping them so the mujahideen decided to show these images to embarrass the Americans and also to put a spotlight on their victories against the infidels," Sirry said.
There was no immediate comment from U.S. authorities.
U.S. officials say Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network or an affiliate Iraqi group, Ansar al-Islam, are behind some of the attacks that have killed 177 U.S. soldiers in just over six months.
Some Iraqi officials have suggested that loyalists of former President Saddam Hussein were providing logistical support to the Islamist militants, who they say enter Iraq from neighbouring Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
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