In posthumous message, Jordanian CIA bomber calls on Muslims to wage holy war

Jordanian CIA bomber urges Muslims to wage jihad

CAIRO — The Jordanian doctor who killed seven CIA employees in a suicide attack in Afghanistan late last year called on Muslims to wage jihad and become martyrs in a posthumous message posted on extremist websites Friday.

Humam Khalili Abu-Mulal al-Balawi also said in the 29-minute audio recording that Islamic countries have been “plagued with despotic leaders” who discourage Muslims from jihad, and lamented that holy war has become little more than an adventure in the eyes of many Muslims.

“How long will love for jihad be just a dream, little more than a hobby which you do on your off-time?” he said.

The 36-year-old al-Balawi had been recruited by Jordanian intelligence officials, but was really working as an al-Qaida double agent. He had provided high-quality intelligence that established his credibility with Jordanian and U.S. intelligence, and led to drone-launched missiles strikes.

CIA officials were waiting to meet al-Balawi, who they thought would help them crack al-Qaida’s leadership, but on the way to a meeting on Dec. 30, al-Balawi detonated a powerful bomb, killing himself and seven CIA employees in one of the deadliest attacks in the agency’s history.

Al-Balawi said on Friday’s tape that he recorded the message Dec. 29, 2009.