As the role of the media becomes increasingly important in the overall strategy of al-Qaeda, the network has decided to issue an appeal for help to all Muslims working in news and information. With a video broadcast on Monday on Islamist forums on the Internet, the "Emir of the Global Islamic Media Front" said: "We invite you to join the Islamic Media Front so that you can help us, through your ideas and your experience."
"We need your help and your technical knowledge. The Front is present in Islamic forums on the Internet and will be boosting its messages in the future: Come and help Islam by joining the Front" the message urges.
The recording was referred to during the latest al-Qaeda 'news bulletin', the third, broadcast last week. During the 8-minute video message, there is a close up of a man with his face masked, reading a text written on a page. THe man invites all Muslims in the communications sector to exploit their knowledge to help the jihad, underlining the central role that the Internet is playing in the battle against the enemies of Islam.
Also on Monday, the same organisation broadcast a propaganda video on the Iraqi insurgency, entitled "The Echo of Bullets", a compilation of old video clips of Baathist guerrillas and fighters loyal to Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi with in the background an Islamic song which sings the praises of the Iraqi insurgents. |