SPECIAL REPORT

The Eternal War


Historical pattern could link 21st Century al Qaeda to 11th Century Nizari Assassin cult


Insignia of the Muslim BrotherhoodOn September 11, many Americans took their first hard look at the web of extremist groups known as al Qaeda, and publishers scoured their libraries for books that could offer insight into the phenomenon of radical Islamic terrorism.

Many drew an immediate connection between al Qaeda and the infamous Islamic radical sect of the 11th century, the Nizaris, best known today as the Assassin cult. These early comparisons were often more glib than apt; many glossed over important gaps that created a seemingly insurmountable gulf of history and theology between the two movements.

But a still-closer examination of the two movements reveals fascinating parallels between al Qaeda and the Assassins, even suggesting a possible path for a historical link between the two. INTELWIRE's J.M. Berger has written a four-part analysis of the topic on behalf of the Rotten.com library. The result is an intriguing hypothetical scenario that could have major implications for the War on Terrorism as it is understood today.

Click here for an index of the articles

NEW AND UPDATED:

al Qaeda & OKC


The State of the Story: An overview of the INTELWIRE investigation


Within hours of the Oklahoma City bombing, many observers of terrorist activity speculated that the attack may have been sponsored by Islamic extremists or other Middle Eastern interests.

When Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were arrested in the case, the media pendulum swung to the other extreme, dismissing such early speculation as the result of ethnic and religious bigotry. The U.S. government flatly stated that the attack had been carried out by domestic, right-wing American terrorists. The case, it seemed, was closed.

But new information continued to trickle out during the intervening years. Based on this new information, there is good reason to re-examine our national assumptions about Oklahoma City. What follows is an all-new look at how the activities of the known Oklahoma City conspirators — McVeigh and Nichols — fit within an extremely dense and sprawling network of al Qaeda operatives known to be active in the U.S. during the early 1990s.

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  1. Al Qaeda infiltration of the U.S.
  2. al Qaeda Specifically Recruited U.S. Soldiers
  3. Underground In The U.S.A.
  4. The Return Of Ramzi Yousef
  5. Plotters Paths Intersected In November 1994
  6. A Convenient 'Accident' Exposes Yousef
  7. U.S. Intelligence Develops AQ Intel Source
  8. A Bomb Detonates in Oklahoma
  9. The Saudis Suggest Iraq Was Responsible
  10. No Roads Lead To The Phillipines?
  11. The Khalifa Deportation
  12. A Deeply Flawed Investigation
  13. al Qaeda's Modus Operandi Fits The Case
  14. Iraq Focus Derails Mainstream Credibility
    15.

Commentary: Fighting al Qaeda 'There' Instead of 'Here' Makes Iraqi Civilians Into Cannon Fodder For Terrorists

During last week's vice-presidential debate, Dick Cheney reiterated a key tenet of the administration's policy on the Iraq War: "We need to battle (terrorists) overseas so we don't have to battle them here at home." President Bush has struck the same theme several times since the beginning of the war in Iraq, mentioning it during the first presidential debate.

"Cannon fodder" has always referred to soldiers sacrificed in an impossible battle, but the invasion of Iraq has cast the term in a new light. The deployment of U.S. troops as cannon fodder for terrorists is bad enough, but the "there not here" strategy is also drafting Iraqi civilians to die as victims of terrorism in the place of American civilians.

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Details of Extremist Web Site That Published Beheading Video

The Ansar-Alsunnah Web site (http://ansar-alsunnah.s5.com) has posted a video of an Iraqi hostage being beheaded. The Web site is registered as a subdomain on s5.com, a provider of free hosting. Portions of the site, including several graphics, are also hosted on the Lycos Tripod network of free Web sites. s5 is owned by United Group, a Woodland Hills, Calif. consumer Internet company that provides services to NetZero and Juno. The beheading video, which appears to have been disabled, was hosted through a file sharing service called yousendit.com.

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Strategy Analysis: Is The U.S. Losing The Information War?

When John Kerry outlined his plan for fighting terrorism, he offered a sharp alternative to President Bush's prosecution of the War on Terror so far. But while Kerry made several key changes in execution, his plan is based on many of the same underlying assumptions that fuels the Bush Administration's policy toward terrorism.

This article addresses information management strategies employed by al Qaeda and the United States. This topic, which has not been discussed extensively by either candidate, has been raised by the 9/11 Commission. The information issue is integral to the conflict between Western governments and the global network of terrorist groups generally referred to under the heading of "al Qaeda."

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Independent Research of Note

Like INTELWIRE, these Web sites feature independent researchers and reporters who are working to cover aspects of the War on Terror that have been neglected in the mainstream media. Although INTELWIRE does not necessarily endorse the conclusions found on these sites, they are thought-provoking reads which offer a fresh perspective.

