Al-Zarqawi: Holy Warriors Standing Firm (Video)

[leftchick]

CAIRO, Egypt - In a rare video posted on the Internet, al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi accused the West and the United States of waging a "crusader" war against Islam, but said Muslim holy warriors were standing firm.

The video showed al-Zarqawi wearing an ammunition vest over a black shirt, with what appeared to be a black headband. An automatic rifle was propped against the wall next to him.

In the past, al-Zarqawi has made statements only through audiotapes posted on the Web, although photos of him obtained by the U.S. government have been widely circulated.

The video came just two days after a highly publicized call to arms by al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden — on an audiotape played on Arab television — that encouraged Muslims to support his group in its war with the West.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060425/ap_on_re_mi_ea/egypt_zarqawi_video

I saw the video a few minutes ago on CNN. IMO the person does not look at all like the last photo posted of him...



A man identifying himself as Al-Qaeda's Iraq frontman Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, seen here in an undated handout from the US State Department(USDS), appeared in an Internet video in what would be the first public appearance of one world's most wanted militants in at least three years.(AFP/USDS-HO/File)

Here is a video grab...



'Zarqawi' appears in Internet video, vows US defeat 17 minutes ago

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060425/wl_afp/iraqzarqawivideo_060425173359


PARIS (AFP) - A man identifying himself as Al-Qaeda's Iraq frontman Abu Musab al-Zarqawi appeared in an Internet video in what would be the first public appearance of one world's most wanted militants in at least three years.


"By God, America will be defeated in Iraq," said the man identified as Zarqawi.

The male, sporting a beard, is shown meeting with fighters briefing him on events in the western rebel town of Ramadi.

There had previously been only audiotapes of Zarqawi, while the US military obtained photos of Zarqawi in February 2005 when the rebel purportedly fled a car by a US checkpoint outside Ramadi.

[DrDebug]

1. They have found an actor!

Congratulations :D

Yeah, the fat bin Laden was getting boring and the audio messages were not a great success.

[pinniped]

36. This actor was shown walking around on two legs.

Did he get a leg transplant in the field?

[Nickster]

2. Gee not even one little ole still frame photo from the video to show me

he's holding up lately? Gosh, I'm shocked...

[ShortnFiery]

22. Is the complete / intact video released to us little people yet? n/t

[ShortnFiery]

3. The Spooks who attempt to twist our minds and opinions ...

Aren't even being either nuanced nor discreet anymore. :( :thumbsdown:

You'd think that they installed a partisan hack in the CIA, or something equally deleterious to the USA peoples' secruity? However, they sure got that "terra terra - the sky is falling!" theme down pat. :P

[dipsydoodle]

4. Rumour has it

he's an avid reader of DU and thought he'd better show his face to help dispel occasional mention him only being a mythical figure of no real substance.

[bullimiami]

5. george has the cia movie company working overtime

bin laden and al zarqawi in the same week or so.

[TomInTib]

6. Robert Fisk says Zarqawi is a myth

Now quite apart from the fact that many Iraqis - along, I have to admit, with myself - have grave doubts about whether Zarqawi exists, and that al-Qai'da's Zarqawi, if he does exist, does not merit the title of "insurgency mastermind", the words that caught my eye were "US authorities say". And as I read through the report, I note how the Los Angeles Times sources this extraordinary tale. I thought American reporters no longer trusted the US administration, not after the mythical weapons of mass destruction and the equally mythical connections between Saddam and the international crimes against humanity of 11 September 2001. Of course, I was wrong.

Here are the sources - on pages one and 10 for the yarn spun by reporters Josh Meyer and Mark Mazzetti: "US officials said", "said one US Justice Department counter-terrorism official", "Officials ... said", "those officials said", "the officials confirmed", "American officials complained", "the US officials stressed", "US authorities believe", "said one senior US intelligence official", "US officials said", "Jordanian officials ... said" - here, at least is some light relief - "several US officials said", "the US officials said", "American officials said", "officials say", "say US officials", "US officials said", "one US counter-terrorism official said".

