As the United States, with the exception of New York City, steps down from ThreatCon Orange (high) to ThreatCon Yellow (elevated), MEMRI is reporting that the Islamist Web sites, www.alfjr.com and www.arabforum.net have published a "religious exhortation" announcing a coming terrorist attack, apparently within 10 days and apparently within the United States. The post was published Feb. 24.
Throughout the post, the author -- calling himself The Prince of Philosophy -- claims an attack is imminent ("the train of death is on its way... nothing will stop its riders.") Two pictures are published, one showing a ghostly Osama bin Laden hovering over the burning World Trade Center.
The translation, courtesy of MEMRI, follows:
'Here is Victory Appearing on the Horizon... Here is the Dawn of Islam'
"Allah Akbar [Allah is the greatest], Allah Akbar. Here is victory appearing in the horizon."
"Allah Akbar, here is the dawn of Islam that has arrived to bring an end to the night of unbelief, collaboration [with foreign powers], and hypocrisy."
"Allah Akbar, die with your anger, oh herds of error. Allah Akbar, die with your wrath, oh gangs of [unjust Muslim] rulers. Allah Akbar, oh slaves: all of you are big slaves and small slaves, you and your masters."
"Your shrouds are woven with gun powder and smoke, and your coffins are shells of fire and spearheads."
"There is no rescue, nor escaping the earth, with all of its width and length [it] belongs to our Lord, the skies and their horizons belong to our Lord. You have nothing, oh slaves of the cross and slaves of the Dirham and Dinnar [currency used in the Arab world]."
'Our Dead Go to Paradise and Yours Go to Hell... Rejoice, Oh Lovers of the Hur [i.e. the Black-Eyed Virgins of Paradise] and the Gardens [of Paradise]'
"Allah is our ally and you have no ally. Our dead go to Paradise and yours go to Hell, and how bad is their fate."
"Allah Akbar. It is Paradise, a paradise as wide as the whole skies and earth. Rejoice, oh lovers of the Hur [i.e., the black-eyed virgins of Paradise] and the gardens [of Paradise]"
"Allah Akbar, it is the clear victory and the great triumph [promised by Allah]. By Allah, if you knew what I know, you would laugh much and you would go to your trenches crying with extreme joy, while you carry your arms."
"Allah Akbar, here are the heroic soldiers of the Truth. They have taken their positions and raised their swords and they shielded themselves with the protection and support of Allah."
"Here Are the Lions Ready to Set Out, Waiting to Hear the [Battle Cry] 'Allah Akbar' Coming from their Commander"
"Allah Akbar. Here are the lions ready to set out, waiting to hear the [battle cry] 'Allah Akbar' coming from their commander, to assault with speed, with the heat of a volcano, and the bombardment of thunders."
"Allah Akbar, how long was the dark night, its darkness will no longer besiege us."
"Oh the raiders for Allah, hurry on your way to crush this unbelief, oh the raiders for Allah."
'The People of Islamic Lands... Have Left to Encounter the Enemy'
"Allah Akbar, oh the people of Islamic lands, your brethren have left to encounter the enemy with firm resolve and conviction of victory, Allah willing."
"You should offer supplications. Continue with [supplications] and do not stop. Do not stop asking Allah's forgiveness and recite His name, so that victory should come from Him,"
"Oh lions of Islam, may our appointed time be tonight and every night in the prayer niches of the Exalted One so that we align our feet before Allah, He who has all power, kingship, and greatness."
'The Coming Blows... Meet the Enemy Inside His Own Home [Country]'
"We beseech Him and humble ourselves before Him and implore Him to direct the coming blows [right to the targets] and to protect our brethren who went out to meet the enemy inside his own home [country]."
'It is Only a Matter of a Few Days, a Little More'
"You, our brethren, be firm and keep the path and hide in waiting and prostration [as in prayer] for it is only a matter of a few days, a little more than ten or less until we hear the cry announcing to us the good tidings of Allah's victory [coming] by the hands of our brethren, the Jihad fighters. This is a serious matter and not a joke."
