US Air Force 

Counterproliferation Center

Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama

Jerrold M. Post, ed.

Military Studies in the Jihad 

Against the Tyrants:

The Al-Qaeda Training Manual
Military Studies in the 

Jihad against the Tyrants:

THE AL-QAEDA TRAINING MANUAL 

by 

Jerrold M. Post, M.D. (Editor) 

USAF Counterproliferation Center 

325 Chennault Circle 

Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama 36112-6427 

August 2004
ii 

Disclaimer 

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do 

not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Government, 

Department of Defense, or the USAF Counterproliferation Center. 
iii 

Contents 

Page 

Disclaimer ................................................................................................... ii

The Editor ....................................................................................................v 

Preface....................................................................................................... vii

Editor’s Preface.......................................................................................... ix

Introduction................................................................................................. 1

Al-Qaeda Handbook ................................................................................. 11 

Notes ....................................................................................................... 173 

v 

The Editor 

Dr. Jerrold Post is Professor of Psychiatry, Political Psychology and 

International Affairs and Director of the Political Psychology Program at 

The George Washington University. 

Dr. Post has devoted his entire career to the field of political 

psychology. Dr. Post came to George Washington after a 21-year career 

with the Central Intelligence Agency where he was the founding director of 

the Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior, an 

interdisciplinary behavioral science unit which provided assessments of 

foreign leadership and decision-making for the President and other senior 

officials to prepare for Summit meetings and other high-level negotiations 

and for use in crisis situations. He played the lead role in developing the 

“Camp David profiles” of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat for President 

Jimmy Carter and initiated the U.S. government program in understanding 

the psychology of terrorism in the late 1970s. In recognition of his 

leadership of the Center, Dr. Post was awarded the Intelligence Medal of 

Merit in 1979. He received the Nevitt Sanford Award for Distinguished 

Professional Contributions to Political Psychology in 2002. 

Dr. Post is a founding member of the International Society of Political 

Psychology, was elected Vice-President in 1994, and has served on the 

editorial board of Political Psychology since 1987. A Distinguished Life 

Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), he has been elected 

to Fellowship in the American College of Psychiatrists. He is a member of 

the American Association of Psychiatry and the Law. After serving as 

Chair, Taskforce for National and International Terrorism of the APA, 

(1994-2000), he was appointed (2004) Chair, Workgroup for Terrorism and 

Political Violence. 

Dr. Post has published widely on crisis decision-making, leadership, 

on the psychology of political violence and terrorism, with special reference 

to terrorist group dynamics. He has authored eight book chapters on 

terrorist psychology and the entry on terrorism and counter-terrorism in the 

Oxford Companion to Military History. In his writings, he recently has 

been addressing weapons of mass destruction terrorism: psychological 

incentives and constraints, suicide terrorism, and information systems 
vi 

terrorism (cyber terrorism). He is the co-author of a study of the politics of 

illness in high office, When Illness Strikes the Leader: The Dilemma of the 

Captive King, Yale University Press, 1993, and Political Paranoia: The 

Psycho-politics of Hatred, Yale, 1997. He is editor and author of The 

Psychological Evaluation of Political Leaders, With Profiles of Saddam 

Hussein and Bill Clinton, University of Michigan Press, 2003, and (with Dr. 

Barry Schneider) of Know Thy Enemy: Profiles of Adversary Leaders and 

their Strategic Cultures, Air Force Counter Proliferation Center, 2003, and 

is author of Leaders and Their Followers in a Dangerous World: The 

Psychology of Political Behavior, Cornell University Press, 2004. 

Dr. Post received his B.A. magna cum laude and M.D. from Yale. He 

received his post-graduate training in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School 

and the National Institute of Mental Health. He has also received graduate 

training at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. 

After the invasion of Kuwait, Dr. Post developed a political 

psychology profile of Saddam Hussein. He provided his analysis of 

Saddam's personality and political behavior in testimony at the hearings on 

the Gulf crisis before the House Armed Services Committee and the House 

Foreign Affairs Committee. He served as a psychiatric expert on terrorist 

psychology for the Department of Justice in the 1997 trial of an Abu Nidal 

terrorist, and in July 2001, testified as an expert witness in the federal trial 

in New York of one of the Osama bin Laden terrorists responsible for the 

bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania. 