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12395.htm

[ShortnFiery]

7. I agree with Fisk ...

This "Video Zarqawi" seems to have - what some may refer to as Black Irish blood within his genetic mix? The creamy tinge to his skin in this video - is in stark contrast to the images within the photographs sported in the past. IMO, this variance cannot be explained away on the basis of lighting differences. BTW the background set-up looks like it's complements of Mattel, Inc. :P

[TomInTib]

9. You would think that if "Zarqawi" was going to release a clip..

the background would look a little more ominous than a dorm room.

[leftchick]

10. I agree with Robert Fisk

thank you for the link.

[SKKY]

8. Bin Laden and Zarqawi in the same week...

If these videos are legit, which I think they are, this could signal something very, very bad headed our way.

[951-Riverside]

11. He's at 32% & everytime his polls numbers drop I have the same feeling

[SpiralHawk]

12. Jeez, Bush is trying so hard to look big and important in this pic

It would be comically pathetic, if AWOL were not fucking up America so horribly

[ShortnFiery]

13. IMO this one is NOT ...

Another note: Look at the area between the orbs of the eyes and the eyebrow area? Look at the colored picture above and note the excessive skin coming close to "hooding" the eye? Now look at at the Video Guy - see it? This excessive skin is gone and his eyes appear wider and more visible. Gee I didn't know that whatever HMO that covers Terrorists R Us has a Plastic Surgery option to include a forehead lift? :rofl:

Listen American Sheeple to our serenade of the terra terra fear fear fear ... in your closet and under your bed!

I dated a guy in R.O.T.C. that looked a lot like this video dude. Check yer ranks!?! :P

[leftchick]

17. I agree

I was watching the video while on the treadmill at the gym. I was totally freaked out that anyone thought it was "HIM"! WTF? He is DEAD! This is a Hail Mary video from one of rummy's black ops teams for poor sinking bush. :eyes:

[bdamomma]

14. here's another article

from english speaking al jazeera

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/57C4C467-12B2-429C-8373-CBCD2D285CAB.htm

[ShortnFiery]

15. "A man identifying himself as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi"

Shine on, Shine on harvest moon ...

Zarqawi's every DAMN where with 10-12 second-in-commands already captured/killed ... we must be getting close to the real deal. If there is one? :P

[High Plains]

16. Why the skepticism about Al Zarqawi's role and existence?

Do people really believe it's all a CIA charade? I find that hard to swallow.

That Al Qaeda would seek to take advantage of the invasion of Iraq seems perfectly reasonable. That it would be Zarqawi's boys blowing the shit out of Iraqi civilians, especially Shiites, also makes sense. If I were Al Qaeda, I would be doing everything I could to turn Iraq into a hellhole for the Americans (and Iraqis are just collateral damage in the jihad against the crusaders). That seems to be exactly what Zarqawi is doing.

I think it's foolish to suggest that Islamic radicalism a la Al Qaeda is not at work in Iraq.

[INDIA]

19. How's the kool-aid? n/t

[High Plains]

25. Do you have anything of substance to say?

I didn't think so.

[ShortnFiery]

20. Oh, of course there's Al Qaeda around the world ...

But to the BushBotBorg's chagrin such networks are decentralized. They've either elevated one dude EONS above his importance OR created this "boogie man" in the guise of, one each, Al Zarqawi, terrorist extraordinaire! <bugga bugga bugga BOO!> :P

The BEST answer to MINIMIZE the number of terrorist attacks is to raise-up the station of individual citizens in each country, i.e., lessen abject poverty and build hope for the masses. That's a non-starter with this ghoulish Neo-Conservative BushBotBorg Administration because it involves TRUE diplomacy. Heaven forbid! They only know how swagger and bully other countries all in the name of American Empire.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

31. great post

thanks

[ShortnFiery]

33. You're most welcome :-) eom

[madmark]

34. they make stars out of these assholes instead just taking them out

How many more fucking tapes do I have to see of OBL, Al-Zawari, and now this ahole. When Mullah Omar comes out with a tape Im blowing my brains out.

