Al-Qaida statements 2003-2004 : a compilation of translated texts by Usama bin Ladin and Ayman al-Zawahiri

Abstract

This report gives an overview of the statements and declarations issued by the two al-Qaida leaders Usama bin Ladin and Ayman al-Zawahiri in 2003 and 2004. It is not primarily an analytical work, but rather a publication in the genre of “documentary readers”. Its purpose is to provide a reliable research tool that can stimulate more in-depth research in the field of radical Islamist ideology. It supplements an earlier FFI report (FFI/Rapport 2002/01393) which compiled alQaida statements issued between 1990 and 2002. The study is based on extensive and systematic compilation of sources from radical Islamist Internet forums, Western and Arabic media, as well as Internet sites specializing in the documentation of radical Islamist literature. The report presents a total of 25 documents in chronological order, 22 of which are deemed authentic. These include 11 documents by Usama bin Ladin, 10 by Ayman al-Zawahiri, and one in which they both appear. Some documents include more than one statement/message. Each document is preceded by an introduction that provides contextual information based on available secondary sources. References to the original Arabic text are provided wherever possible.