American Qaeda leader Al Awlaki urging followers to steal funds, property from West
By ANITuesday, January 18, 2011
LONDON - Followers of Anwar Al-Awlaki, a rising leader of the Yemeni branch of Al Qaeda, are being told to steal, embezzle and seize property, especially from Americans, in order to finance their jihad.
While Muslim teaching generally forbids theft, the new edition of Inspire magazine is now telling followers that such crimes are justifiable, especially if the U.S. government and U.S. citizens are targets.
In the fourth edition of the magazine, launched by Al Qaeda in Yemen in July, American-born Al-Awlaki encourages his disciples to fund more attacks through crime.
The Middle East Media Research Institute provided Fox News with its copy of the magazine.
“In an attempt to deal with the cash-shortage jihadist groups are facing, Al-Awlaki gives religious justification to any actions used by jihadists to obtain money.
In the article, titled ‘The Ruling on Dispossessing the Disbelievers’ Wealth in Dar Al-Harb,’ he deals with the issue by ruling that Western countries are considered Dar Al-Harb, i.e. the territory of war, countries on which the rules of war apply,” says an analysis from media research group.
Intelligence analysts are also keying in on the magazine’s emphasis on the recruitment of women as suicide bombers.
One analyst who gathers intelligence from publicly available sources told Fox News that the online magazine dovetails with a new Web video where the al-Awlaki’s lectures are used to voice over still pictures of women preparing for battle.
“The video glorifies the role of Muslim women in battle. Each frame of the lecture is accompanied by women. Each section has a photo of women preparing for battle, carrying arms, as part of terrorist groups,” said the analyst, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “It is definitely a recruiting film for women willing to sacrifice themselves.”
The video ends with a still photo of the Russian “Black Widow” who blew herself in the Moscow subway March 2010.
Analysts also note that Americans have written all the leading articles in the latest edition of the magazine.
The magazine’s tone is disrespectful when it asks under a picture of a frowning President Obama, “Lemme guess, you’re UPS’d?”-a reference to one the cargo companies where a printer bomb was planted. (ANI)
