Home > Zarqawi and al-Qaeda, unlikely bedfellows

Zarqawi and al-Qaeda, unlikely bedfellows

by Open-Publishing - Thursday 21 October 2004
5 comments

By Pepe Escobar

It’s a match made in (virtual) mujahideen paradise: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his group al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Unity and Holy War), swearing loyalty to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda on the Internet.

Now that’s a real October surprise. The "Zarqawi" letter, in Arabic, goes straight to the point: "Oath of loyalty of leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi towards the Sheikh of the Mujahideen, Osama bin Laden." It is signed by "Zarqawi". It qualifies bin Laden as the supreme jihad commander. And then the most intriguing part: it implies that al-Qaeda had finally recognized the merits of Zarqawi’s strategy. "Slowly our honorable brothers in al-Qaeda began to understand the strategy of al-Tawhid wal-Jihad in the land of two rivers ... and they began to rejoice over our program." That’s odd: if al-Qaeda thinks Zarqawi is so effective, it should consider joining al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, and not the other way around.

Washington officials say the letter may be an al-Qaeda warning call before an imminent major attack against the United States. Cynics say the letter - showing up only two weeks before the presidential election - may be a warped endorsement of President George W Bush on the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s (according to whom not voting for Bush means supporting terrorism).

The letter mentions that Zarqawi and al-Qaeda had been talking "for eight months". This connects to the still-unexplained story of a "Zarqawi" courier captured last February in Iraq before delivering a message to bin Laden. The message, an e-mail, was retrieved; but "Zarqawi", at the time, seemed to be more interested in fomenting civil war in Iraq than in ganging up with bin Laden.

Surprise, surprise
This latest letter shows up right at the beginning of Ramadan - the Muslim holy month - and the imminence of another devastating US attack on Fallujah. Certainly it could be interpreted as a rallying call to all members of the Sunni resistance. The letter simultaneously showed up online on an Islamist Internet forum regularly connected to al-Tawhid wal-Jihad and a newsgroup close to al-Qaeda. And it makes sense in terms of the history of Islam: in times of jihad, regional commanders end up pledging allegiance to a supreme commander.

But the letter doesn’t make sense when one considers the bitter strategic split between Jordanian Zarqawi and bin Laden. This is the first time ever that al-Tawhid wal-Jihad has even considered abdicating its ruthless sovereignty. The al-Qaeda nucleus is a mix of hardcore Saudi Wahhabis and the Egyptians of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s Islamic Jihad. Zarqawi’s group contains basically Jordanians, Palestinians and Syrians. They are Salafis, Islamic purists. The incompatibilities are not only ideological, but also methodological: al-Qaeda never attempted kidnappings or beheadings of Muslims. On the other hand, the black and orange brigades in Iraq are growing - these are disgruntled Sunni Iraqis increasingly attracted by the hardcore methods of al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, whose symbol is black and orange.

European Union experts from a counter-terrorism special cell in Brussels tell Asia Times Online, "We are working on the possibility that the letter may be an attempt to justify the current offensive by Iyad Allawi’s government against the Sunni insurgency." That’s also the predominant popular view in the Middle East. But counter-terrorism experts also worry about the likelihood of a code message for al-Qaeda fighters - assuming the letter is authentic. The Brussels experts are particularly intrigued by the mention of Ramadan as the "month of gifts and triumphs". Fundamentalisms are mutually attractive. The key consequence of Bush, a born-again Christian, invading secular Iraq has been the convergence of all sorts of Islamic fanatics in Mesopotamia. As much as apocalyptic Christians view the "war on terror" as a mission from God, apocalyptic Islamists would view "Zarqawi’s" allegiance to al-Qaeda as transcending a mere war and placing the whole thing as a do-or-die clash of civilizations.

