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| CS Monitor: More details on the Tape |
| 2004-10-28 |
| By Gretchen Peters EFL to get to the new information . . . The chilling 75-minute digital videotape, seen by a Christian Science Monitor reporter in Pakistan, where it was obtained by ABC News, shows a high degree of sophistication and bears the logo of Al Qaeda's video production house, As-Sahab. . . . Analysts at Pakistan's spy agency, the ISI, say the tape is genuine, explaining the material bears the same "signature" as previous As-Sahab video releases, which are unique in the world of jihadi video for their sophisticated editing techniques. It features the same gold logo that appeared, among other places, in a 2003 statement from Mr. bin Laden. There's also simultaneous Arabic subtitling - a complicated and time consuming process to put together - and a scrolling message across the bottom of the screen (similar to the news tickers on CNN and Fox) that was featured on a recent statement from al-Zawahiri. Since Sept. 11, 2001, as-Sahab has consistently pushed the frontiers of jihad media, publishing everything from "Nineteen Martyrs" (the story of the 9/11 hijackers) to live action terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia captured on video, says terrorism consultant Evan Kohlmann, who saw a portion of the material. "For someone to put that amount of advanced effort into fabricating an as-Sahab video sounds a little far-fetched," he says. Ahmad Muffaq Zaidan, Pakistan's bureau chief for the Arab-language network Al Jazeera and the recipient of past As-Sahab material here, also rated the material genuine. "We have seen this style before - the translation, the logo, the scroll," he says. The US intelligence official agrees that "there's a production value" to the tape. "The tape itself was edited and portions were spliced together," he says. "It probably was worked on for a period of time - probably done fairly recently, as recently as late summer." The tape's speaker references the conflict in Darfur, the 9/11 commission, Massachusetts same sex legislation, and the upcoming US presidential election. But while it seems genuine, do keep this point in mind: Nevertheless, it's become easier and cheaper to produce a relatively sophisticated video. With about $3,500, one can purchase a small digital video camera and a laptop with video editing software, and create output, which as Kohlmann puts it, is worthy of "a half-decent Hollywood studio." [The jihadi on the tape] issues several bursts of Arabic, mainly from the Koran, speaking the language well, but not as a native, say Arabic speakers who've heard the tape. And he's clearly a sophisticated news consumer - quoting sources ranging from BBC's Arabic language radio to US comedian Bill Maher. His rhetoric - both in English and Arabic - closely mirrors past statements by Al Qaeda: calling US leaders crusaders and weaving a picture of America as a corrupt empire about to expire. . . . Fred? Old Spook? Your comments please. |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #5 Why do all the high octane nuts come from California? I grew up here and I never thought of becoming a Jihadist or Moony or any other nutball religeon. Also only the converts seem to have this extreme gene, why not the lifelong faithful? |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2004-10-28 7:54:29 PM |
| #4 Drudge has flashing lights: ABC withheld the final 15 minutes of the tape from the CIA, where the alleged terrorist warns about Bush, Cheney, federal sources tell DRUDGE... MORE |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-10-28 4:57:18 PM |
| #3 So........Why this guy and not Binny? 'Cause Binny be D.E.A.D. |
| Posted by: Brett_the_Quarkian 2004-10-28 4:22:19 PM |
| #2 Dan Darling has some comments at Winds of Change. He has not seen the tape himself and would like to see a transcript. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-10-28 4:16:38 PM |
| #1 Wow! Late Summer! Arab version of real-time. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-10-28 4:11:40 PM |