A cia database not a terrorist group shortly before his untimely death, former british foreign secretary robin cook told the house of commons that al qaeda is not really a terrorist group but a database of international mujaheddin and arms smugglers used by the cia and saudis to funnel guerrillas, arms, and money into sovietoccupied afghanistan. Hizbul mujahideen s emir was officially listed as a global terrorist in june 2017. Al qaeda media wing al sahab moves to using encryption with israelbased company al fajr technical committee releases new encryption program islamic state of iraq and al sham isis launches asrar al ghurabaa the first website for secure communication to rival asrar al mujahideen software by gimf. We have one religion, one god, one book, one prophet, one nation. Mujahideen groups fought against the prosoviet afghan government during the late 1970s 3.
The muslim brotherhood tries to build a popular base that believes in the. Alqaeda group claims to have strengthened its encryption security. Some of these were veteran fighters from places like algeria, most notably abdullah azam. This piece generated tremendous interest in publications like the wall street journal, the telegraph, politico, ars technica, threatpost, and commentary from noted experts like bruce schneier. According to alfajr themselves, the amn almujahid program is.
Update improves encryption tool for alqaeda backers. Gimf announces imminent release of new software on january 1, 2007 the global islamic media front gimf announced the imminent release of new computer software called mujahideen secrets. Robin cook stated in parliament in 2005 that al quaeda was only a database of mujahideen and fighters, and the fiction that al quaeda was a coherent terrorist organisation with obl at its head was a creation of the cia. Since 2007, al qaeda was using their own built encryption software, mujahideen secrets for the online and cellular communications, but the intelligence firm has noticed that now they are using number of new encryption tools and adopting new services like mobile, instant messaging, and mac as well, to mask its communications with overseas operatives. Al qaeda emerged from the mujahideen movement that challenged the soviet. Memri posted a notice last january about the release of the original version of mujahideen. Shortly before his untimely death, former british foreign secretary robin cook told the house of commons that al qaeda is not really a terrorist group but a database of international mujaheddin and arms smugglers used by the cia and saudis to funnel guerrillas, arms, and money into sovietoccupied afghanistan. But, he warned, that could begin to change if al qaeda backers start adopting more uptodate tools. In 2012 it threatened to carry out attacks against israel and hamas in response to the assassination of abu al walid al maqdisi, the former emir of the tawhid and jihad group in jerusalem. Why would alqueda call themselves the database in 1988. Salafi jihadi base and local insurgent or militia groups and.
The term was popularized in the 1980s in reference to the afghan fighters in the sovietafghan war. The capabilities offered by mujahideen secrets 2 fit a pattern for al qaeda. For these 375 al qaeda related mujahideen, we have gathered data on name, country of birth, immigration vehicle visa type, fraudulent documents, etc. In may 2014 we published research on how al qaeda had changed their use of encryption after the snowden leaks. The muslim brotherhoods influence on alqaeda, isis, and iran. Masada al mujahideen announced its formation in april 2008 and said its leader is abu omar al ansari. While the previous sections examined the economic roots of imperialism, as well as the historical context of the cold war within which to situate the mujahideen, the following explores the anatomy of proxy warfare and media disinformation campaigns which were at the heart of destabilizing afghanistan. Dr saad al fagih, a saudi dissident and former afghan mujahideen, thinks the term is overused. Before tracing the historical and ideological roots of aq, it would be apt to look into the background of its name that attained a lot acceptance later on as was missing in its early decade and so.
Members of violent islamic extremist groups have since taken up the term to refer to their guerilla fighters. Did the mujahideen really turn into the taliban and alqaeda. Robin cook, british foreign secretary from 1997 to 2001 equivalent to our secretary of state hillary clinton, wrote that al qaeda and bin laden were a product of a monumental miscalculation by western security agencies, and that al qaida, literally the database, was originally the computer file of the thousands of mujahideen who were. This has nothing to do with this poor servant of god, nor with the al qaeda organization. Below is the second half and conclusion of afghanistan, the forgotten proxy war. According to the advertisement for the software see below, it is the first islamic computer program for secure exchange of information on the internet, and it provides users with the. Special reports technology and terror al qaedas new. Frankenstein the cia created world news the guardian. An insight into the philosophical dynamics of alqaeda.
