Thursday, October 30, 2008

Eid al-Fitr 2008 pep talk from Abu Yahya al-Libi



As in several of his previous videos, al-Qa'ida's best propagandist aggrandizes and incites "jihad" in a sermon more than half an hour long. The video was made outdoors during daytime, presumably somewhere in Pakistan. At al-Libi's feet is a group of what I presume are "mujahideen".

The religion-heavy speech is aimed in part at recruitment and fundraising, in view of the fact that he speaks in Arabic rather than in an Afghan or Pakistani language, and no interpreter is present.

Update: A transcript, in Arabic only, appeared today, 30 October.