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Purported al-Qaeda Newscast Debuts on Internet

(Washington Post) Daniel Williams - An Internet video newscast called the Voice of the Caliphate was broadcast for the first time on Monday, purporting to be a production of al-Qaeda and featuring an anchorman who wore a black ski mask and an ammunition belt. The lead segment recounted Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, which the narrator proclaimed as a "great victory," while showing PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei walking and talking among celebrating compatriots. That was followed by a repeat of a pledge on Sept. 14 by Abu Musab Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, to wage all-out war on Iraq's Shiite Muslims. An image of Zarqawi remained on the screen for about half the broadcast. The final segment was about Hurricane Katrina. "The whole Muslim world was filled with joy" at the disaster, the anchorman said. The name of the broadcast refers to the Islamic empire that emerged following the death of the prophet Muhammad in the 7th century, eventually stretching from Turkey to Spain and creating an era of Islamic influence that bin Laden has said Muslims should reestablish.
2005-09-27 00:00:00
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