Since 9/11, he has testified before the House National Security 

subcommittee hearings on bio-terrorism, before the Senate Armed Services 

Committee on terrorist psychology and motivation, and before the U.N. 

International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria, at a specially 

convened session on nuclear terrorism on the psychology of nuclear 

terrorism. He is a frequent commentator on national and international 

media. 
Preface 

vii 

he tragic events of September 11 brought international 

terrorism into sharp focus with the largest single mass casualty 

incident of terrorism in history. And the attacks took place in 

the United States, a country that had been largely immune to international 

terrorism on its shores. Despite a decrease in terrorist events in the late 

1990s, following the September 11 attacks there is now a resurgence of 

terrorism globally. 

This remarkable document, introduced in evidence by the U.S. 

Department of Justice in the trial in the spring of 2001 of the Al-Qaeda 

terrorists responsible for the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and 

Tanzania, provides a revealing—and thoroughly chilling—view of the 

“mind” of Al-Qaeda and its leadership. It is at once a manual of terror and 

a basic tradecraft manual. The editor of this manual, Dr. Jerrold Post, a 

recognized expert on international terrorism, wisely lets the manual speak 

for itself. His insightful editorial commentary reveals that this manual of 

terror goes well beyond the detailed instructions for operating “in the land 

of the enemy.” It is a guide to the planning, motivation and justification of 

Al-Qaeda operations. 

The eighteen chapters of the Manual of Terror take the reader through 

a tour of Al-Qaeda membership criteria, basic tradecraft, means and 

methods of communication, member safety, security, espionage, 

assassination, and capture. Many of the pure trade craft sections, such 

chapters on member safety, instructions on how to blend in with the local 

community, establishing safe houses, using forged documents and means 

of communication could have been written by any number of respected 

covert organizations throughout the world. The tradecraft instructions are 

interwoven with Koranic justification designed to inspire the reader. 

The authors of the manual have followed in the footsteps of the 

Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran in their use of the Koran to justify acts that are 

expressly forbidden in Islam – murder of innocent civilians, the use of 

poisons, and attacking members of the Abrahamic faiths. Chapter 

fourteen gives express directions and justification for the beating and 

killing of hostages, while chapter sixteen instructs the reader on how to 

T
viii 

create and deliver deadly poisons. Indeed, as Dr. Post points out, the 

Suras in the Koran and the episodes in the life of the prophet that are cited 

are usually taken entirely out of context. 

This manual demonstrates the sophistication, flexibility and adaptive 

learning of Al-Qaeda. The manual has several sections devoted to 

“Lessons Learned.” This is an organization that reviews past actions, 

learns from its mistakes and finds ways to improve future operations. 

Even the minutest details are addressed in this manual. Operatives are 

given permission to not follow Islamic traditions such as praying five 

times a day or wearing a beard if necessary to fit into a local community; 

they are also warned not to get parking tickets or use their real names on 

the phone. Operatives receive special guidance on how to avoid detection 

by law enforcement and in the event of their capture, what to expect 

during interrogation. They are told how to act during interrogation and 

during imprisonment, with important emphasis on rebuilding their 

network in prison. 

Had this significant document been more closely attended to in the 

wake of the 1998 embassy bombings, it would have better focused out 

attention on the danger posed to the United States by this sophisticated 

transnational terrorist organization. 

Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III 

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Marsh Crisis Consulting 

Chairman, National Commission on Terrorism 

Former Ambassador at Large for Counterterrorism (1986-1989) 
Editor’s Preface 

ix 

uring the spring of 2001, I had the opportunity of serving as 

an expert witness on the psychology of terrorism during the 

death penalty phase of the Al-Qaeda terrorists tried and 

convicted for their part in the bombing of the United States embassies in 

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. One of the exhibits 

introduced by the government was a manual “Military Studies in the Jihad 

Against the Tyrants.” This training manual was found and seized in May 

2000 by British investigators in Manchester, England, during a search of 

the home of Anas al-Liby, a fugitive charged in the Al-Qaeda terrorism 

conspiracy. As an expert witness, a translation of the 180-page manual 

was provided to me. 

