'Month Of Holy War' Encouraged In Iraq

Al Qaeda In Iraq Leader Brags Of Foreign Support, Urges Ramadan Attacks

(CBS/AP) 
The new audiotape was only the most recent evidence of how militant groups have eagerly embraced the Internet as a tool. Wassef said that from the postings he sees on a daily basis, it is clear that the groups are using the Web as a primary means of "recruiting, financing, and publicizing," their fights.

In other developments:

Bombings and shootings killed at least 21 people in and around Baghdad while police reported finding 40 bodies, a sign of the unabated sectarian violence raging during Ramadan around many parts the Iraqi capital. The killings comes amid reports from a number of senior coalition military officials that a large and powerful militia run by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has been breaking apart into freelance death squads and gangs - some of which are being influenced by Iran. Al-Sadr's Mahdi army is one of the largest and most powerful militias in Iraq, along with the Badr Brigades - which were once the military wing of Iraq's largest Shiite political group, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

Iraq's Central Criminal Court said Thursday it had convicted 22 suspected insurgents of a range of crimes, including weapons violations and illegally entering the country. The defendants were convicted in proceedings from Sept. 8 to Sept. 14, and sentences ranged from one year in prison to 15 years, the court said. Those convicted of passport violations and entering the country illegally included men from Syria, Yemen and France. A Lebanese man, Muhammed Ahmad Salah, also admitted coming to Iraq to fight coalition forces, the court said. An Iraqi man, Abdul-Elwareth Al-Said Abdul-Elwareth Al-Maghrabi, was sentenced to 10 years on illegal weapons violations. The court said he was found in possession of weapons including 28 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) warheads, five SKS machine guns, three AKS assault rifles, 10,000 AK-47 rounds, and 400 14.5 mm anti-aircraft rounds.

Iraq's most important moneymaker - its oil industry - lost $16 billion in two years to insurgent attacks, criminals and bad equipment, a secret U.S. Audit says. The Baghdad government "must take bold action" to protect its oil and electrical facilities, concludes an unclassified summary of the classified audit. "Iraq cannot prosper without uninterrupted export of oil and the reliable delivery of electricity," Stuart W. Bowen, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, said in the summary released Thursday.

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©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Add a Comment

by ronniehm September 29, 2006 12:49 PM EDT

Well, either an idiot or an al qaeda operative (by your logic).

Reply to this comment

by ronniehm September 29, 2006 12:48 PM EDT

It's in the USA Today version of the same AP article. In fact, you'll find the quote in the unedited version of the AP article at AP.org. Need a link? http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ_AUDIOTAPE?SITE=VABRM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
The person who is so paranoid that he thinks government operatives are writing comments on blogs to make people vote Republican must be an idiot.

Reply to this comment

by drgoodwin12 September 29, 2006 7:44 AM EDT

I have watched the video of this and no where does it state that they are in "dire need" of recruitments for Al Queda . The person who claimed this must be one of Rove's political machine.Distorting the facts for fear of the truth.The truth is all external and internal polls (both parties) show the democratic party taking back control of congress.And as much as this idiot in charge of Al Queda claims this is not a holy war.I know many muslims who deplore Al Queda and I know many republicans who are going to vote Democrat.Sorry Rove's political machine operatives ,your tactics will not work this year.Just remember folks 2 things,cut and run is not an option and get out and vote Democrat.

Reply to this comment

by shutupmurtha September 29, 2006 2:09 AM EDT

Really, you meant these people are motivated by their religion...no way. You mean these peole want to kill us because of "Holy War", not because of political gain? Well that might explain why Muslims a reeking havoc in over 17 countries.

Look at the Koran that promotes "A Life of Holy War"

Reply to this comment

by ronniehm September 28, 2006 9:32 PM EDT

"We are in dire need of you."

This is perhaps the most important quote of the entire video, and CBS left it out of the article. Even al qaeda doubts the National Intelligence Estimate. They're not growing; they're barely surviving.

Reply to this comment

by clestes-2009 September 28, 2006 8:58 PM EDT

This is going to help the spread of democracy a lot.

Reply to this comment

by eigam September 28, 2006 6:21 PM EDT

Is this the way muslims want to expand their religion to the world? Who is the God of Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish; the same of Prophet Mohamed?

Let us pray God on this Ramadan so He let all iraquis experience His mercy and love and establish brotherhood in the area, and in the world.

Reply to this comment

by mjv2944 September 28, 2006 5:37 PM EDT

Holy war , hard to believe.

Reply to this comment

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[ronniehm]

Well, either an idiot or an al qaeda operative (by your logic).

[ronniehm]

It's in the USA Today version of the same AP article. In fact, you'll find the quote in the unedited version of the AP article at AP.org. Need a link? http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ_AUDIOTAPE?SITE=VABRM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
The person who is so paranoid that he thinks government operatives are writing comments on blogs to make people vote Republican must be an idiot.

[drgoodwin12]

I have watched the video of this and no where does it state that they are in "dire need" of recruitments for Al Queda . The person who claimed this must be one of Rove's political machine.Distorting the facts for fear of the truth.The truth is all external and internal polls (both parties) show the democratic party taking back control of congress.And as much as this idiot in charge of Al Queda claims this is not a holy war.I know many muslims who deplore Al Queda and I know many republicans who are going to vote Democrat.Sorry Rove's political machine operatives ,your tactics will not work this year.Just remember folks 2 things,cut and run is not an option and get out and vote Democrat.

[shutupmurtha]

Really, you meant these people are motivated by their religion...no way. You mean these peole want to kill us because of "Holy War", not because of political gain? Well that might explain why Muslims a reeking havoc in over 17 countries.

Look at the Koran that promotes "A Life of Holy War"

[ronniehm]

"We are in dire need of you."

This is perhaps the most important quote of the entire video, and CBS left it out of the article. Even al qaeda doubts the National Intelligence Estimate. They're not growing; they're barely surviving.

[clestes-2009]

This is going to help the spread of democracy a lot.

[eigam]

Is this the way muslims want to expand their religion to the world? Who is the God of Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish; the same of Prophet Mohamed?

Let us pray God on this Ramadan so He let all iraquis experience His mercy and love and establish brotherhood in the area, and in the world.

[mjv2944]

Holy war , hard to believe.