[ShortnFiery]

38. They want to give the American Sheeple time to fixate on a certain

personality so when we blow his sh*t away this fall, we can all cry out in unison, "Lookie! Our Dear Leader has killed the Face of Terrorism! Now we know that we are safer."

We're supposed to believe then (we kill someone whose picture we have grown to loathe) that we are winning this fictional War on Terror. As if there aren't dozens of men as evil as any they can post to us on our TV screens. As if. :P

[DrDebug]

21. The perfect enemy is an enemy who does not exist

You can never find him. He can never revenge you. You can blame him for everything. It's the perfect media lie.

If you designate Muqtada Al Sadr (Shiite) as the brains, it means that you are going to have to face the wrath of Muqtada Al Sadr.
If you designate Ahmed Janabi (Kurd) as the brains, it means that you are going to have to face the wrath of Ahmed Janabi.
If you designate Riyad al-Sulh (Sunnite) as the brains, it means that you are going to have to face the wrath of Riyad al-Sulh.

If you designate xxx as the brains even though xxx does not exists, it means that you can blame any attack on him and you don't have to face the wrath of xxx, because he doesn't exist.

Meet mr. Zarqawi. Somebody whose existance is highly questionable.

[fedsron2us]

32. Because it reads like the script from a bad Bond movie

with Zarqawi in the role of Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Al Qaeda as SPECTRE. He has lost a leg, died and yet he keeps coming back for the sequel. If you actually read any of the Arab press you will find a good deal of skepticism about Zarqawi's real importance or whether he is still alive. It is in the US media that he constantly gets top billing . This is because the US government desperately needs a black hat to justify all the blood and the billions of dollars that it is pouring into the sands of the Middle East. Any accurate picture of the complexities of the situation in Iraq, including a list of all the possible characters involved in the armed opposition to the occupation, would be too much for an American population already growing weary of the conflict. It makes life so much easier for the US authorities and the media to pretend that everything bad happening in Iraq is being orchestrated by one evil genius.

[INDIA]

18. Zarqawi is soooo fake!

Total myth. I bet 99% of the sheeple believe that he really exists. It's refreshing to see so many here at DU not buying the Bush and MSM lies!

[High Plains]

27. Okay, I'll bite: Is there no Al Qaeda in Iraq?

If not, who is doing all those bombings? You know, the ones aimed at Iraqi civilians, especially Shiites, in hopes of stirring up civil war? I don't see how that could possibly serve US interests, except in the most twisted conspiracy theory.

Maybe Zarqawi ain't Zarqawi, but to deny the existence of these forces in Iraq is just silly.

[ShortnFiery]

28. It's CELLs of Al Qaeda! Every country = Decentralized Organization

That's what makes it so damn dangerous. We are NOT at war with a country, but I would suggest, we're at war with OPPRESSION and ABJECT POVERTY. When people are destitute, they will follow the religious crazies, whether they be Christian or Islamic.

What we need to do is to HELP put these people to work in Iraq. Stop shipping in slave labor from the Philippines! It's probably too late and civil war will have to sort out the power structure.

But WE (USA) will leave - right before we're kicked out. Just like what nationalism did to us in good ole' Vietnam. :(

[Catrina]

30. There was no Al Queda in Iraq before George Bush got there ~ except

in the North which was under the control of the UN coalition.

Those who are shooting at Iraqis, especially Shiites, it has been said are the old Iraqi (Suni) army members, who faded into the background until the time was right.

There have been interviews with some of the generals from Saddam's army stating that they will fight the invasiion, and anyone who cooperates with it, because Iraq is their country.

I have no doubt there are some foreign fighters there by now (we have a whole army of mercenaries there, some from Africa, eg hired by US 'Contractors'). How do we know that some of these mercs didn't sign on to Rummy's private army just to get into Iraq?

