Something different...

Wow, look what I found...

Propaganda ‘now as vital as action' to al-Qaeda
By Roger Blitz, Roula Khalaf and Stephen Fidler in London
Published: September 2 2005 19:08 | Last updated: September 2 2005 19:08

Al-Qaeda's intensifying propaganda war with the US and Europe has become as important to the movement as terrorist attacks on western cities and interests, according to analysts studying a videotape featuring one of the London suicide bombers.


The tape of the last testimony of Mohammad Sidique Khan, broadcast by al-Jazeera television on Thursday, also featured Zayman al-Zawahiri, the al-Qaeda second in command, claiming its campaign had shifted to “the enemies' land”.

However, doubts remained about the extent of al-Qaeda's involvement in the July 7 attacks, which killed 52 people and the four suicide bombers. A US official said the Bush administration believed the tape was authentic, but that al-Qaeda was “happy to get the word out” that the network had inspired the bombings without necessarily being behind the attack.

Analysts and security officials focused on the signals being sent in the tape and its timing. Azzam Tamimi, director of the Institute of Islamic Political Thought, in London, said the aim was to exploit the worsening crisis in Iraq and to revive debate in the UK about British foreign policy.

The quality of the tape, with simultaneous translations in Arabic and English of the words of Khan and Mr Zawahiri, suggested an increasingly sophisticated propaganda operation.

“What is consistent is the attempt to influence propaganda, and al-Qaeda is winning that campaign, I am sorry to say,” said Mr Tamimi.

Yassir al-Sirri, an Egyptian dissident based in London, said both the tape and its production marked a new stage in the al-Qaeda propaganda war. “Al-Qaeda believes the media war is now as important for them as the actions,” he said.

Al-Qaeda's media arm, called Clouds Organisation, appeared to be behind the video production, said Saad al-Faguih, a Saudi dissident and head of the exiled Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia. “Al-Qaeda is trying to say that their media arm is also intact,” he said.

Mr Zawahiri's comments suggested a marked increase in the rhetoric against Europe, Mr Faguih added, saying the London attacks were planned to be linked to the Madrid bombings in March 2004. “It is part of al-Qaeda's strategy in Europe to force Europe to separate itself from America.” Mr Tamimi also believed the underlying message of the tape, linking the London attacks to Iraq, would strike a chord with Muslim opinion. “If you look at the argument you can hardly find a Muslim who disagrees with this sentiment, although most Muslims would disagree with the tactic.”

Al-Qaeda's approach since the London bombings had been confusing, Mr Tamimi said. In particular, Osama bin Laden, who usually figures in al-Qaeda propaganda tapes, did not feature in either of the two tapes since July 7.

Seems somewhat credible to me, I am going to trust them on this.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/4b4e2e82-1bdc-11da-9342-00000e2511c8.html