Alqaeda usage of encryption after snowden leakssecurity. In summary, al qaeda never existed in the form now claimed by the bushites and the corporate media, al qaeda was in fact a database of cia recruited and trained mujahideen and an email connected to that database, osama bin laden had nothing to do with that database and thus all references in the corporate media claiming he is the. This followup analysis explores alqaeda encryption technology developments. An internal al qaeda strategy document called future works. The organization has been designated as a terrorist group by the united nations security council, the north atlantic treaty organization nato, the european union, the united states, the united kingdom, russia, india. Al qaeda linked online forum al ekhlaas claims to be offering strengthened encryption software called mujahideen secrets 2 to its members. Al qaeda in the tribal areas of pakistan and beyond taylor.
It allows a small number of covert and dispersed individuals to inflict disproportionate damage on a much stronger adversary. The software, available free on the passwordprotected site which often carries al qaeda messages, is a newer version of mujahideen secrets issued in. Alqaeda s goals are to rid the islamic world of western influence, topple secular muslim governments, and establish a new caliphate islamic state ruled by sharia islamic law. Alqaeda is developing new encryption tools in response to. Terrorism incidents database search rand corporation. Jihadi software promises secure web contacts reuters. The base, the foundation, alternatively spelled al qaida and al qaida is a militant salafist islamist multinational organization founded in 1988 by osama bin laden, abdullah azzam, and several other arab volunteers during the sovietafghan war. Al qaeda is developing new encryption tools in response to. The terrorist group is focused on violent jihad against india over kashmir. But the afghan mujahideen certainly played a critical role in the formation of al qaeda if only for creating the sort of models by which internationalist jihad would initially be organized as well as feeling of things like, if islamism could defeat the soviets it could also defeat the west. It is alleged that attribution needed the central intelligence agency cia had ties with osama bin ladens al qaeda and its afghan arab fighters when it armed mujahideen groups to fight the soviet union during the sovietafghan war about the same time as the soviet deployment into afghanistan, the united states began giving several hundred million dollars a year in aid to the afghan.
It was necessary to use elliptic curve encryption instead of the base. Alqaeda operates as a network of islamic extremists and salafist jihadists. The software appears to be designed for use by relatively lowlevel operators in the al qaeda hierarchy, he said. A bunch of sites have covered this story, and a couple of security researchers are quoted in the various articles. We are the children of an islamic nation whose leader is mohammed. We are still collecting data, after 2009, however it has not yet been added to the online database. Mujahideen trained and funded by the us are among its deadliest foes, reports jason burke in peshawar. Taliban or students of islamic knowledge movement ruled afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 until they were ousted from power by the us military.
Alqaedalinked online forum alekhlaas claims to be offering strengthened encryption software called mujahideen secrets 2 to its members. Since 2007, al qaeda groups have developed the encryption software mujahideen secrets used to protect online and cellular communications, but according the report of the intelligence the militants are using different new encryption tools and communication channels new services like mobile, instant messaging. Robin cook revealed the falsehood of al qaeda a month. But the fight against the soviets also had its own version of the international brigades. Alqaidas use of encryption the investigative project. Osama bin laden with zbigniew brzezinski, 1979 source unconfirmed global research editors note. Alqaeda is a transnational extremist salafist militant organization founded in 1988 by osama. It returned to the name of harakatul mujahideen after the u. Anyways, al qaeda means the base, not the database. Mujahideen have been derived from two words jihad and. Before ascending to the highest positions of isis and alqaeda, abu bakr. A lot of the mujahideen are still right where theyve always been fighting, in afghanistan and on the pakistani border.
