Al-Qa'ida's Al-Ablaj Issues New Threats Against US,
West; Says UBL Is Alive

GMP20030523000158 London Al-Majallah in Arabic 25-31
May 03

[Report by Mahmud Khalil in Dubai: "Al-Qa'ida Issues
Series of New Threats; West's Water Threatened With
Poisoning" -- this report was received directly from
Al-Majallah by fax on 23 May; a copy of the magazine
not yet received]

[FBIS Translated Text]
Contacts and enquiries from various Arab and
international media organs have not stopped since
Al-Majallah's publication of the message that its
correspondent Mahmud Khalil had received about the new
strategy adopted by al-Qa'ida organization for the
coming state. The message included threats to the
Gulf countries, countries allied to the United States,
and the United States itself.

Following the closure of the US and British
Embassies and their consulates in Riyadh, Jeddah, and
Dhahran and the subsequent statements voicing fears of
major operations, following the bombings in Riyadh in
Saudi Arabia and Casablanca in Morocco, and following
the statements of the Saudi Ambassador in the United
States that expressed fears and anticipations of
imminent bigger operations in Saudi Arabia and the
United States, Al-Majallah's correspondent sent
several questions to the person calling himself the
official in charge of training in al-Qa'ida, asking
him whether the organization was really responsible
for the above and other operations.

Al-Ablaj's answers took three days and arrived at
the last minutes before the edition was closed to
further material. We report them as received between
parentheses regardless of the contents and what they
imply.

Cooperation With Saddam [subhead]

Al-Qa'ida's training official Abu-Muhammad
al-Ablaj hinted at the existence of cooperation
between al-Qa'ida and deposed Iraqi President Saddam
Husayn in the ongoing operations in Iraq. He said:
"Allah has turned to him (with forgiveness). He
declared jihad and did not recognize Israel. There
is nothing to bar cooperation with a Muslim who has
made jihad his course and way for liberating the holy
lands." He pointed out, "Al-Qa'ida elements are
fighting side by side with the Iraqis" but claimed
that the "Western media is blacking out coverage of
the operations carried out by the Iraqi resistance."
He did not however explain if the operations were
joint ones between them and the remnants of Saddam
Husayn's followers.

Al-Ablaj did not rule out the possibility of
"al-Qa'ida using Sarin gas and poisoning drinking
water in US and Western cities." He said that they,
al-Qa'ida, "are going to present the Americans with
their capabilities" and threatened "to strike
devastating blows to Israel abroad."

On the targeting of Muslim civilians by an
organization that says it is defending Muslims,
Al-Ablaj said, "They are the protectors of the
enemies."

The Withdrawals [subhead]

On the reason for the Riyadh operation after the
announcement of the start of the US forces'
withdrawal, he said: "The US forces did not leave
Saudi Arabia in response to our demands. What
happened was a US military strategy to deceive the
Muslims and to wash their hands of the victim (Iraq)."
He considered the US forces' departure from Saudi
territories as nothing more than an operation of
organization and coordination for these forces in the
Gulf.

On the possibilities of operations in Qatar and
Kuwait, Al-Ablaj said: "Despite our quick
preparations and efforts, this does not mean that we
have absolute capabilities. It also does not mean
that our jihad in one area indicates we are ignoring
another area. The winning card is not used just at
any time." He added: The timing and venue of our
operations are not as our enemy's wish. He cannot
drag us but we drag him to the venue and the timing
that we decide. War is not a game or a three-hour
American movie but precise, step-by-step, systematic
details that we deduce from every operation and its
resultant consequences. We then start another action
to strike another part of this snake. This does not
prevent us from clipping the wings.

The Jerusalem Road [subhead]

Regarding suspicions surrounding them after the
Riyadh and Casablanca strikes, especially as they did
not act throughout the war on Iraq or were afraid that
Saddam would take over their operations and therefore
show them as his followers, Al-Ablaj said:

There was no objection to the convergence of
interests with Saddam despite his adherence to his
Ba'thism and our differences with him over the essence
of the creed. But now and after Iraq and the entire
had seen Saddam's religious conversion -- and the
evidence of this is his religious letters, his call
for jihad, his non-recognition of Israel, and his exit
from the US orbit -- Saddam can be regarded as one of
the men. Allah will turn (with forgiveness) to
anyone who repents. We are a party that does not
follow anyone. This does not however prevent us from
cooperating with any Muslim who has made jihad his
course and way for liberating the holy lands. We
have brothers fighting side by side with our brothers
in Iraq. The Jerusalem road passes through Iraq and
time will show you.

