Latest Bin Laden Video Is a Fake

Osama Bin Laden's widely publicized video address to the American people has a peculiarity that casts serious doubt on its authenticity: the video freezes at about 1 minute and 36 58 seconds, and motion only resumes again at 12:30. The video then freezes again at 14:02 remains frozen until the end. [via The Raw Feed]

"All references to current events, such as the 62nd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan, and Sarkozy and Brown being the leaders of France and the UK, respectively, occur when the video is frozen! The words spoken when the video is in motion contain no references to contemporary events and could have been (and likely were) made before the U.S. invasion of Iraq."

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Related: - Bin Laden to appear in new Sep 11 video

Philippine Islamists post fundraising clip on YouTube

According to The Guardian, Islamist insurgents in the Philippines linked to al-Qaida have sought to emulate other wildly successful internet fund-raising efforts with a video appeal for cash on YouTube.

"Abu Sayyaf posted a nine-minute clip from an hour-long film titled "The Filipino Lions are Coming" on the video-sharing site a week ago.

The video features scenes from its jungle training camps and archived speeches by its founder, Abdul Raziq Janjalani, and his younger brother who succeeded him, Khaddafy Janjalani.

The group's founder, speaking in Arabic, said the group's aim is to first establish a Muslim state on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, but with God's help it would ultimately reach al-Quds, or Jerusalem.

Abu Sayyaf's foray on to the web also marks the first time the group has distributed an appeal to the jihadist internet community, with a message from the film's producers reiterating the dead leaders' <>appeal for financial support."

Other Al-Qaeda released videos on YouTube:

-- Al-Qaeda ramps up its propaganda

-- Al-Qaeda deputy releases new video

-- Al-Qaida boosts online video offensive

-- BBC captive in 'bomb vest' video

Al-Qaeda ramps up its propaganda

A new video from Al Qaeda's media arm, with previously unseen and undated footage of Osama bin Laden praising the group's "martyrs," underscores the extent to which the group's propaganda campaign has improved in both production quality and volume over the past year. The Christian Science Monitor reports.

"As Sahab, the group's media wing, has released at least 63 audio and video messages so far this year, compared with 58 in 2006, according to the Associated Press. In many of those, Mr. Zawahiri has been able to respond to the news events within days, getting his group's perspective on radical Islamic sites websites.

Some analysts say this new technological prowess by Al Qaeda indicates that its leadership has recaptured the reins and it is far from being cut off and on the run."

Image from Wired.

The video is posted on Lauramasfield.com, following a link on Metro.co.uk

Al-Qaeda deputy releases new video

A new video of Osama Bin Laden's right hand man Ayman al-Zawahri has appeared on the Internet, reports ITN.

"The 95-minute film features al-Zawahri urging all Muslims to join forces in holy war against the West.

He says: "The first thing which our beloved brothers in Iraq must realise is the critical nature of unity, and that it is the gateway to victory.

"The mujahideen are not innocent of deficiency, error and slips, because they are humans who are sometimes right and sometimes wrong. ...

The lengthy tape then included video excerpts such as footage from Thomas Kean, the Chair of the September 11 Commission, stating that al-Qaeda was one of the biggest security threats ever faced by the US.

In what appeared a similar attempt to convince Muslim viewers of al-Qaeda's might, the tape then inserted quotes from an Arab newspaper commentator stating he believed the terrorist group remained as strong as before."

BBC captive in 'bomb vest' video

The kidnappers of BBC correspondent Alan Johnston have released a new video of him in which he is wearing what he says is an explosives vest. The BBC reports.

"In the tape, Mr Johnston says his captors have said they will detonate the vest if force is used to try to free him.

It is the second video released since Mr Johnston was abducted from a Gaza street on 12 March."

Al-Qaida boosts online video offensive

Al-Qaida's latest offensive appears to be taking place on computer and television screens, and uses techniques associated more with Madison Avenue than Fallujah. China Daily reports.

"Although viewership is difficult to measure, analysts say the group's videos seem to be reaching a wider audience than ever, piggybacking on the popularity of blogs and video-sharing programs like YouTube. Key to the operation are two broadcast anchors, Libyan firebrand Abu Laith al-Libi and an American fugitive, Adam Yehiye Gadahn.

Al-Qaida's as-Sahab media wing already has released 48 videos this year, on a pace to double last year's output of 58 videos, according to Virginia-based IntelCenter, a firm that tracks and analyzes the material. In 2005, the terror group released 16 videos.

Groups in Iraq's predominantly Sunni Arab insurgency, including an al-Qaida affiliate, are also boosting video output and quality. Even the Taliban, which frowned upon cameras when it ruled Afghanistan, has been issuing videos.

"They're all ramping up their propaganda campaigns," said Jeremy Binnie, a terrorism analyst with the Jane's military affairs consultancy in London.

Although no in-depth studies have been done on the impact of such videos, Binnie said, "We've got enough case studies that show the jihadist media does play a role in radicalizing people."

... Al-Qaida's as-Sahab media operation, which is thought to be based in Pakistan, releases its offerings in multiple video formats that can even play on mobile phones.

For Western analysts, the biggest worry is the videos in English may help groups recruit the most dangerous kind of terrorist, someone who has a Western passport and is familiar with the culture of the country he wants to attack, like the British citizens of Pakistani origin who staged the London transit bombings.

"They're interested in influencing that audience," said Binnie, the analyst at Jane's. "It's easier to conduct operations in the U.K. or the U.S. if you've already got a passport and know the culture."

Related: - al-Qaida Tape Offers Prisoner Exchanges