Arnold Beichman

Arnold Beichman, a Hoover Institution research fellow, is a columnist for The Washington Times. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) supplied the translation from the Arabic.

I have surfed the Internet over the years and have come across some real doozies in my time but I have never--until now--come across a web site that tells the reader how to commit murder and get away with it. Of course, the murder is to be carried out for religious reasons.

The modus operandi, according to the Islamist Al-Hesbah web site, is titled "Plan of Action for the Jihad Fighter: How to Kill a Crusader in the Arabian Peninsula." ("Crusader" is the favored jihadist euphemism for Christians. It is an historic reference to the Crusades, European expeditions undertaken in the Middle Ages, to deliver the Holy Places from Islamic rule.) The author of this Murder Manifesto, dated June 15, 2006, is Amer Al-Najdi, whoever he is.

Al-Najdi, a religious man, instructs his readers in some possible ways to kill a Westerner, from choosing the victim right up to the stage of the actual killing. Before committing the murder, says Al-Najdi, "pray to Allah to guide you on the good path." Having prayed to Allah, he then explains "the jihadist way of action and the security measures to be employed by the jihad fighter when he wants to kill a Westerner":

External appearance: Try as much as possible to look like someone who is not religious . . . and wear cheap dark glasses during the day and regular glasses at night. Your clothes must be long, and try if at all possible for them to be heel-length, or longer; don't be afraid of this. Wear a sport suit or a regular suit. Similarly, it is greatly preferable to be shaven.

Immediately get rid of everything in your car that indicates that you are religious, such as jihad cassettes. . . . The most important thing there must not be anything in the car indicating that the owner is a religious man . . . so that if the dogs of the security [apparatuses], the emergency [apparatuses], or the other [apparatuses] stop you in a suspicious place and search your car they will find nothing proving that you are religious, and will release you right away.

While you are carrying out the operation, be careful not to take your cell phone with you, especially if it has a camera, so that it won't cause you, or your friends whose numbers are in the phone, problems with unknown consequences. [Good thinking.]

In order to carry out the operation when the time comes . . . you must have a weapon, a pistol or a submachine gun or a good knife, if you are interested in slaughtering this infidel.

Next comes the problem of how to identify members of the "security apparatus" or a "Crusader" and how to kill them when they are identified. Here's how:

The first method: At about 7 a.m., pass by the settlement and check only how these Crusaders leave it, and what road they take. Beware, my jihad-fighting brother, to pass by only once, because the military dogs at the gates [of the settlement] might suspect you and detain you. Two or three days later, pass by the [same] settlement, but don't go near it as you did the first time. That is, go straight to the road where [the settlement residents] go, and wait for them by the side of the road, and when you see one of these Crusaders, follow him.

It is best to change vehicles each time, if you can. While following the Crusader, be very careful not to be exposed. For the most part, especially these days, they are feeling safer, because there are not many operations against them. But the jihad wave is approaching, and Allah will conceal this matter from them.

When [the Westerner you have selected] stops at a traffic light, try to be behind him, in the same lane, with at least two cars between you and him, or alongside him, but not exactly alongside him. While waiting at the traffic light, refrain from casual glances, and try to occupy yourself with something. . . . When you two turn onto the highway, try to pass the infidel on the right or left, and then slow down so that he will pass you, so as to remove suspicion for the next time.

A second way to find [a Westerner]: Sometimes there is no need to follow the infidel first thing in the morning; often we see them next to traffic lights or at the big marketplaces . . . often, they shop there, particularly in the morning, between 9:30 and 12:00. When you see an infidel in one of these places, follow him carefully, and you will quickly notice that for the most part he will be going to a settlement or to a house in one of the neighborhoods.

A third way to find [a Westerner]: Sometimes when you, the jihad fighter, are sitting with your colleague or with family, someone comes and says: "We have an American working for the company, who receives [a salary of] 150,000 . . ." When you hear this, you must find out the following things:

1) If you know where your colleague works -- fine. But if you don't know where he works and where his company is, immediately address your colleague, saying: "That's not true, this [salary] is exaggerated." He will immediately say, "You're wrong, and I can prove it." Tell him, "I know someone who works for such-and-such a company (give a name) and they have an American who gets [paid] 40,000, and their company is in (give a place)." Then tell him, "Your company is probably in the such-and-such area (north, for example)." And he will reply: "No, our company is in such-and-such a place." If the description so far is [still] unclear to you, say to him: "Oh . . . next to (give the name of a place)?" He will reply, "No, our company is in such-and-such a place" exactly. Then say to him, "This American you have must be a director if he gets [paid] such a sum," and then he will tell you what this infidel does [in the company]. Then say, "Surely, he has a fancy car if he gets such a salary," and then he will tell you the kind of car. Thus you have gotten the information that will help you in the future, without your colleague or anyone around him noticing.

How to Kill the Infidel and What Security Measures to Take: The best way to carry this out is to forge an ID card and a work ID, in order to rent a car.

After obtaining a suitable car, kill the Crusader, in accordance with the circumstances--if the Crusader works at a company where you work, or at a company where someone you know works, strike him on his day off, or somewhere far from [where the company is located] . . . if the Crusader lives next door to you or near you, and you want to kill him, it is best to kill him when he is outside work, so as to distance you from suspicion.

When you carry out the [killing] operation and make your escape, travel a route that you have planned in advance. It is best [to go] by the highway for five minutes, and then to move to secondary roads and then to neighborhoods, so as to distance yourself from the place of the operation.

After . . . [you have evaded being followed] park the car somewhere, [where] you have at your disposal another vehicle, extremely clean, that you will use to return home safely.

It is desirable to film the operation so it can be presented by the media, so that it has a broader impact.

Your brother Amer Al-Najdi

Arabian Peninsula

The l9th day of the fifth month, 1427 [June 15, 2006]. *