The Al-Qaida Papers - Drones
This document is one of several found by The
Associated Press in buildings recently occupied by
al-Qaida fighters in Timbuktu, Mali. Below are the
original in Arabic and a translation in English.
In support of Ibyan province (Yemen) Military Research Workshop.
I have said in my article “Strategies of Capabilities for Ansar al-Sharia” that the American
retaliation against the Mujahideen military movements in Ibyan province will be restricted to
the war of the drone. My expectations have been assured after the recent New York Times
leakage that the CIA will handle the situation, and for this, it set up a secret military base
for the drones in a neighboring country.* It is important now that we understand this
American army strategy and discuss ways to disable this strategy.
To start with, we have to know that the Americans did not resort to this approach _ The
War of the Drone _ because they have shortages in the combat jets like the F16 and other
types or they don’t possess enough troops, but because it is the most suitable approach
for them now. The Americans fully realize that they are in the 10th year of war and that
they were economically exhausted and suffered human losses and they were confronted
with public pressure backed by the Congress in a way that it made the honorable and
responsible withdrawal from the war as a prime goal of the White House. But this does not
mean that abandoning the war, rather, they pushed them to seek alternative military
strategies that enable them to continue the war without being economically depleted or
suffer human losses and avoid the American public opinion pressure. Here the war of the
drone appeared as a perfect solution. The drone is unmanned and cost nothing compared
to the manned jets and it does not create public exasperation when it crashes because the
increase of human losses in the past pushed the American people to go to the streets
shouting “bring back our sons” and if a drone crashes, no one will shout “bring back our
planes.”
In comparison, the cost of 1,000 drones equals the price of an F15 Eagle jet. If we talk
about the latest models, like the Predator, it costs $10 million while the cost of an F16 is
$350 million and the fuel for 200 flights of a drone equals the fuel consumed by one flight
of F4 Phantom jet. The training of a pilot of a Tornedo costs 1 million Pound Sterling while
training a drone operator costs nothing and it takes only three months. Therefore, the
Americans have chosen a comfortable war to prove to us their indifference to a long war.
For this, they appointed the commander of American forces in Afghanistan (David)
Petraeus as CIA director to lead the war from there and they have already tried this
strategy in Waziristan that proved success and they are going to apply it now in Yemen.
So what are going to do? I believe that foiling this strategy depends on three things: The
formation of a public opinion to stand against the attacks, deterring of spies and tactics of
deception and blurring.
These tactics are:
1 – It is possible to know the intention and the mission of the drone by using the Russianmade
“sky grabber” device to infiltrate the drone’s waves and the frequencies. The device
is available in the market for $2,595 and the one who operates it should be a computerknow-
how.
2 – Using devices that broadcast frequencies or pack of frequencies to disconnect the
contacts and confuse the frequencies used to control the drone. The Mujahideen have had
successful experiments using the Russian-made “Racal.”
3 – Spreading the reflective pieces of glass on a car or on the roof of the building.
4 – Placing a group of skilled snipers to hunt the drone, especially the reconnaissance
ones because they fly low, about six kilometers or less.
5 – Jamming of and confusing of electronic communication using the ordinary water-lifting
dynamo fitted with a 30-meter copper pole.
6 – Jamming of and confusing of electronic communication using old equipment and
keeping them 24-hour running because of their strong frequencies and it is possible using
simple ideas of deception of equipment to attract the electronic waves devices similar to
that used by the Yugoslav army when they used the microwave (oven) in attracting and
confusing the NATO missiles fitted with electromagnetic searching devices.
7 – Using general confusion methods and not to use permanent headquarters.
8 – Discovering the presence of a drone through well-placed reconnaissance networks and
to warn all the formations to halt any movement in the area.
9 – To hide from being directly or indirectly spotted, especially at night.
10 – To hide under thick trees because they are the best cover against the planes.
11 – To stay in places unlit by the sun such as the shadows of the buildings or the trees.
12 – Maintain complete silence of all wireless contacts.
13 – Disembark of vehicles and keep away from them especially when being chased or
during combat.
14 – To deceive the drone by entering places of multiple entrances and exits.
15 – Using underground shelters because the missiles fired by these planes are usually of
the fragmented anti-personnel and not anti-buildings type.
16 – To avoid gathering in open areas and in urgent cases, use building of multiple doors
or exits.
17 – Forming anti-spies groups to look for spies and agents.
18 – Formation of fake gatherings such as using dolls and statutes to be placed outside
false ditches to mislead the enemy.