The provenance of the manual is somewhat obscure. Portions of it 

were circulating in radical Egyptian circles, suggesting that Ayman alZawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s personal physician and designated 

successor, a founder of the Islamic Jihad of Egypt, probably played a 

central role developing the Al-Qaeda terrorism manual. 

It is an altogether remarkable document. On the one hand, it resembles 

nothing more than a basic tradecraft training manual, concerned with how to 

operate in a hostile environment. There are detailed instructions on 

everything from ciphers to how to resist interrogation. But it is also a 

manual of terror, with no less than four of the seventeen lessons or chapters 

devoted to techniques for assassination. But it is not merely a list of 

instructions, for it is also written to inspire the undercover operator as he 

carries on his dangerous work. And the language at times is quite eloquent. 

Moreover, the document reflects a sophisticated approach on the part 

of Al-Qaeda operational officials for there is a continuing emphasis on 

lessons learned. Many of the chapters cite previous mistakes, which 

provide the basis for the points emphasized in the lesson. And they do not 

learn lessons only from their past mistakes, but from adversaries as well. In 

one section, they cite the astute observational skill of an Israeli Mossad 

counter-espionage agent who foiled a terrorist plot, and cite Soviet KGB 

sources in others. Thus the manual reflects the adaptive learning of the 

D
x 

organization, and the care with which Al-Qaeda prepares its operatives. No 

detail is too small, as exemplified by the instruction in Lesson Eight, which 

is concerned with Member Safety, “Do not park in no parking zones.” 

Many of the instructions are accompanied by elaborate justification, 

either citing suras, verses from the Koran, or scholars who have provided 

commentary on the Koran, or hadiths, sayings of the prophet Mohammad. 

These elaborate justifications are offered especially when the instructions 

recommended seem to contradict Islamic teaching. In this text, the suras are 

not numbered, and while some are fairly well known, others are more 

obscure. Similarly, the sources of some of the hadiths are given, while the 

sources of others are not identified. The authenticity of many of the suras 

and hadiths is questionable, and several of the suras are taken out of context. 

For the Islamic youth taught to respect without questioning religious 

scholars, these can provide apparently persuasive religious authority 

justifying acts of violence. As Daniel Brumberg1

 sagely notes, in evaluating 

the authenticity of the sources, Surah 3, 78, which speaks to Christians and 

Muslims, seems most aptly to apply to the writers of this manual. 

There are among them (People of the Book) 

A section who distort 

The Book with their tongues 

(As they read the Book) you would think 

It is part of the Book 

But it is not part 

Of the Book: and they say 

“That is from Allah,” 

But it is not from Allah: 

It is they who tell 

A lie against Allah 

And (well) they know it. 

The manual is reproduced in its entirety, with the exception of the 

specific instructions for producing poisons and toxins in lesson sixteen, 

which have been deleted. Each section is accompanied by brief 

commentary. In order to place the manual in context, the volume is 

introduced with a chapter summarizing the rise of Osama bin Laden as 

terrorist leader and the organization and structure of Al-Qaeda and the 

manner in which its members are trained. 


Introduction . . . 1

Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: 

The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Jerrold M. Post, M.D. 

Introduction 

Osama bin Laden was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 1957, the 17th 

of 20-25 sons of Mohamed bin Laden, who had 52-54 children in total.2

 

Originally an immigrant from Yemen, Mohamed bin Laden, by 

befriending the royal family, had established a major construction 

company and had amassed a fortune of some 2 to 3 billion dollars by the 

time of his death in 1967 in a plane crash. Although estimates range from 

18 million to as high as 200 million, it most commonly agreed that bin 

Laden inherited approximately 57 million dollars at age 16 from his 

father’s estate.3

Osama’s mother, Hamida, a Syrian woman of Palestinian descent, 

was the least favorite of Mohamed’s ten wives, and Osama was the only 

child, perhaps the basis of Osama bin Laden’s later estrangement from his 

family.4 Hamida was reportedly a beautiful woman with a free and 

independent spirit who, as a result, often found herself in conflict with her 

husband. Reportedly by the time Osama was born, Hamida had been 

ostracized by the family and had been nicknamed “Al Abeda” (the slave). 

