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Jul. 28, 2004 14:27 | Updated Jul. 28, 2004 14:30
Iraqi Sheikh: Kill Muslims who protect infidels
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

A lengthy audiotape purportedly by the spiritual adviser to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's al-Qaida-linked group justifies killing Muslims when their presence protects infidels and threatens revenge on Shiite Muslims.

The 74-minute tape, posted Wednesday on an Internet site that often carries statements from Islamic terrorists, identifies the speaker as Sheik Abu Anas al-Shami, spiritual leader for Tawhid and Jihad. His name often is cited in Islamic forums as a religious authority, but he was not known to have released such audiotapes.

"If infidels take Muslims as protectors and Muslims do not fight them, it is allowed to kill the Muslims," the speaker said, then gave an example.

"If there is an interest in killing a Turk, and if it is necessary - meaning that if targeting the infidels is impossible as long as the Turk exists - then killing the Turk serves an interest to all Muslims and his killing is allowed," he said.

Turks, Jordanians, Egyptians and other Muslims have been abducted, but thus far no Muslims are known to have been decapitated.

On extremist Islamic online forums, the accidental killing of Muslims who work for US coalition forces in Iraq has always been a controversial subject, but generally it has been considered justifiable.

Opinions have been more mixed on taking Muslims hostage and beheading them, with some saying "fellow Muslims" should be spared and others urging their killing as examples to others of the fate of those who are "allied with the devil."

The tape clearly was recorded before the June 28 handover of sovereignty to Iraq, as the speaker questioned whether it would be carried out on time.

It also attacked Shiite Muslims, cursing them, accusing them of attacks on Sunnis and saying they are allied with the occupation forces. Sunnis and Shiites have a centuries-old theological dispute over who was the Prophet Mohammed's proper successor. Some radical Sunnis also consider Shiites infidels.

"We tell the Shiites: We will not remain silent on the killings, looting of our mosques, raping of our women, dishonoring of us and allying with the infidels," the speaker said. "The sword of Quran is between you and us."

In a separate message Wednesday on the same site, Tawhid and Jihad posted a photograph of what is said to be the head of a Bulgarian truck driver kidnapped and killed earlier this month.

It said it would later post video footage of his decapitation.

Tawhid and Jihad has claimed responsibility before for a number of bloody attacks and beheadings of foreigners it has abducted, including Bulgarian truck drivers Ivaylo Kepov, 32, and Georgi Lazov, 30.

The group identified the head only as belonging to "the Bulgarian infidel."

Remains possibly of Kepov, but not yet positively identified, were found recently in a bag on the banks of the Tigris River. Another headless body found in the river July 14 has been identified as Lazov.

The statement said it killed the hostage pictured because the Bulgarian government refused to comply with the group's demands and is allied with the American government, contributes troops to "the crusader invasion" of Iraq.

"This is a warning to all the allies of the foolish (US President George W.) Bush and those cooperating with him inside and outside Iraq," it said.

The audiotape also claimed responsibility in the name of Tawhid and Jihad for deadly attacks, including a Jan. 28 car bombing in front of the Shaheen hotel that killed at least four people. The speaker said it was targeted because it was occupied by American and Israeli intelligence agents.

On the tape, he also justified the Aug. 19, 2003, killing of UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello in an attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad. Al-Zarqawi's group previously had claimed responsibility for the attack, which killed 23 people.

The speaker said Vieira de Mello's death was justifiable because he divided Indonesia, worked against Muslims in Bosnia and "came to Iraq to cut off the limbs of the country."

Vieira de Mello was, over three decades, a UN troubleshooter in some of the world's most dangerous hotspots, including Mozambique, Cambodia, Bosnia and East Timor.