The Flight 93 transcripts reveal the essentially religious orientation of the 9/11 mujahedin. They utter various Islamic prayers and phrases throughout the transcript. They cry “Allahu akbar” repeatedly, in accord with Al-Qaeda directives, when they begin their attempt to take over the airplane — and nine times in succession as it is crashing.
There is no surprise in any of this. Al-Qaeda and other jihadist organizations have made their perspectives and goals abundantly clear. But the major media continue to do what they have done since 9/11: ignore this entirely, despite the fact that it is the most important and revealing aspect of what we know about the hijackers and others who think like them. This TimesOnline story (thanks to JE) about the transcript is a case in point. (You can find a pdf of the transcript at this link also.) Although we’re told that one of the hijackers says, “O Allah, O Allah,” there is no mention of their repeated religious invocations, so that that single cry that is reported could simply be the cry of someone who is hurt or in peril; it gives no hint that it may have to do with why the hijackers are doing what they are doing. There is also no mention in the article of the hijackers shouting “Allahu akbar” even once, despite its relevance to Muhammad Atta’s instruction: “Shout, ‘Allahu Akbar,’ because this strikes fear in the hearts of the non-believers.” While the Times recounts the crash in detail, the nine “Allahu akbars” are conspicuously left out:
“Noooooo!” screams a passenger, and then, at 10.03 and seven seconds, 2,197ft above a field in Pennsyvannia [sic], the voice recorder shuts off. The courtroom is silent.
After this suspicious omission, the Times does at least record the reaction of the mad Moussaoui:
After the jury leaves, Moussaoui shouts: “God curse you all!”
The Times even reports that a passenger says “Let’s go guys.” Now look up at the headline I have put on this story. It is taken from the transcript. In the context of the entire statement, which is presented in the transcript as being spoken by the same person, do you think “Let’s go guys” was spoken by a passenger or by a hijacker? I don’t think the Times, a paper with generally good jihad coverage, wants to suggest that both passengers and hijackers were shouting “Allahu akbar.” Or do they?
This MSNBC story about the transcript is substantially the same. It does mention the “Allahu akbar” at the crash, but not its repetition: “‘Allah is the greatest’ someone yelled right before the plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field.” But it is strange that after identifying voices as being those of hijackers or passengers throughout the story, it suddenly attributes this yell, the only religious statement reported in the story, as coming from “someone.” As if it may have been a passenger or a hijacker.
Call me hypersensitive. But every day I read stories about the global jihad, and I see the lengths to which the mainstream media goes to obscure any reference to Islam and jihad as they report them. Self-professed mujahedin are always “militants” or “insurgents.” Mention is rarely, if ever, made of the ideological aspects of their struggle. And groups like CAIR are forever presented as neutral civil rights organizations. I think the way these transcripts are being presented is of a piece with all that. What do you think?
UPDATE: The BBC (thanks to John) has the complete transcript here.