The title “Expel the Polytheists from the Arabian Peninsula” is taken from a tradition of the Prophet Muhammad.
DUBAI (Reuters) – One of Saudi Arabia’s most wanted al Qaeda militants has called on Muslims to kill Americans everywhere and vowed attacks against Arab leaders allied to Washington, according to a video carried on an Islamist Web Site.
A masked man identified as Abdulaziz al-Muqrin in a video on the Dirasat Web Site said Americans had yet to feel the “real fires of battle.” In an apparent reference to a guerrilla uprising in Iraq, he said Washington faced another Vietnam.
“O mujahideen, fight the Americans everywhere and fight the Americans with all your might and capabilities. Terrorise them as they have terrorised your brothers,” the man said.
There was no independent confirmation of the identity of the figure whose brown cloth mask obscured all but his eyes.
“O mujahideen this is your day, your jihad, and this is your enemy occupying your land, turning it into bases to fight Islam and Muslims, and controlling apostate agents. So fight them until…you only see blood and body parts as they have done to your brothers in Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq in their battles in the Muslim peninsula,” the man said.
The Web site has in the past carried statements purporting to be from Saudi-born al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, widely believed to be behind September 11 attacks on the United States, and other officials of the militant network.
The video was posted on the Web Site as U.S.-led forces faced growing rebellion from both Sunni and Shi’ite guerrillas in Iraq. The fighting that has killed some 35 soldiers and at least 200 Iraqis in three days has thrown into doubt plans for a handover of sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30.
U.S. and Pakistani forces are involved in a spring drive to capture al Qaeda militants in Afghanistan.
MUSLIM RULERS TARGETED
Muqrin is on a Saudi wanted list of top al Qaeda militants, blamed for suicide bombings which killed at least 50 people in the capital Riyadh last year.
“The mujahideen will target the crusaders at first. As for the apostate, agent rulers their day is coming soon, God willing, after we are done with their masters and the convoys of martyrs will continue,” said the man dressed in brown fatigues and holding an automatic rifle. He was speaking in Arabic.
Muqrin was reported last month to have taken over leadership of al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia after the killing of the former top operative Khaled Ali Ali Haj.
Earlier this month a strategy paper posted on a Web site and signed by Muqrin listed Jews, Americans and Britons as main targets and called on militant cells worldwide to “turn the infidels’ lands into hell.”
The man in the video — which carried the title “Expel The Polytheists from the Arab Peninsula” — warned Muslim rulers and security and intelligence forces against confronting militants fighting Americans at pain of death.