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| Terror Networks | |
| Cartoons Latest Al-Qaeda Weapon | |
| 2005-12-21 | |
| Rome, 21 Dec. (AKI) - Sharpshooters who strike American tanks and suicide bombers who blow themselves up amid a Western convoy. In the latest propaganda effort, attributable to the al-Qaeda network, however, these are not grainy gory video images but cartoons. Posted to web sites frequently used for the statements of al-Qaeda number 2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and Iraqi point man Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the cartoon is the latest 'weapon' in a media war after the al-Qaeda 'tv news bulletins' and 'talk shows'. The first cartoon of its type, which Adnkronos International (AKI) has been able to identify, was posted to the Internet directly by the webmaster of one of the jihadi forums close to al-Qaeda. Five minutes in length, the cartoon comprises two episode, but at the end writing in Arabic promises a sequel The aim of the cartoon - the first part is set in an Iraqi-type environment, the second in a Western city - appears to be offering examples of terrorist attacks or simple guerilla actions. It opens with a burst of fire from a bazooka by a stylised figure of a man, dressed in green and filmed from above. Then the action begins, a battle scene in the streets of a city, filmed from above where armoured vehicles on patrol are targeted by mujahadeen hidden in the houses, who set traps for the soldiers, destroying their tanks. At a certain point, the angle of vision changes and one sees a tank advancing as a guerilla, his face covered, lies in wait. When the tank stops, the face of an American soldier, with a highly caricaturised face, emerges cautiously. Once he has looked around and feels it safe, the soldier emerges from the vehicle, only to be struck in the head by a sharpshooter's bullets. The second part of the film opens with the image of a kalashnikov which assembles itself and fires shots, followed by a phrase in Arabic. "One of the citties where the convoys of the tyrants move." The scene could easily be a Western city and in particular an area surrounded by sea that recalls Manhattan, New York. This part of the cartoon shows how to carry out an attack against a convoy, at the centre of which seems to be a vehicle that carries an important person, a minister or even head of state. The route to follow is indicated with a red arrow which stops at the point where in a short period of time, the attack will occur. When it reaches this point, the convoy is struck by the car suicide bomb. The aim of the cartoon seems to be to explain how to cause maximum damage and loss of life with the means on hand. In fact, after this first attack on the tank, on the video screen a phrase appears: "The true battle will commence soon". This is the cue for the arrival of police cars. When one of these vehicles is separated from the others, a muajadeen comes out of a nearby building and fires on the policemen. In both sections the animated cartoon takes as it's model the guerilla techniques of al-Qaeda in Iraq to create major damage.
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| Posted by:Steve |
| #4 Likely using gaming software to produce them From the picture posted along with the story, it looks like it is a Flash animation, so a bit cruder than it's made out to be, but still a dangerous evolution. |
| Posted by: Paul Moloney 2005-12-22 00:00 |
| #3 I remain amazed that this crap flows into cyberspace. Is it a defense of the freedom of speech, or just no worthy american hacks to shut these sites down? |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2005-12-21 22:48 |
| #2 I was guessing either Doonesbury or Ted Rall. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-12-21 17:57 |
| #1 So it's not abu Marlette after all! That was close. |
| Posted by: Leon Clavin 2005-12-21 17:52 |