19 – When discovering that a drone is after a car, leave the car immediately and everyone
should go in different direction because the planes are unable to get after everyone.
20 – Using natural barricades like forests and caves when there is an urgent need for
training or gathering.
21 – In frequently targeted areas, use smoke as cover by burning tires.
22 – As for the leaders or those sought after, they should not use communications
equipment because the enemy usually keeps a voice tag through which they can identify
the speaking person and then locate him.
Deterring the spies:
The drones used in the attacks in Swat Valley depend on electronic chips or radioactive
dyes placed at the target by the spy or the agent then the guided missiles come directly
toward these targets. The spy, therefore, is the main pillar of this operation which needed
to resort to decisive deterrent means against anyone who might dare to carry out this
mission and to be hanged in public places with a sign hanging from his neck identifying
him as an “American Spy” or any other deterrent means similar to that done to (Israeli spy
hanged in Syria) Levy Cohen or (late Afghan president) Najibullah.
The Formation of a public opinion against these attacks to instigate an alternative Arab and
Islamic street.
I think these measures are capable, with God’s help, of disabling the new strategy of the
American army at the medium or long-range levels. This is not all we have. There is the
golden solution that shortens the long distances and through which we can bring back the
pressure of the American public opinion in a more active way depending on the strategy of
kidnapping in exchange for the drone strategy and we should not stop until they stop their
strategy which will enable all the supporter of jihad to take part in defeating Petraeus and
his new strategy. We start kidnapping Western citizens in any spot in the world, whether in
the Islamic Maghreb, Egypt, Iraq or any other easy kidnapping places and the only
demand is the halt of attacks on civilians in Yemen which is a just and humanitarian
demand that will create world support and a public opinion pressure in America as they are
being hurt again. We, therefore, aim at the core of the nation’s strategy which if failed,
America, will accordingly collapse. We also are taking part in laying a block in the
promising Islamic State in the Arab peninsula.
In case there are any other tactics or deterring means, please add them here so that the
benefit will be wider and I pray to God to save us from the American intrigues and turn
these intrigues against them.
Written by Abdullah bin Mohammed
Date 15 Rajab, 1432 (Islamic calendar) corresponding to 17 June, 2011.
This document is one of several found by The
Associated Press in buildings recently occupied by
al-Qaida fighters in Timbuktu, Mali. Below are the
original in Arabic and a translation in English.
In support of Ibyan province (Yemen) Military Research Workshop.
I have said in my article “Strategies of Capabilities for Ansar al-Sharia” that the American
retaliation against the Mujahideen military movements in Ibyan province will be restricted to
the war of the drone. My expectations have been assured after the recent New York Times
leakage that the CIA will handle the situation, and for this, it set up a secret military base
for the drones in a neighboring country.* It is important now that we understand this
American army strategy and discuss ways to disable this strategy.
To start with, we have to know that the Americans did not resort to this approach _ The
War of the Drone _ because they have shortages in the combat jets like the F16 and other
types or they don’t possess enough troops, but because it is the most suitable approach
for them now. The Americans fully realize that they are in the 10th year of war and that
they were economically exhausted and suffered human losses and they were confronted
with public pressure backed by the Congress in a way that it made the honorable and
responsible withdrawal from the war as a prime goal of the White House. But this does not
mean that abandoning the war, rather, they pushed them to seek alternative military
strategies that enable them to continue the war without being economically depleted or
suffer human losses and avoid the American public opinion pressure. Here the war of the
drone appeared as a perfect solution. The drone is unmanned and cost nothing compared
to the manned jets and it does not create public exasperation when it crashes because the
increase of human losses in the past pushed the American people to go to the streets
shouting “bring back our sons” and if a drone crashes, no one will shout “bring back our
planes.”
In comparison, the cost of 1,000 drones equals the price of an F15 Eagle jet. If we talk
about the latest models, like the Predator, it costs $10 million while the cost of an F16 is
$350 million and the fuel for 200 flights of a drone equals the fuel consumed by one flight
of F4 Phantom jet. The training of a pilot of a Tornedo costs 1 million Pound Sterling while
training a drone operator costs nothing and it takes only three months. Therefore, the
Americans have chosen a comfortable war to prove to us their indifference to a long war.
For this, they appointed the commander of American forces in Afghanistan (David)
Petraeus as CIA director to lead the war from there and they have already tried this
strategy in Waziristan that proved success and they are going to apply it now in Yemen.