Terror Tracker: The Web site of Neil Doyle, author of Terror Tracker. Doyle covers al Qaeda's computer infrastructure, and his book also deals with the arrest of Abu Hamza al Mazri in some detail.

Forensic Intelligence: Includes copies of FBI 302s detailing the little known intelligence gathered by mob boss Gregory Scarpa against his fellow inmates on the cell block, Ramzi Yousef and Abdul Hakim Murad. Fascinating and provocative reading that includes some intimations about Yousef's involvement in terror attacks beyond the WTC bombing.

The Memory Hole: The premier Freedom of Information Act source on the Web. Author Russ Kick uncovers documents, photos and information on terrorism, national security, the war in Iraq and a host of other topics the government would prefer not to discuss.

Anthrax and al Qaeda: A look at the investigation into the post-9/11 anthrax mailing, with lots of detailed citations of media reporting that has slipped through the cracks. The site seeks to establish a possible connection between the anthrax attack and al Qaeda. By Ross Getman.

Was Abderraouf Jdey the Anthrax Mailer?: Another look at the anthrax case, examining information recently leaked to the Canadian press. An interesting theory of the case, including a look at the crash of American Airlines Flight 587.

Exclusive: U.S. Secretly Detained bin Laden Brother-in-Law For Four Months After Purported May 1995 Deportation

Controversial 9/11 Commissioner Jamie Gorelick Signed 1/95 Order Sending Mohammed Jamal Khalifa To Face Death Sentence; Major al Qaeda Intel Obtained Soon After

Exclusive to INTELWIRE The U.S. government secretly detained Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law for four months in 1995, after the INS announced he had already been deported to Jordan, according to documents obtained by INTELWIRE using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The Jordan deportation had been authorized by then-Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick, at the request of Secretary of State Warren Christopher. A member of the independent commission investigating the September 11 attacks, Gorelick came under fire in 2004 for possible conflicts arising from her role in the Clinton administration's war on terrorism.

Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, an alleged terrorist financier married to a sister of bin Laden, was arrested in San Francisco, Calif., in December 1994. Within a month, the Justice Department instituted extradition proceedings to deport Khalifa to Jordan, where he had been convicted in absentia for his alleged involvement in a terrorist plot to bomb movie theaters.

According to a public statement by the INS, that deportation was completed on May 3, 1995. But new evidence obtained by INTELWIRE shows the case is more complex than it seemed.

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Read the Gorelick Letter

Read Khalifa's Bureau of Prisons Inmate Record

CNN Interview: Mohammed Jamal Khalifa Says OBL Will Be Tough To Catch


Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law, and former best friend, says he is not surprised the terrorist leader has been difficult to capture. In an exclusive CNN interview Jamal Khalifa tells how he was screened for al Qaeda membership and saw bin Laden setting up the organization. Khalifa's connection to bin Laden has seen him come under the spotlight of law enforcement on three continents.

Full story at CNN.com

INTELWIRE REPORTS: MOHAMMED JAMAL KHALIFA

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Secretly Detained bin Laden Brother-in-Law For Four Months After Purported May 1995 Deportation

EXCLUSIVE: Feds Moved Khalifa To High-Security Jail Just Hours After OKC

EXCLUSIVE: Khalifa Denies Terror Ties, Asks To Be Dropped From 9/11 Lawsuit

EXCLUSIVE: INS Deported bin Laden Brother-in-Law Mohammed Jamal Khalifa Just Days After OKC Bombing

al Qaeda Recruited Christians in Key Terry Nichols Locale; Program Linked To Khalifa Charities

EXCLUSIVE: Khalifa Links run to Al-Zawahiri, Uranium Plot, Terror Finance Network and even 9/11

EXCLUSIVE: al Qaeda Plotted To Recruit U.S. Servicemen Beginning in 1991; Plot Linked To AQ Philippines Operations

EXCLUSIVE: OKC Bomb Formulas Found In AQ Manuals Brought To U.S. In 1992 And Earlier; Some Manuals Belonged To Mohammed Jamal Khalifa

MEMRI Analysis: Mistranslated Message Threatens U.S. States That Support Bush

From MEMRI: The tape of Osama bin Laden that was aired on Al-Jazeera(1) on Friday, October 29th included a specific threat to "each U.S. state," designed to influence the outcome of the upcoming election against George W. Bush. The U.S. media in general mistranslated the words "ay wilaya" (which means "each U.S. state")(2) to mean a "country" or "nation" other than the U.S., while in fact the threat was directed specifically at each individual U.S. state. This suggests some knowledge by bin Laden of the U.S. electoral college system. In a section of his speech in which he harshly criticized George W. Bush, bin Laden stated: "Any U.S. state that does not toy with our security automatically guarantees its own security." || Full Story

CNN: For the first time, al Qaeda leader claims responsibility for 9/11

al Jazeerah: bin Laden accuses Bush of deceiving America