Al-Qaida Escapee Urges Somali 'Holy War'

In a new video posted Sunday on the Internet, an al-Qaida militant who escaped from a U.S. prison in Afghanistan called on militants in Somalia to fight a gangland-style holy war against government troops.

It was the second video released this week by Abu Yahia al-Libi, who broke out of the U.S. prison at Bagram Air Base north of Kabul in 2005. Earlier this week, he urged all Sunni militants in Iraq to unite under his umbrella and declared an ongoing U.S.-led security operation in Baghdad a failure.

"My patient brother Mujahideen in Somalia … you have to stick to the gang wars, because it is the longest of battles and … most suitable for small numbers and vulnerable fighters," al-Libi said.

"Slam them with one raid after another, set ambushes against them, and shake their soil with land mines and shake their bases with suicide attacks and car bombs," he added. "The goal of your fight and the purpose of your jihad is the expulsion of the occupier and his helpers and the establishment of an Islamic state in the land of Somalia."

Earlier this year, Ethiopian-backed Somali government forces drove the militants from the capital of Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia, ending their six months in power.

Many Islamists retreated to the southern tip of the country, vowing to keep fighting and raising the specter of an Iraq-style guerrilla war.

Christian Ethiopia has long been despised by Somali Muslim militants. Ethiopia is also a U.S. ally and American Navy forces are deployed off the Somali coast to prevent militants from fleeing by sea.

Three al-Qaida suspects wanted in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa are believed to be leaders of the Islamic movement in Somalia. The Islamists deny having any links to the terror network.

The 30-minute video on a Web site commonly used by Islamist militants, showed al-Libi meaning 'the Libyan' in Arabic in a camouflage uniform, with a black turban and beard.

Its authenticity could not be independently verified, but it carried the logo of al-Qaida's media production wing, al-Sahab. The video was also released by IntelCenter, a U.S. government contractor that monitors al-Qaida messaging.

Al-Libi has recorded several tapes since he escaped from Bagram. Afghan police said at the time that his real name is Abulbakar Mohammed Hassan and that he is a Libyan.

Gaza: Mysterious explosion kills one, injuring 20

A mysterious explosion has killed an Islamic Jihad (Holy War) member and wounded about 20 people, including four children, in western Gaza city Monday, paramedics said.

Witnesses said the explosion took place at Alaa al-Hesi's house in the Beach refugee camp in western Gaza City, adding that severe damages were caused to the house.

Shifa hospital sources said 26-year-old Jihad member al-Hesi was killed and 20 people were wounded in the explosion, all of them were civilians. The reason of the explosion was not known immediately. However, police sources said al-Hesi has apparently mishandled explosive devices while preparing them.

Meanwhile, new interior minister in the national unity government Hani al-Qawasmi warned on Monday that the ministry would carry out tough measures against those who violate the Palestinian law.

Al-Qawasmi made the remarks during a special ceremony at the ministry of interior in Gaza City, where al-Qawasmi was handed over the ministry from his predecessor Said Siam.-Xinhua

U.S. must be prepared to fight a holy war

I have taken the liberty of writing these comments regarding the nonbinding resolution opposing plans to increase troops. It is largely a symbolic resolution. I believe our legislators have more issues than to get into military matters.

Sure our lives have been changed and we have lost some of our finest troops. Lest we forget, they signed/joined our armed forces in good faith and many more will die before this war is over.

The statement that the war is not about fighting terrorism could not be further from the truth. Oregon better wake up. We are in a holy war that will hit our state in the near future and we better be prepared.

No one made me sign up when I joined and I served for 34 and a half years, of which three years were in combat as an infantry officer. I can truly say the men under my command died like men. I was not a hero, but I served with many heroes.

Every country that falls, always falls within. Prepare for war -- it's coming and we better be ready.

Muslim scholar offers insight about holy war

Taieb Belghazi, a professor at the University of Rabat in Morocco, spoke Monday about Jihad, just war and Western misconceptions in the first talk in the Gorter Distinguished Scholar Lecture Series sponsored by the Duke Islamic Studies Center.

In his talk, Belghazi compared Islam and Jihad, saying that the two "share no common denominator and cannot be translated from one into another."

Though Islam is religious, Jihad has become political in modern times, he said.

Belghazi criticized extremists' use of Jihad as a means of furthering their political goals.

He added that Jihad can be compared to American imperialism, saying that both acts are justified by moral arguments either of the fight against oppression or of freedom and democracy, respectively.

Belghazi compared the claim that Jihad is a holy, justified war to the way the United States deals with some conflicts in the Middle East.

"[The United States] baptized a number of its endeavors in the Middle East starting with enduring freedom... freedom operating as some kind of form of license, as a series of capabilities and powers which enable one to act without constraints."

He also touched on the continual antagonism between Western democracy and Eastern Islam, saying that the West sometimes misperceives Islam as irrational and undemocratic."Speculation on peace in the Middle East centers on an embarrassingly racist question-are Islam and democracy compatible?" Belghazi said.

"When a Westerner asks such a question he automatically assigns rationality to democracy and irrationality to Islam," he added.

Audience members said they attended the talk because they were interested in Islam and the Middle East.

"I would argue however, with some of the ways [Belghazi] equated Jihad to just war on the basis of taking the moral high ground, because of the way we see Jihad is actually manifested," sophomore Joel Ribnick said.