Masked Militant Threatens West in Video

A masked man believed to be Noordin M. Top, a senior operative of Jemaah Islamiah, has threatened the West in a video.

Masked militant threatens West (Reuters)

Photo A video grab released on November 16, 2005 shows a militant believed to be Malaysian Noordin M. Top, a senior operative of Jemaah Islamiah, a Southeast Asian group seen as the regional arm of al Qaeda. The masked man warned Western countries, especially Australia, of more attacks in a video found last week by Indonesian anti-terrorist police. The video also showed three young suicide bombers who killed 20 people in attacks on restaurants on the resort island of Bali on October 1, 2005. (SCTV via Reuters TV/Reuters) A masked man believed to be one of Asia’s most wanted militants has warned Western countries, especially Australia, of more attacks in a video found last week by Indonesian anti-terrorist police.

The video was broadcast on Indonesia’s Metro TV on Thursday. Vice President Jusuf Kalla, quoted by the Kompas newspaper, said he believed the militant on the tape was Malaysian Noordin M. Top, a senior operative of Jemaah Islamiah, a Southeast Asian group seen as the regional arm of al Qaeda.

“We repeat that America, Australia, England and Italy are all our enemies,” said the militant, wearing a black balaclava and constantly pointing his right finger in the air. “We especially remind Australia that you, Downer and Howard, are killing Australia, leading it into darkness and misfortune and mujahideen terror,” he said, referring to Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. “Know that as long as you (all) continue to colonize the land of Iraq and Afghanistan and intimidate Muslims then you too will feel our intimidation and terror.”

The video marks the first time militant threats have been made on tapes found in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, a practice common among radicals in the Middle East.

Downer said Australia was taking the tape seriously but would not be cowed. “No democratic country like Australia should be intimidated by a fanatic like Noordin Top,” Downer told reporters in the Australian city of Adelaide.

The militant also warned anyone who supported U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. “We remind that those who support Bush and Blair are also our enemies. The infidel rulers, the apostate rulers, those who oppress Muslims and victimize ulamas, the mujahideen, they are our enemies too. The ones we target in our attacks,” the militant said.

In a different context, this would all be rather funny. The dialog on the tape is idiotic. The video was found in a raid and only given any effect because it was broadcast on television after, presumably, being turned over to the network by the government.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. phil says:

    Off topic cut-and-past rant deleted.

  2. Herb says:

    In the event that the masked millitant that threatened us today is ever caught, we can count on guys like Phil to demand that he be brought before a US Court and given every right that we, as US Citizens get, be granted to him.

    Phils rantings and ravings are typical of the left wing extremists who will do or say anything to make Bush look bad. I guess Phil has not heard that the US Economy is booming. Or just maybe Phil does not have the capacity to understand it.

    It might be a possibility that Phil has not heard that terrorists are threatening our society or maybe he just don’t give a damn because he’s only watching out for his own pocketbook.

    [Editor’s note: This is a response to a post I subsequently deleted.]

  3. Bigduke says:

    Herb,
    I was helping my girlfriend study for her citizenship test yesterday. One of the things you must do is take a simple test about government and US History. Your comment reminded me me of this question.

    84. Whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?
    A. Everyone(Citizens and Non-citizens living in the U.S.)

    Now this guy is probably not here in the US and I understand that, but the concept of bestowing rights on Non-citizens exists and is not “left-wing”, “extreme”, or “Ranting and Raving”

  4. Herb says:

    Bigduke:

    Tell me where in the Constitution does it say that non citizens not here or living in the US have the same constitutional rights as does a US Citizen.

    I can tell you that this concept of non citizen rights exists only in the minds of the far left radicals that will,if ever given the power, surrender to whatever enemy that wants to defeat us.

    Bigduke, you had better wake and smell the coffee or you will have some radical terrorists putting your head on the choping block. They have proven thats exactly what they will do.

  5. Bigduke says:

    Herb, I think we are all agreed that such rights do not cross our borders. I never said otherwise. Why else would we need prisons in Gitmo and Eastern Europe? The only point I tried to make, is that once that terrorist lands on our soil, he has the same rights as everyone else. If that scares you so much, I suggest you depart to your bunker. As for myself I think my odds of encountering radical hillbillies far outweigh my chances of coming across a radial terrorist. Probably just the circles I run in though. I agree that terrorists are bad, but tearing down the constitution and attacking “lefties” is fighting the wrong battle. I prefer the time honored tradition of converting them with booze and strippers. That is the American way.

  6. Herb says:

    Bigduke:

    I think that if you check it out, you will find that the vast majorty of people here in the US who are demanding that the terrorists and islamic radicals be granted full access to our courts and the rights granted to every American, are Democrats that advocate their liberal rantings everyday.

    I don’t hear or see Republicans crying out to give the Gitma prisoners these rights. I don’t see Republicans demanding that Military Tribunals not be given in favor to trials in our Federal Courts. And I don’t see Republicans doing everything possible to free the Gitmo prisoners like the Dems are doing.

    Also Bigduke, please cite the “Quote” where I advocated “Tearing down the Constitution”

    And your term “radical hillbillys” seem to point to a little bigotry to me