So what are going to do? I believe that foiling this strategy depends on three things: The
formation of a public opinion to stand against the attacks, deterring of spies and tactics of
deception and blurring.
These tactics are:
1 – It is possible to know the intention and the mission of the drone by using the Russianmade
“sky grabber” device to infiltrate the drone’s waves and the frequencies. The device
is available in the market for $2,595 and the one who operates it should be a computerknow-
how.
2 – Using devices that broadcast frequencies or pack of frequencies to disconnect the
contacts and confuse the frequencies used to control the drone. The Mujahideen have had
successful experiments using the Russian-made “Racal.”
3 – Spreading the reflective pieces of glass on a car or on the roof of the building.
4 – Placing a group of skilled snipers to hunt the drone, especially the reconnaissance
ones because they fly low, about six kilometers or less.
5 – Jamming of and confusing of electronic communication using the ordinary water-lifting
dynamo fitted with a 30-meter copper pole.
6 – Jamming of and confusing of electronic communication using old equipment and
keeping them 24-hour running because of their strong frequencies and it is possible using
simple ideas of deception of equipment to attract the electronic waves devices similar to
that used by the Yugoslav army when they used the microwave (oven) in attracting and
confusing the NATO missiles fitted with electromagnetic searching devices.
7 – Using general confusion methods and not to use permanent headquarters.
8 – Discovering the presence of a drone through well-placed reconnaissance networks and
to warn all the formations to halt any movement in the area.
9 – To hide from being directly or indirectly spotted, especially at night.
10 – To hide under thick trees because they are the best cover against the planes.
11 – To stay in places unlit by the sun such as the shadows of the buildings or the trees.
12 – Maintain complete silence of all wireless contacts.
13 – Disembark of vehicles and keep away from them especially when being chased or
during combat.
14 – To deceive the drone by entering places of multiple entrances and exits.
15 – Using underground shelters because the missiles fired by these planes are usually of
the fragmented anti-personnel and not anti-buildings type.
16 – To avoid gathering in open areas and in urgent cases, use building of multiple doors
or exits.
17 – Forming anti-spies groups to look for spies and agents.
18 – Formation of fake gatherings such as using dolls and statutes to be placed outside
false ditches to mislead the enemy.
19 – When discovering that a drone is after a car, leave the car immediately and everyone
should go in different direction because the planes are unable to get after everyone.
20 – Using natural barricades like forests and caves when there is an urgent need for
training or gathering.
21 – In frequently targeted areas, use smoke as cover by burning tires.
22 – As for the leaders or those sought after, they should not use communications
equipment because the enemy usually keeps a voice tag through which they can identify
the speaking person and then locate him.
Deterring the spies:
The drones used in the attacks in Swat Valley depend on electronic chips or radioactive
dyes placed at the target by the spy or the agent then the guided missiles come directly
toward these targets. The spy, therefore, is the main pillar of this operation which needed
to resort to decisive deterrent means against anyone who might dare to carry out this
mission and to be hanged in public places with a sign hanging from his neck identifying
him as an “American Spy” or any other deterrent means similar to that done to (Israeli spy
hanged in Syria) Levy Cohen or (late Afghan president) Najibullah.
The Formation of a public opinion against these attacks to instigate an alternative Arab and
Islamic street.
I think these measures are capable, with God’s help, of disabling the new strategy of the
American army at the medium or long-range levels. This is not all we have. There is the
golden solution that shortens the long distances and through which we can bring back the
pressure of the American public opinion in a more active way depending on the strategy of
kidnapping in exchange for the drone strategy and we should not stop until they stop their
strategy which will enable all the supporter of jihad to take part in defeating Petraeus and
his new strategy. We start kidnapping Western citizens in any spot in the world, whether in
the Islamic Maghreb, Egypt, Iraq or any other easy kidnapping places and the only
demand is the halt of attacks on civilians in Yemen which is a just and humanitarian
demand that will create world support and a public opinion pressure in America as they are
being hurt again. We, therefore, aim at the core of the nation’s strategy which if failed,
America, will accordingly collapse. We also are taking part in laying a block in the
promising Islamic State in the Arab peninsula.
In case there are any other tactics or deterring means, please add them here so that the
benefit will be wider and I pray to God to save us from the American intrigues and turn
these intrigues against them.
Written by Abdullah bin Mohammed
Date 15 Rajab, 1432 (Islamic calendar) corresponding to 17 June, 2011.