Even the military says the number of foreign fighters is minimal ~ most of those killed in firefights have been Iraqis, with maybe 5% at most, being foreign.

The country is a mess, many observers saying it is in the throes of a civil war, which means Iraqis fighting Iraqis. That insurgency grows as this administration tortures and kills more Iraqis ~

But as far as Al Queda goes, before this war, it was estimated there were no more than a few thousand of them throughout the world. I imagine this war has helped recruit thousands more.

[Selatius]

23. Is it me? Or Does Zarqawi resemble Emmanuel Goldstein? n/t

[Catrina]

24. Do they really think we are stupid? Not even top US military

officials believe in the Zarqawi myth.

Dan Rather went to the hometown in Jordan of the real Al Zarqawi (coincidentally not long before the Freeper generated attack on him) and interviewed people there who knew him. The person they knew was certainly not the one being presented to the world, as I recall.

He was 'killed' about two years ago, he had one leg, then two legs! How many legs does he have now?

The 'one-leg' fairy tale was when they wanted to claim Iraq helped him by operating on his leg. But then, when they wanted to claim he was in the Nick Berg video, (but had two legs) they abandoned the one leg story.

The bottom line is that Bush and his attack on a sovereign country is the reason for any growth in terror recruits which may endanger this country. They need to stop with the stupid videos.

[ShortnFiery]

26. It's got to be some DOD covert ops hack job ...

This "Video Dude" version of Al Zarqawi, with his cherub cheeks, would seemingly fit better swilling beer in an Irish Pub than firing an automatic rifle in Iraq. Something is very amiss because he just don't look the part. ;)

[HuffleClaw]

29. ooohhh. i get it.

they are 'testing' their latest 'hugo: man of a thousand faces' kit to see if we'll fall for it and THEN they'll 'find' a bin laden video or two during the election campaign.

[norml]

35. Face of terror - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi - al-Qaida's man in Iraq - revealed

Face of terror - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi - al-Qaida's man in Iraq - revealed in videotape

By LEE KEATH, Associated Press Writer



This is an image made from video on the Internet showing al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

AP Photo/via IntelCenter


BAGHDAD, Iraq – Terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi revealed his face for the first time Tuesday in a dramatic video in which he dismissed Iraq’s new government as an American “stooge” and called it a “poisoned dagger” in the heart of the Muslim world.

The video, in which he also warned of more attacks to come, was posted on the Internet only days after a breakthrough in Iraq’s political process allowing its Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders to start assembling a government.

It also followed a high-profile audiotape from Osama bin Laden and seemed a deliberate attempt by al-Zarqawi to reclaim the spotlight following months of taking a lower profile amid criticism of bombings against civilians. It was his first message since January.

A U.S. counterterrorism official, speaking on condition of anonymity in compliance with office policy, said analysts believe al-Zarqawi is showing his face to demonstrate that he still is engaged as a leader of jihad, or holy war.

The message also appeared to be an attempt by the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq to rally Iraqis and foreign fighters to his side at a time when U.S. and Iraqi officials are touting political progress as a setback to insurgents.


snip


http://www.timesreporter.com/index.php?ID=53351&r=3

[ShortnFiery]

37. Yeah, they're really yucking it up ...

On Anderson Cooper they had Nick Roberson trying to interview what they claim is al-Zarqawi's brother.

OMFG they have to give it up! I'll surely split a gut laughing. :rofl:

Nope, the BushBotBorg needs a boogie man and by God it will be this posturing evil DUDE.

He may be real but he's not the alpha and omega of Terrorism.

How fucking stupid do they think the American Sheeple are? :puke:

No don't answer that ... for it the put *a face on EVIL* and kill this guy before the November elections, just perhaps the Republicans can win the Congress and forestall all those nasty investigations?

On Edit: Why won't they release the FULL video? Hum ... He's looking a little more like his old self in THIS photo.