[osint] Al-Qa'ida 'Survival Kit' Instructs Workers on Individual Conduct

Tue Oct 12 12:46:10 PDT 2004

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To: "Bruce Tefft" <btefft at community-research.com>
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From: "Bruce Tefft" <btefft at community-research.com>
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Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 14:47:48 -0400
Subject: [osint] Al-Qa'ida 'Survival Kit' Instructs Workers on Individual
Conduct
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Al-Qa'ida 'Survival Kit' Instructs Workers on Individual Conduct

An Al Qaeda survival kit, available to the media in the United States and
obtained also by Dawn, reveals how Osama bin Laden's network and its
supporters among the Taliban and other similar groups are preparing to
survive the US-led "war against terrorism".

The kit has been printed in several languages and is being distributed
secretly among Al Qaeda followers in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The
instructions aim to prepare the Taliban and Al Qaeda workers and their
sympathizers to survive on their own and also on how to communicate with
their central leaders without exposing them.

The contents show the groups are well aware of the changes brought about by
the "war on terrorism" and realise they can no longer work openly. That's
why they seem to be preparing for a long, clandestine war with the United
States and its allies.

Decentralization and secrecy are the two key elements of their new strategy,
which they hope to prolong also by exploiting religious sentiments of the
people they live with.

The point the survival kit emphasizes repeatedly is the need for the Taliban
and Al Qaeda workers to "merge with the masses" and thus "become
indistinguishable" from the rest of the people.

The copy obtained by Dawn comes complete with the pictures of 18 Al Qaeda
leaders who are on the FBI's most-wanted list. The first picture is that of
the network's leader Osama bin Laden, followed by his deputy Aiman al
Zawahiri and other top operatives. A caption above the pictures declares:
"These are Mujahideen, not dangerous religious terrorists".

"Every member will take all necessary precautions in his personal and social
life to protect the group and its leadership ... in his personal life, each
member shall merge completely with the society he lives in so that he is
indistinguishable from other members of the society."

Some of the instructions in the kit for Al Qaeda and Taliban units are: "If
you live in an area where people wear Western dresses, you also dress like
them ... if the majority in that area has a secular mindset, do not express
your religious sentiments."

"Look closely at the ethnic complexion of your neighbourhood ... if the area
has a large number of people from ethnic groups that support the government,
stay away from them because they often spy for intelligence agencies."

"Don't visit the local mosque regularly. Instead say your prayers at your
residence, even the weekly Friday prayer ... while looking for a residence,
have a credible, cover story that you will tell the landlord. Always stick
to that story."

"Don't roam around with beard and Islamic dress in fashionable
neighbourhoods. Always take out the chip of the mobile [phone] while
sleeping to avoid being caught. Use mobile [phone] from a crowded place so
police don't locate the position. Don't write the original numbers of
Mujahideen in a notebook; try to memorize the last three digits.

"If you live in an area where people do not have cars, avoid using vehicles
... if you have to stay inside your residence when other people go to work,
be quiet. Do not draw attention."

The kit also contains tips on the use of a cellphone: "Use a cellphone only
when you must and an alternative means of communication is not available ...
it is better not to use cell phones at all ... if you must use a cell phone,
use the one obtained under fake name and address ... never use a phone
provided by your 'nazm' [management] for calling a friend or a relative ...
if you ask your friends to call you, give them a specific time and keep your
phone open only when you are expecting a call."

"Do not receive a phone at your residence, do so at a bazaar or at an open
space and shut off the phone and disconnect the battery as soon as you
finish the conversation."

How Al Qaeda members must use the Internet: "For using the Internet, you
must go to an internet cafe ... never visit a site that can reveal your
identity, such as those belonging to FBI, Al Qaeda or the Mujahideen ...
when opening an e-mail account, go to an internet cafe, never do it at home
... never use the same internet cafe again and again ... before leaving the
cafe, remove all evidence, never leave any trace ... while sending an
e-mail, never use the language that could reveal your ideological
commitment."

"Write your message in a word processor, compose, cut, paste and send. And
then disconnect. Never let your e-mail open to write a message." police
interrogation: How to deal with police interrogation: "If unfortunately, a
friend is arrested, he should remember two things: do not assume that the
police know everything because they do not and always try to protect your
friends and colleagues."

"The police may try to make you believe that they already know everything
and that if you lie or try to hide information from them, you will
unnecessarily expose yourself to torture."

"The place you are arrested from is important. If you are arrested from
home, you will face a different set of questions than those arrested from a
place of operation or from a Mujahideen hideout."

"While being interrogated, try to guess if the interrogator suspects that
you are a Mujahid or he knows you are one and vary your responses
accordingly ... the investigators are humans like you, so do not let them
bully you or enjoy unnecessary influence over you."

"The key point is: you are not guilty unless proven, so do not let your
answers (be used) as evidence against you. Do not let your answers lead the
interrogators to other friends."

[Description of Source: Karachi Dawn in English -- Internet version of most
widely read English-language daily]

FBIS Source-Date: 10/12/2004

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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