Source Tells Reporter "We have everything ready and set"
Al Qaeda Threatens New York, Washington and Los Angeles

November 4, 2003

A new message was posted Monday by the Jeddah-based al-Qaeda-linked Al-Islah (Reform) society calling on Muslims to flee New York, Washington and Los Angeles in advance of threatened major al Qaeda attacks in those cities.

The warning was reported by www.debka.com, a respected "Internet publication devoted to independent, investigative reporting and forward analysis in the fields of international terrorism, intelligence, international conflict, Islam, military affairs, security and politics."

A similar message also appeared Monday on a Yahoo! Group bulletin board. Apparently posted by Daleel Almojahid, it read: "This is the last call for Muslims in New York, the east side and Los Angeles to start leaving. The mojahideen (sic) are now ready to teach the US a lesson it will never forget."

A similar message was received by this reporter when under the guise of being a Molsem sympathetic to the cause he wrote to Almojahid that he wanted to help. "I have funds to buy what you need to kill the kaffir. I need bank account, wiring instructions and location..."

The response received from Almojahid by this reporter read , "We are more than thankful for the sweet words you wrote, but we have everything ready and set thank you so much and please make your plans to move out if you are in the cities of LA, NY or the east side. Go north as much as possible as you know this is a war. May God protect you and protect all our brothers and sisters."

Almojahid posted a subsequent message on his Yahoo! Group account. Headlined "You have to understand this is a war your government had started," it read in part:

"I know that a lot of innocent people and Muslims are within these cities but you have to understand that this is a war your government had started. They have killed more than 2,000,000 Muslims in the past 12 years alone, 500,000 kids died in Iraq since 1990! What would you do if 2,000,000 Americans died from Muslims who are just attacking for money and oil and more wealth to their country! A lot of people asked me how much more time is there. I can only tell you get out as soon as you can. This is a war."

Debka File reported that the al-Qaeda linked al-Islah group (with whom Almojahid may or may not be connected) accused the United States of sealing its own fate with its policies. It read in part, "The Jews rule the Pentagon by remote control and (are the cause) of Muslims being killed in every corner of the world. The United States should therefore expect more blows."

According to the Debka File, the message was signed on behalf of the al Bayan (The Threat) movement by "your warrior brother, Abul Hassan al Khadrami".

According to Debka, the name of the signatory belonged to a Yemeni from Hadhrameuth, the Bin Ladens' place of origin where Osama bin Laden is widely supported.

Debka reported that the publication's counter-terror sources emphasize these warnings are taken seriously but with caution by the intelligence services keeping track of the terrorist network's electronic traffic.

Last November, Jeddah-based fundamentalist forums addressed a message to an Al Qaeda member, saying whoever understands – understands; whoever knows, knows, but we are marching towards an operation that will take us to Paradise. Three days later, the Mombasa Paradise hotel was blown up killing 12 Kenyans and 3 Israelis and a failed shoulder-launched Strela anti-air missile missed an Israeli airliner at Mombasa airport, Debka reported.

Report filed by Jeremy Reynalds