'The Operations Have Already Been Set and the Lions Have Taken their Positions'
"The operations have already been set and the lions have taken their positions and everything is complete. They are only waiting for permission from the heroic commander."
"Whatever the enemy may do, he will never be able, Allah willing, to thwart anything. The brigades for the main missions are ready. They are supported by their brethren, members of the supporting brigades and the reserve brigades. The alternative plans are ready."
"Hence, whatever the enemy of Allah may do, he shall not be able to harm us, Allah willing."
'The Train of Death is on its Way'
"The train of death is on its way. Its riders are steadfast. Nothing will stop them or turn them back, Allah willing, from the goal: neither the bushes of the enemy nor his weeds, neither his reptiles [nor] his lizards will stop its progress."
"There is no force or advancement, except from Allah, the All-Powerful..."
"It is only a matter of a few days so be patient. We will come out and announce to you the news of the great victory."
"And so I repeat: supplications, supplications, supplications, supplications to Allah..."
"We implore Allah, to protect them [the Jihad fighters]... and to take away from them [the enemies'] hearing and sight."
'Oh Allah, This is America... Destroy it and Shake it and All who Walk in its Line'
"Oh Allah, this is America... destroy it and shake it and all who walk in its line and entrenches with it... There is no god but you, the exalted..."
Obviously, the question is, "Is this genuine?" Arabforum.net has been the recipient of bin Laden's messages before, most recently his latest tape released earlier this month calling on Muslims to defend Iraq. American intelligence reports have labeled that tape "almost certainly" genuine.
The original post, in Arabic, can be found here. Perhaps someone who reads Arabic is willing to check it against MEMRI's translations? (Although MEMRI is usually very good.)
I’m not completely discounting this, but it seems to me that if the terrorists announce what they are going to do, and when, the element of surprise is lost and they cannot accomplish their goals. Allah willing or not. I’m skeptical.
Klaatu
There’s always a weird karma at work with this kind of stuff.
It’s almost as though these sorts of predictions — or affirmations of action or whatever you want to call them — indicate a fundamental uncertainty out and about among the Islamofascist “brothers”. As if they’re all trying to reassure each other — because if they don’t keep up the apocalyptic rhetoric and incantations of doom, then they’ll drift apart, lose interest, get on with the business of living — eating, fucking, shitting — and forget that, oh yeah, we’re supposed to be pissed off, wronged, and forever slighted.
Fascinating. It’s a bit disconcerting to actually read one of these before an event; I’ve heard of this happening often, in the past, so there’s enough to it to worry a bit.
The US broadcasts its war plans everyday in the press so why not believe the misguided “Prince of Philosphy,” who relies on the net to stir the troops and get his message out.
Of course, now both sides are engaged in psych ops, hence the latest missive, but I also believe both sides are pack’n and intend to kill. very disturbing . .
The “Middle East Media Research Institute” (RMEMRI) does seem to be a professional outfit. I’d linked to them twice in my webletter before I came across Brian Whitaker’s article Selective Memri, where he says “the stories selected by Memri for translation follow a familiar pattern: either they reflect badly on the character of Arabs or they in some way further the political agenda of Israel.” He says cached versions of MEMRI’s website talk about “the continuing relevance of Zionism to the Jewish people and to the state of Israel”, and show that three of the listed staff were former Israeli intelligence officers. A response from MEMRI, Media organisation rebuts accusations of selective journalism , is also cited.
Looking back in my files, the two MEMRI articles I passed on, after seeing cited elsewhere, were Al-Jazeera Interview With Top Al-Qa’ida Leader Abu Hafs ‘The Mauritanian’ (link now dead) and ‘Why We Fight America’: Al-Qa’ida Spokesman Explains September 11 and Declares Intentions to Kill 4 Million Americans with Weapons of Mass Destruction.