Well i really laugh when i hear the fbi talking about al qaida as an organisation of bin laden. The promotional material for the program stated that it was the first islamic computer program for secure exchange of information on the internet, and claimed that it. Jihadist news al qaeda shabaab al mujahideen the young mujahideen movement mali friday, 14 february 2020 female aq supporter promotes manda bay raid, jihad to reclaim jerusalem in 12th issue of magazine for women. Alqaeda group claims to have strengthened its encryption. Web site said to offer strengthened encryption tool. The islamic army in iraq iai is a sunni islamist militant organization created in 2003 with the aim of expelling foreign troops from iraq. Its 1998 declaration, issued under the rubric of the world islamic front for jihad against the jews and crusaders, called on muslims to kill americans and their. Springmann exposes the truth about american involvement in the training and international movement of muslim terrorists and the subsequent increase in jihadist terrorism.
The word al qaeda has its roots in arabic word qafayndal that implies a base or a foundation best, 2012. Al qaida,sic literally the database, was originally the computer file of the thousands of mujahideen who were recruited and trained with help from the cia to defeat the russians, admits former british foreign secretary robin cook, whose foreign office portfolio included control of british intelligence agency mi6 and the government communications headquarters gchq, in a column published by the uk guardian newspaper. Michael springmann has just published, visas for al qaeda. Al qaeda in the arabian peninsulas englishlanguage publication inspire, the first of its kind from an al qaeda franchises media arm, follows a general trend within the al qaeda network to expand its audience base to include englishspeaking muslims the magazine includes justifications for a broader campaign of violence against the west through the use of smaller and. Terrorist group alqaeda uses new encryption softwares. A program of the center for international security and cooperation cisac. Two months later robin cook died suddenly, of a convenient heart attack while on a country stroll with his wife. Arrests of al qaeda members and computers captured in u. It was called alqaida alaskariyya, or the military base, al qaedas namesake. A group of german militants recruited into an al qaeda plot to attack europe in 2010 were provided handson instruction in encrypting their communications using a program called mujahideen secrets in the tribal areas of pakistan by younes al mauretani, a senior al qaeda operative, according to german intelligence officials. So this place was called the base alqaidah, as in a training base, so this name grew and became. Allegations of cia assistance to osama bin laden wikipedia. Guardian, 782005 al qaeda the organization will be founded in 1988 see august 1120, 1988. The original mujahideen secrets asrar al mujahideen encryption software launched in 2007, primarily for use with email.
Introduction cyber warfare is a natural arena for al qaeda. Mujahideen secrets 2 is a new version of an encryption tool, ostensibly written to help al qaeda members encrypt secrets as they communicate on the internet. Al qaida,sic literally the database, was originally the computer file of the thousands of mujahideen who were recruited and trained with help from the cia to defeat the russians, admits former british foreign secretary robin cook, whose foreign office portfolio included control of british intelligence agency mi6 and the government communications headquarters gchq, in a. The base, the foundation, alternatively spelled al qaida and al qaida is a transnational extremist salafist militant organization founded in 1988 by osama bin laden, abdullah azzam, and several other arab volunteers during the sovietafghan war. The base, by pierrehenry bunel, a former agent for french military intelligence. The rand database of worldwide terrorism incidents is a compilation of data from 1972 through 2009. However, in 2006 and 2007, several clashes between iai and al qaeda. This article originally published by global research in 2005 sheds light on the nature of al qaeda, an intelligence construct used by washington to destabilize and destroy sovereign countries, while sustaining the illusion of an outside enemy, which threatens the security of the western world. The brief designation omitted hizbul mujahideen s support for al qaeda in the past, as well as its relations with other jihadist groups in pakistan, afghanistan, and india, such as lashkaretaiba. Al qaeda, literally the database, was originally the computer file of the thousands of mujaheddin who were recruited and trained with help from the cia to defeat the russians.
89 212 89 897 52 358 55 1641 994 562 58 1620 1031 1465 1617 1204 1637 1594 624 1132 462 397 754 129 897 694 783 1276 534 1442 69 206 1188 469 434 832 217 1506 1342 1391 570 40 793 818 159 460 16