In the end, this could be merely another US intelligence "black operation". Allawi wants Fallujah to hand him Zarqawi. Fallujah tribal leaders say Zarqawi is not in the city. Now, with alleged "proof" in writing of a Zarqawi-bin Laden link, there are no holds barred to leveling Fallujah. This October surprise from "the land of two rivers" is far from being the last.

http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FJ20Ak03.html

Forum posts

  • God LOVES Israel and the USA more you evil pig shit sand eating rag heads Go Beat your women jackoff and fuck Allah(The Moon God) in the Ass you backward WAHHABISM little prick cocksuckers tawhid and jihad muslims are fucking evil pig shit
    eating monsters that smell just like pig shit God LOVES Israel and the USA more you evil pig shit sand eating rag heads Go Beat your women jackoff and fuck Allah(The Moon God) in the Ass you backward WAHHABISM little prick cocksuckers tawhid and jihad muslims are fucking evil pig shit
    eating monsters that smell just like pig shit

    • God LOVES Israel and the USA more you evil pig shit sand eating rag heads Go Beat your women jackoff and fuck Allah(The Moon God) in the Ass you backward WAHHABISM little prick cocksuckers tawhid and jihad muslims are fucking evil pig shit
      eating monsters that smell just like pig shit God LOVES Israel and the USA more you evil pig shit sand eating rag heads Go Beat your women jackoff and fuck Allah(The Moon God) in the Ass you backward WAHHABISM little prick cocksuckers tawhid and jihad muslims are fucking evil pig shit
      eating monsters that smell just like pig shit

  • well fight you t’ll the end-you fucking asshole mullahs-you very tupid ones- I hate you like dogshit on my shoes

  • ""Wakeup world, millions of Evil Serial Killers , Mass Murders, Rapist, and LIARS are lose on the world, they call themselves islamic muslims and pray to a ( moon god ) called allah, they scream (allah akbar) as they cut off heads of people who will not pray to their MOON GOD , they live by an evil book called the (qur\’an), it teaches hate, and lies about God and Gods Laws. Muslims have and, are killing thousands of Innocent Children, Women, and Men around the world, beware, they are hateful, murders, rapist,and liars, God Have Mercy, As a group of people they are some, if not, the most Evil the world as ever seen. Learn of them, fear them, OR pray to their Moon God , this is horrible and true\". You can recognize Muslims by the rags on their heads and the hate in their eyes. They teach their young that only Allah fearing muslims are worthy of life and after life. their aim is to destroy us, they respect nothing; not even the lives of children. Every day there are bombings, every day innocent people are targeted and murdered. Unthinkable atrocities take place on daily basis. Terrorism is not an ideology, it is a tool; but the terrorists kill for an ideology. They call that ideology Islam. The entire world, both Muslims and non-Muslims claim that the terrorists have hijacked "the religion of peace" and Islam does not condone violence. Who is right? Do the terrorists understand Islam better, or do those who decry them? The answer to this question is the key to our victory, and failure to find that key will result in our loss and death will be upon us. The key is in the Quran and the history of Islam. Those of us, who know Islam, know that the understanding of the terrorists of Islam is correct. They are doing nothing that their prophet did not do and did not encourage his followers to do. Murder, rape, assassination, beheading, massacre and sacrilege of the dead "to delight the hearts of the believers" were all practiced by Muhammad, were taught by him and were observed by Muslims throughout their history.
    If truth has ever mattered, it matters most now! This is the time that we have to call a spade a spade. This is the time that we have to find the root of the problem and eradicate it. The root of Islamic terrorism is Islam. The proof of that is the Quran. No matter how painful the truth may be, only truth can set us free. Why this much denial? Why so much obstinacy? How many more innocent lives should be lost before YOU open your eyes? A nuclear disaster is upon us. This will happen. It is not a question of "if" but "when". Oblivious of that, the world is digging its head deeper in the sand.
    We urge the Muslims to leave Islam. Stop with excuses, justifications and rationalizations. Stop dividing mankind into "us" vs. "them" and Muslims vs. Kafirs. We are One people, One mankind! Muhammad was not a messenger of God. It is time that we end this insanity and face the truth. The terrorists take their moral support and the validation for their actions from you. Your very adherence to their cult of death is a nod of approval for their crimes against humanity.
    We also urge the non-Muslims to stop being politically correct lest they hurt the sensitivities of the Muslims. To Hell with their sensitivities! Let us save their lives, and the lives of millions of innocent people.
    Millions, if not billions of lives will be lost if we do nothing. Time is running out! "All it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." Do something! Send this message to everyone in your address book and ask them to do the same. Defeat Islam and stop terrorism. This is your world, save it. PS. CAIR is EVIL.

    • The only reason the Qu’ran is evil is because the official translaters and custodians are the Evil Saudi oil barons that Bush is owned by.If you cant react intelligently and must resort to filthy,immoral racists slurs,dont respond at all.Allah is not a moon god ,Allah is the very same god as the one in the bible.Why dont you actually read the Qu’ran before making assumptions dickhead.