As her only child, Osama was referred to as “Ibn Al Abeda” (son of the 

slave). Hamida did not live on the compound with the larger bin Laden 

family and as a result was virtually non-existent in her son’s early life. 

When Mohammed bin Laden died, Osama, at the age of ten, for all intents 

and purposes did not know his mother.5

Osama bin Laden attended King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah. 

He is a certified civil engineer, and was working toward a degree in 

Business Management (although it is not clear that he completed his 

course work) preparing him to play a leadership role in the family’s far 

flung business interests. These two skill areas would serve him in good 

stead in Afghanistan. 
2 . . . Introduction

An important influence on Osama bin Laden’s political ideology was 

Abdullah Azzam, a radical Palestinian professor at the university who 

became an important intellectual mentor for bin Laden. It was Azzam, a 

noted Islamist, who provided the vision to bin Laden of what should be 

done in response to the invasion of the Muslim state of Afghanistan by the 

Soviet Union, and what role bin Laden could play. In particular, he 

conveyed to bin Laden the importance of bringing together Muslims from 

around the world to defend Afghanistan against the godless Soviet Union. 

Demonstrating his already blossoming management skills, Osama bin 

Laden assisted Azzam who founded the international recruitment network 

Maktab al-Khidamat (MAK - Services Office). MAK advertised all over 

the Arab world for young Muslims to fight the Afghanistan jihad. This 

massive international recruitment effort brought in Muslims from around 

the world who were to become the Afghan Arabs, the nucleus of bin 

Laden’s loyal followership; 5,000 were recruited from Saudi Arabia, 3,000 

from Algeria, and 2,000 from Egypt. Recruitment booths were set up in 

the United States and Europe. 

A leader is not formed until he encounters his followers, and bin 

Laden’s leadership experience during the struggle in Afghanistan against 

the Soviet invasion was crucial in the psychological development of bin 

Laden as a leader and was transformational for bin Laden as leader. He 

came to Afghanistan unformed and naïve. Generously using his own 

funds, he built clinics, hospitals, bought ammunition and weapons. 

Eschewing an opulent life style, he lived an ascetic life in caves with his 

followers. Regularly preaching about their holy mission, and inspirational 

in his rhetoric, bin Laden inspired his followers who came to adulate him. 

That they were able, with substantial American aid to be sure, to triumph 

over the Soviet Union, in what was to become their Vietnam, surely 

confirmed the correctness of bin Laden’s vision. Allah favored the weak 

and the underdog, and surely they could not have triumphed over the 

Godless Soviets unless God was on their side. This was the template of 

the destructive, charismatic relationship between bin Laden and his 

religiously inspired warriors, the mujahideen. 

Bin Laden had not yet broken with the Saudi government, which after 

all was the main foundation of his family’s wealth. But he had 

successfully vanquished one of the three major enemies identified by 

Muhammad Abdel Salam Faraj, who wrote The Neglected Duty: The 
Introduction . . . 3

Existing Arab State, the Western-Zionist Nexus, and the Communists. 

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the critical enemy among this triad was 

the “enemy who was near,” the Arab state, according to leading Islamic 

fundamentalists. In Faraj’s manifesto, he argued, “We must begin with 

our Islamic country by establishing the rule of God in our nation...the first 

battle for jihad is the uprooting of these infidel leaders and replacing them 

with an Islamic system from which we can build.”6

Bin Laden came to see the Soviet super-power as a “paper tiger” that 

could be defeated, but also set his sights on the remaining super-power, 

the United States, as a next target. This represented a fundamental 

departure from the strategy of Faraj, replacing “the enemy that is near” 

with “the enemy that is afar,” the super-powers. 

With the victory in Afghanistan, bin Laden, the warrior king, and his 

loyal Afghan Arab fighters were eager to continue to pursue the jihad. Bin 

Laden broadened his vision and determined to pursue the jihad on a 

worldwide basis, seeking to reconstruct the nation of Islam throughout the 

world, assisting Muslims who were in conflict in Algeria, Angola, Bosnia, 

Chechnya, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, and so forth. While bin Laden was 

committed to the international struggle, Abdullah Azzam believed in 

focusing all efforts on building Afghanistan into a model Islamic state. 

