American-Born Al Qaeda Member Calls for Attacks on West After U.S. Capture of Terror Suspect in Libya

American-born Al Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn threatened attacks on U.S. and Western assets in response to the successful special forces capture of an accused  high-level Al Qaeda terrorist in October, saying it was President Barack Obama's way of diverting attention from failing "security, economic, political and diplomatic" policies.

Al Qaeda's U.S.-raised spokesman Adam Gadahn as seen in a previous video (Getty Images/Site Intelligence Group)

In a 17-minute audio recording released on jihadi forums, Gadahn said Abu Anas Al-Libi is innocent of involvement in the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, which he's accused of helping plan. He pleaded not guilty in a New York federal courtroom in October.

Gadahn said the "Crusader West" has abandoned the principles of justice when it comes to Muslims, according to a translation provided by Middle East Media Research Institute, a nonprofit group that provides translations and research from the Middle East and terror related issues.

Gadahn called on all Muslims, particularly Libyans, not to remain silent in the face of the "kidnapping," and to teach the American and European "crusaders," a lesson they would not forget by attacking their interests everywhere in the lands of Islam and their own countries "until Abu Anas returns safe and sound to the bosom of his family."

"Sheikh Abu Anas' kidnapping will not prevent us from continuing our jihad against the U.S. and its crusader-Zionist alliance; on the contrary, it will only enhance our stubbornness and determination to smite this malicious alliance anywhere we can until we free our prisoners from their prisons, and [liberate] our countries from their bases and soldiers and our children's minds from their deviation and debauchery, and until our Islamic nation and the world are rid of their evil and madness, and the peoples, with Allah’s help, will enjoy security, rights, liberty, and independence," Gadahn said in the recording, as translated by the MEMRI.

Known in Al Qaeda circles as Azzam Al-Amriki, Gadahn titled the audio, "The Crime of the Kidnapping of Abu Anas Al-Libi and its Implications." He said the capture of Al-Libi by U.S. forces is "a new link in the series of the American pirates' crimes" and called it "an ostentatious, cowardly act."

Federal law enforcement officials describe Gadahn, who grew up as Adam Pearlman on a farm in Riverside, Calif., as an "unstable Muslim convert."

"He was the kind of guy who just didn't fit in anywhere," a federal law enforcement officer told TheBlaze. "He found a home in Islam and turned his back on his own country. He's not the most stable guy but he plays a prominent role in Al Qaeda's media machine and propaganda."

A U.S. official said "we take all of Gadahn's threats seriously. We remain vigilant."

The audio recording was produced by Al Qaeda's media arm Al-Sahab. MEMRI estimated the recording was made in October because of the references made by Gadahn, who spoke only in Arabic.

"The infidel American state's armed gangs kidnapped Sheikh Abu Anas Al-Libi this October 5, while conspiring with a handful of traitors and mercenaries who are presumably part of the Muslim Libyan people," he said. "This is a new link in the series of the American pirates' crimes and of the crusader arrogance which respects no boundaries, sovereignty or law, but views the entire world as an arena where it can do as it sees fit, wherever and however it wishes."

"As the Crusader West abandons the principle of a just trial and the other principles of justice and probity when it comes to Muslims and their rights, the ruling gang in Washington ignored all these facts and gave the order to perpetrate the ostentatious cowardly action, so that it could claim afterwards that it was sending a message to the mujahideen by doing so," Gadahn said.

"The message was received," he continued. "We've studied it and found that it proves that Barack Obama and his gang committed this action in a desperate attempt to distract the attention of the people in [the U.S.] and outside [it] from its situation that is disgraceful ... on all levels: security, economic, political and diplomatic.”

He called on the Islamic nation, particularly Libyans, to retaliate.

"Arise and take revenge on the U.S., the enemy of Islam and the Muslims, and restore to us the glories of Nairobi and Dar Al-Salam, Aden, New York and Washington, Fort Hood, Benghazi and Boston. Defend your religion, your Islamic nation, your brothers and the honor of your wives against the American and crusader pirates, and attack their interests everywhere, in our countries and in their countries – because the war against the crusaders and the Jews is a global war with no borders and no restraint, except for the limitations of Shariah or the requirements of the Islamic and Muslim interest ... until Abu Anas returns safe and sound to the bosom of his family."

Of the accusations against Al-Libi, Gadahn said: "Of what is he accused? Of hostility against the U.S.? ... Everyone must know that hatred for the U.S., and the war against it, are a duty, a privilege and a [source of] pride for all free peoples worldwide, and not an accusation or a crime."

Gadahn warned that if Libyans do not act to free Abu Anas, "no one in Libya will be safe from kidnapping by American and Crusader pirates."

He urged Libyans not to surrender their weapons to the authorities "until an Islamic Shariah state arises that is independent of the influence of the greatest international criminals" and told followers to "prepare to go out against the Americans until they leave our country and remove their support from the mercenary agents that they have positioned to rule us."

--

[related]