The commander of the terrorist attack in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, has revealed his account of the operation in an al-Qaida-affiliated publication, boasting about purging Arab land of Christians and other “infidels.”
A recent issue of Sawt Al-Jihad included an interview with Fawwaz bin Muhammad al-Nashami, commander of the Al-Quds Brigade that took responsibility for the May 29 attack in which 22 people were killed.
The Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI, translated the extensive interview into English.
The interviewer begins the dialogue by referring to the “unique, qualitative operation” in Khobar.
“At the battle of Khobar there was no choice but to carry out suicide operations,” al-Nashami said. “The brothers – may Allah preserve those who remain alive and receive those who were killed – all took into account that none would return, and that they would fight until they were killed and [thus] realize the idea of plunging themselves into the midst of the enemy. [They thought this] because of the strength of the targets and the tight security around them.
“In effect, the entire place was like [foreign] colonies, as if you were in a Western country, such that you can hardly walk 200 meters before encountering heavy firearms, Hummers, search points, arms and armed troops.”
Al-Nashami explained his compatriots and he asked Allah for success before setting out on the operation.
He said: “We left the apartment at precisely a quarter to 6. We drew near the site, and we changed our clothes and belted on the ammunition pouches and weapons. We asked Allah to help us, and make things go easily for us.
“The company [compound] had two gates, and we went to the first. Our brother Nimr and the other brothers went and ordered the guard to open the gate. There was a man behind the gate and the fence. Two security personnel were outside the gate, and one was inside, and he was the one who could open [the gate]. [So] the brothers told him: ‘Open the gate!’ but he refused. The brothers wanted to break in, but he hid behind the counter.
“We were in a hurry, because we had to finish with this company, and go on to the other [company]. [So] we turned to the second main gate, broke through it, and finished dealing with the guards that were there.”
Al-Nashami gleefully talked of dragging the body of one Western victim behind a car.
“The infidel’s clothing was torn to shreds, and he was naked in the street. The street was full of people, as this was during work hours, and everyone watched the infidel being dragged, praise and gratitude be to Allah.”
The terrorists had tied the dead man to the back of the car by one leg.
The commander then spoke of attacking one of the oil-company buildings:
“We entered and found youths from the Arabian Peninsula [i.e. Saudi Arabia] wearing the Aramco uniform. They asked, ‘What is going on?’ We told them, ‘Calm down, don’t be afraid, we don’t want you. We want only the Americans.’
“The four of us entered the company together. We met the Arab clerks, and greeted them. We asked them: ‘Where are the Americans?’ They were all in shock, and said: ‘What’s going on? Who are you?’ We told them, ‘We are mujahedeen, and we want the Americans. We have not come to aim a weapon at the Muslims, but to purge the Arabian Peninsula, according to the will of our Prophet Muhammad, of the infidels and the polytheists who are killing our brothers in Afghanistan and Iraq. We want you to show us where they are.’
“We turned to go upstairs. The building included a number of companies, and there were a number of doors. Each time we opened a door, we found a large hall, and in it several offices and a head office with a glass window.
“We entered one of the companies’ [offices], and found there an American infidel who looked like a director of one of the companies. I went into his office and called him. When he turned to me, I shot him in the head, and his head exploded. We entered another office and found one infidel from South Africa, and our brother Hussein slit his throat. We asked Allah to accept [these acts of devotion] from us, and from him. This was the South African infidel.
“We went out from the company [offices] and found our brother, Nimr the hero, standing at the entrance to the company and guarding us, drinking a little water as though he were on a hike. [He acted this way] because of his great courage – may Allah have mercy on him.”
The terrorist often praised Allah after describing the killing of victims: “I saw the skull of the soldier standing behind the machine gun explode before my eyes. Allah be praised. I think the driver was also killed.”
In one description, al-Nashami tells of killing Christians.
“We began to comb the site looking for infidels. We found Filipino Christians. We cut their throats and dedicated them to our brothers the mujahedeen in the Philippines. [Likewise], we found Hindu engineers and we cut their throats, too, Allah be praised. That same day, we purged Muhammad’s land of many Christians and polytheists.”
After slitting the throats of several Hindus, the terror leader says he and his colleagues held a Quran study.
“We utilized the time for [teaching] the Quran to the Muslims who remained,” he said. “We taught them how to read [Surat] Al-Fatiha properly. They were amazed by us, [and said], ‘How are you able to do this in such an inflamed atmosphere?’ Thanks be to Allah for enabling us to do so.”
Though al-Nashami expected all the terrorists to be killed in the operation, several were able to escape, which he calls a “great miracle” from Allah.
The paper’s interviewer praised al-Nashami in closing: “Praise to Allah for your well-being, and we ask Allah to inscribe your reward, and to give your hearts the satisfaction of vengeance [against the infidels] in the same way that you gave satisfaction to the hearts of Muslims all over the world.”