He added: Iraq is a copy of Afghanistan but a
bigger arena for the confrontation, explosions, and
ambushes and is better for exhausting and bleeding the
enemy. But what do we say to the media that conceals
such operations.

Regarding suspicions that there is coordination
with the United States to give it the excuse to lay
its hands on the region, Al-Ablaj said: "This is
absurd, stupid, and an ignorance of religion and
reality. The Americans are not waiting for an excuse
to lay their hands on the region. Their strategy is
to control the region's destiny and this is also in
their creed.

The Surprise [subhead]

On why did they not deliver blows to Israel in
parallel to the 11 September, Riyadh, and Casablanca
attacks, he said: "We are asked this question
frequently. Israel is protected by walls that
prevent the mujahidin from reaching it. Our duty is
to strike the chest, not the back, and the United
States is Israel's chest. There are young believers
in Israel who are striking it from within. We tell
and promise them that we are going to cause it pain,
make it cry, and deliver devastating blows to it
abroad. As to whether it will be of the magnitude of
the New York conquest, it will not be before the
surprise for the United States. Whatever pains the
United States makes Israel cry.

Sarin Gas [subhead]

Is the method of suicide bombers with explosive
belts around their waists likely to be moved to US and
Western cities and will these cities be attacked with
Sarin gas and other means, Al-Ablaj said: "Our
operations differ from one country to another
according to the capabilities and available resources.
We always seek the joints, gaps, and loopholes,
especially the deeper ones. And there are many of
these to the intelligent and smart person. This
facilitates and accelerates our successive and
constant blows. Our targets are always strategic.

As to the use of Sarin gas and nuclear [weapons],
we will talk about them then and the infidels will
know what harms them. They spared no effort in their
war on us in Afghanistan and left no weapon but used
it. They should not therefore rule out the
possibility that we will present them with our
capabilities.

Iran [subhead]

On whether Sayf-al-Adl, Abu-Muhammad al-Masri,
Abu-Mas'ab al-Zarqawi, and Sa'd Bin Ladin were the
ones who sent the orders from where they are in Iran
for the attacks in Riyadh and Casablanca, he said:
"This is a big fallacy. The United States and its
failed and stupid intelligence organ are lying. Let
them review their information well. I warn Iran:
Watch out. Rumors will increase so as to make bigger
concessions to the United States. Do not say you ate
the day the white bull ate. Keep the stupidity and
idiocy to those who do not know the objectives and
ambitions of the United States. Is defense of
religion, honor, and land a justification for the
infidel's hegemony? Is selling the religion, land,
and honor enough to avert the infidels' evil? How
ugly are the balances and woe to those that deal in
fraud. Regarding the brothers you mentioned, I will
neither confirm nor deny.

So the instructions came directly to you from Bin
Ladin? Al-Ablaj said: "We must underline here what
brother Shaykh Sulayman Abu-Ghayth had said, namely,
that the nation has 1,000 Bin Ladins. We do not
forget Abu-Abdallah's favor to all of us.

Bin Ladin Is Alive [subhead]

On whether there is concrete evidence that Bin
Ladin is still alive and why has he not appeared
through audio or video for a long time or whether that
is dependent, as some sources say, on the major
operation that you are threatening to carry out
against the United States and what about the confirmed
information that his son Sa'd is leading al-Qa'ida
now, Al-Ablaj said:

They already claimed that the shaykh was not alive
and he belied them. The shaykh belies them whenever
they make these lies. The United States will not
drag us into what it wants. We will drag it into
what we want. Regarding the shaykh's appearance, I
cannot give a specific time but he will come out at
the right time and not when the United States wishes.

Regarding the shaykh's son as leading the
organization, we say this: He is the son of his
father. But the shaykh is still alive and in his
prime. He is the one leading the organization.

On whether the recently taken security measures
would derail their plans, he said: "Our plans have
not changed. Everything is proceeding according to
plan and the implementation will not be long in
coming."

On whether there are anticipated operations
against the Americans, he said: "The good thing
about this meeting [interview] is that it will be
followed by a gift; as Abu-Abdallah [Bin Ladin] said:
We will make them shed tears of blood."

[Description of Source: London Al-Majallah in Arabic
-- London-based Saudi-owned weekly; sister magazine of
Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper providing independent
coverage of Arab and international issues]



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