Posted on 07/23/2008 5:21:09 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
n a rare move, one of al-Qaida's highest-ranking leaders has conducted an on-camera interview with a journalist and, in the process, called for the destruction of Pakistan's government.
It was the first time since 2002 that any top al-Qaida official has taken the security risk of sitting down for an interview with a bonafide journalist.
Abu Mustafa al-Yazid, an Egyptian whom U.S. intelligence officials have identified as the al-Qaeda's third highest-ranking official, sat for an interview with Najeeb Ahmad, a reporter for Geo TV. Geo TV is a private Pakistani television channel.
In the interview, Yazid, also known as Sheikh Saeed, called for the destruction of Pakistan's government which he said had "betrayed" the jihadis. Yazid swore that al-Qaida would recapture Afghanistan. And he reiterated al-Qaida's position that "all Americans, not just the American government" are the enemies of Islam.
(Excerpt) Read more at deepbackground.msnbc.msn.com ...
Al-Qaida senior leader grants rare TV interview
*****************************EXCERPT********************
Why would they risk his operational security to issue a boilerplate "the Pakistan government betrayed us" message to the masses. What else is going on here...
fyi
Ain’t that special
Being No. 3 isn’t that lucky”
Unlucky Number 3:
Since 2001, the U.S. has killed or captured five of the terror group’s Number 3s
Translation: Kill the women and babies too.
How odd. Wonder what’s up...
It’s all so murky.
Pakistani television network has broadcast a rare interview with the top al-Qaida commander in Afghanistan. From Islamabad, Barry Newhouse reports Geo News says its interview with Mustafa Abu Yazid, an Egyptian, took place a few days ago in Afghanistan's eastern Khost Province.
Abu Mustafa al-Yazid is believed to be al-Qaida's third highest ranking leader, behind Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden. The official U.S. government investigation of the September 11 terrorist attacks named Yazid as the terrorist group's chief financial manager at the time of the attacks.
Last year, he was named head of al-Qaida's operations in Afghanistan and since then has claimed credit for a wave of deadly attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In an exclusive interview with a Geo reporter that was broadcast late Monday, al-Yazid said the group gets support from tribal areas of Pakistan. His remarks in Arabic were dubbed into Urdu in the broadcast.
He gave thanks that the group is receiving assistance from the tribal areas. He then urged all Pakistanis to support the effort as part of their religious duty.
Afghan officials and U.S. commanders have long argued that Pakistan's tribal areas along the Afghan border are a haven for al-Qaida and Taliban militants as well as a support base for the insurgency in Afghanistan.
Afghan officials have also accused parts of Pakistan's army and intelligence agencies of secretly supporting the insurgency in Afghanistan. Al-Yazid says no country supports the group and in fact the Pakistani government has caused more damage to al-Qaida than any other.
He said the government of Pervez Musharraf betrayed the Islamist fighters in Afghanistan when it sided with the United States.
Al-Yazid also repeated claims that al-Qaida was behind the June bombing of the Danish Embassy in Islamabad. He claimed the bomber was from Mecca and originally wanted to fight in Afghanistan or Kashmir, but later decided to attack the Danish Embassy to retaliate for Danish cartoons satirizing the Prophet Muhammed.
Looks like this got Barryed by Obamamania. Even the blogs were slow to pick this up.
Heck, being number 3 in al Qaeda is as dangerous as being the drummer in a rock band.
And he reiterated al-Qaida’s position that “all Americans, not just the American government” are the enemies of Islam.
...
This is not a nuanced, oblique statement. It’s a declaration.
Unless you’re liberal and in the words of one of the posters replying to this at MSNBC, who believes:
“We need some seriously pursued parallel paths - economic development, women’s right, co-opt negotiations, etc. or this will never end.”
Let's hope the threat of al Qaeda to the Pak government will finally move them to decide to join with the US and enforce their writ in the tribal areas.
It ain’t easy being Number 3:
Since 2001, the U.S. has killed or captured five of the terror group’s Number 3s:
—In November 2001, U.S. fighter jets bombed the hideout of Mohammed Atef in Kabul, killing him.
—In February 2002, CIA and Pakistani intelligence officials captured Abu Zubaydah in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad, following a gunfight in which Zubaydah was severely wounded.
—In March 2003, CIA and Pakistani intelligence officers captured Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a house in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
—In May 2005, Pakistan intelligence officers captured Abu Faraj al-Libi as he rode a motorbike through a cemetery in the Pakistani city of Mardan. (Haithem al-Yemeni, a potential successor to al-Libi, was killed by a Predator in Pakistan near the Afghanistan border a week later).
—In December 2005, Hamza Rabia, Abu Faraj’s successor, was killed in a Predator attack in the village of Asorai, in western Pakistan near the town of Mirali.
OPINION: It could be the info was/is being analyzed.
Well let’s just send Barry over there for a little chat. He’s magical! He’ll convince them to change through hope in the future, because we all hope for change in the future, ‘cause it’s change, I think, um, uh.
Problem #1 with the war in Afghanistan ... unlimited support from the tribal regions ...
He said the government of Pervez Musharraf betrayed the Islamist fighters in Afghanistan when it sided with the United States.
Which is why we need Musharraf back in total power ... or need to take action on our own ... I'd prefer the former ... but the later would do. However ones opinion is about Musharraf, he did help us a lot in capturing a bunch of the early (original) members of al-Qaida. They (Ragheads in the Taliban and al-Qaida) tried to kill him several times ...
He is our ally, others in the intelligence field were not our allies, and the new civilian government is definitely not our friends ... Some of them still tend to blame Musharraf for Bhutto's death ... that is the mentality of those in the civilian government ... almost as bad as our liberal politicians. Musharraf at least attempted a solution, and IMO if he still had all his power ... he would at least be applying pressure to the insurgents again ....
Instead, from the current government of Pakistan we get shows of force followed by 1-sided peace agreements ...
Maybe with our new CentCom commander, a solution might come about ... he definitely understands an insurgency.
“Who is Number 2?”
I’m sure it is, but al Qaeda tapes are heralded in the media as breaking news. This first in five years interview is buried while Obama is on his big adventure.
Well,...now that we have won in Iraq ...the Media isn't as concerned about our National Security...
Uh...wait...didn't Obama say that Iraq wasn't the Major Front in the war on Al-Queda...?
Where is the Major Front?
And this interview was in Afghanistan....
I thought the Media was watching out for our Secuity....!
/Major Sarcasm...
Obama would agree with him. Both want an islamic take-over in Pakistan.
See #18.
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