Terror Net

In a video published by Al-Sahab production days before the US elections Abu Yahya Al-Libi, al Qaeda’s commander presented a speech that was ambiguous and did not provide any impression on the following US president. This could be because the video was taped during Eid and was delayed in its release. Al-Libi only condemned Bush and the Republican Party when he concluded his speech.

 Al-Libi found it a religious opportunity to discuss the importance of supporting Islam in general as the savior for the civilization. Al-Libi represented himself as an angelic religious cleric who is simply asking Muslims to battle the devil inside of them and after fulfilling that fighting the infidels.

Abu Yahya Al-Libi presented an ideological speech, where he divided people between winners and losers, the winners being the religious people who do not waste a minute worshipping God and abiding to his rules, and the losers are what he described as the devil worshippers and sinners.

The speech did not provide any new threat and did not target a specific ethnic group; it was rather general where Al-Libi used Quranic versus and writings by the Prophet to stress on the importance of abiding to justice and by Islamic law, while as usual de-legitimizing the Middle Easters governments who do not provide that to the citizens. He stressed on the fact that no democracy will fulfill justice and that only Islamic law will fulfill it.

Abu Yahya ends his speech praying that God would support all the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Chechnya, and Palestine. He condemns the enemies of Islam represented by the US, its allies. He specifically mentions President Bush and his political party in his prayer asking God to humiliate them and facilitate for the Mujahideen to win the struggle.

Al Qaeda did not provide a clear statement of their approach on the new presidency. The only condemnation was towards Bush and his followers, and the US in general. Their approach towards the new President Obama is not declared yet.