New Twist in the Information War: Zarqawi Clashes With His Spiritual Mentor
Austin Bay blog
The AP and USA Today report that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has threatened his Ismalist spiritual mentor, Isam Mohammed al-Barqawi. Earlier this month Barqawi (B, not Z) was detained by Jordanian authorities.
The AP reports:
Al-Barqawi, known in militant circles as Abu Mohammed al-Maqdisi, said in an interview with Al-Jazeera from Jordan last week that militants in Iraq should revise their tactics, saying “the number of Iraqis killed in suicide operations has become a tragedy.”
To Zarqawi this means his spiritual adviser is listening “to Satan”:
Terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi criticized his spiritual mentor for urging militants in Iraq to rein in attacks on civilians and warned that the sheik’s comments could split Islamic fighters, according to a purported statement posted on an Islamic Web site Tuesday.
The statement, signed by al-Zarqawi, warned his sheik — Isam Mohammed al-Barqawi — “do not follow the path of Satan that leads to your destruction. Beware, our noble sheik, of the trick of God’s enemies to lure you to drive a wedge in the ranks of the mujahedeen.”
Bringing the terror war “home to Middle East” has forced this confrontation– and make no mistake, this is a significant split. For months StrategyPage has reported the change in Iraqi and then Arab attitudes regarding both Zarqawi’s militants and the Saddamist holdouts.
Here are further details:
Al-Barqawi, who has known al-Zarqawi for more than a decade and taught him radical ideology in prison, gave the interview after he was released from a Jordanian prison. The sheik was arrested again by the Jordanians soon after the interview was taped on suspicion of contacts with militant groups.
In the interview, al-Barqawi said suicide bombings should be carried out, only if necessary so that “no harm would befall Islam.” He also disagreed with al-Zarqawi on killing Shiites — a frequent target of attacks by al-Qaeda in Iraq and other insurgent groups.
Al-Zarqawi defended attacks on Shiites, saying they had “sacrificed soldiers on behalf of the infidel occupier and supported them against the sincere mujahedeen.”
Barqawi is still a dedicated Islamist– but he’s now had a close-hand glimpse of how his words have spurred heinous murder. Harm has befallen Islam in reputation and in blood — harm fostered by Islamist terrorists.
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