English language al-Qaeda training manual revealed

An English language guide for Westerners seeking to join al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has been published, with recommendations on how to cope with the hardships and dangers of life as a jihadist.

The guide includes rules such as keeping clean, not using mobile phones and thinking of virgins in paradise when bomber-drones are overhead, the Telegraph reported in its online edition Monday.

Described as a “must-read” source, it has emerged on the Internet less shortly after it was leaked that AQAP had been penetrated by a British spy who managed to smuggle out the latest version of their “underpants bomb”.

The guide was written by Samir Khan, an American who served as the top propagandist for the Yemen-based branch of the terrorist movement, which is considered the most dangerous to the West.

He was killed by a drone attack in September, alongside AQAP’s chief ideologue, Anwar al-Awlaki, Khan writes that he had been under the impression that he would be fighting most of the time after joining. “The reality is not quite like that,” he said.

The first section is titled “cleanliness” and says: “In some cases, you will be staying with a few brothers in a tight room or house”. “In order to avoid unnecessary problems, encourage yourself and your brothers to clean the room(s) on a regular basis. As for yourself, a daily shower is ideal but not possible in many cases.”

He describes the “bee-like sound” of the unmanned aerial vehicles in a section headed: “aerial bombardment.”

“If you feel terrified,” he says. “Close your eyes and imagine yourself inside paradise. Think of your hoor [virgins] that are awaiting you as well as meeting the prophets.”

Laying out the training, Khan writes: “In al-qa’idah, we don’t care about the size of your muscles, how fast you run, how strong your legs are and so on - although these things will be strengthened - but we put a special focus on ’lasting long’ and outdoing the enemy in patience.” “In short, prepare for the worse, and hope in the best,” Khan says.

The guide also says there are “certain questions you should avoid asking,” because: “The more you ask these kind of questions, the more the mujahidin and its leadership will think of you as a spy and place you on their blacklist, keeping a close watch of you.”