Following a split with Abdullah Azzam in 1988, with the nucleus of his 

loyal followers, bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, a founding father of 

the Islamic Jihad of Egypt, established Al-Qaeda (The Base) as a direct 

outgrowth of MAK. The following year Abdullah Azzam died in a 

mysterious car bomb explosion. Although there has been suspicion of 

involvement by bin Laden, there has never been any proof linking him to 

death of his one-time mentor. 

Conceptually, Al-Qaeda differed significantly from other terrorist 

groups and organizations, perhaps reflecting bin Laden’s training in 

business management. Al-Qaeda was a loose umbrella organization of 

semi-autonomous terrorist groups and organizations. In effect, bin Laden 

was chairman of the board of a holding company, providing guidance, 

coordination, and financial and logistical facilitation. Unlike other 

charismatically led organizations, such as Guzman’s Sendero Luminosa of 

Peru, or Ocalan’s PKK of Turkey, both of which were mortally wounded 

when their leader was captured, bin Laden designated Ayman al-Zawahiri 

as his successor and number two, although some reports indicated that 
4 . . . Introduction

Muhammad Atef was the designated successor. A leading Islamic 

militant, Zawahiri is a physician who founded the Egyptian Islamic Jihad 

and the new faction, Talaa’al al Fateh (Vanguard of Conquerors.) 

Zawahiri’s group was responsible for the attempted assassination of 

President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and is considered responsible for the 

assassination of President Sadat. In fact, Zawahiri, who is responsible for 

most day-to-day decisions, can be seen as serving as CEO to bin Laden as 

Chairman of the Board (or Executive Vice President to bin Laden as 

President and CEO), with major responsibility for finance, logistics and 

operational planning. The number three, Atef, also of the Islamic Jihad of 

Egypt, was chairman of the military committee and training. Atef was 

reportedly killed during the conflict in Afghanistan. 

With the defeat of the Soviet Union, the warrior king bin Laden and 

his loyal warriors had lost their enemy. As Eric Hoffer has observed, the 

power of a charismatic leader derives from his capacity to focus hatred 

against a single enemy, as Hitler did in the 1930s, unifying the German 

people in their hatred of the Jews. While in Sudan in 1993, bin Laden 

found his previous allies, the United States, with a military base on Saudi 

soil in the wake of the conflict in the Gulf. Decrying this desecration of 

holy Saudi soil by the infidel Americans, bin Laden had seamlessly 

transferred his enmity from the first defeated super-power, the Soviet 

Union, to the remaining super-power, the United States. Moreover, he 

actively criticized the Saudi royal family for their apostasy, decrying their 

defiling their stewardship of the land of the two cities, Mecca and Medina. 

The vigor of his criticism led Saudi Arabia to revoke his citizenship 

in 1994, and his family, which depended upon the Saudi leadership for 

their wealth, turned against him. Now bin Laden was righteously 

attacking the other two enemies in the triad of enemies, the WesternIsraeli nexus, and one of the newly designated apostate Arab nations, 

Saudi Arabia. But he maintained the primary focus on the external enemy, 

the United States. Yes, the leadership of the apostate nations had to be 

replaced, but it was the United States that was the prime enemy, for 

America was responsible for propping up the corrupt leadership of these 

countries. Thus he continued the strategy born in Afghanistan of focusing 

on the enemy who is afar, the Zionist-Crusaders, rather than the enemy 

who is near, the targhut (oppressive domestic rulers.) 
Introduction . . . 5

In the October 1996 Declaration of War, bin Laden justified his 

aggression as defensive aggression, asserting that the Islamic nation was 

under attack. 

The people of Islam had suffered from aggression, 

inequality and injustice imposed on them by the ZionistCrusader alliance and their collaborators to the extent that 

Muslims’ blood became the cheapest and their wealth 

looted in the hands of enemies. Their blood has spilled in 

Palestine and Iraq. The horrifying pictures of the massacre 

of Qana, in Lebanon are still fresh in our memory. 

Massacres in Tajikistan, Burma, Kashmir, Assam, 

Philippines, Somalia, Chechnya and in Bosnia-Herzegovina 

took place, massacres that send shivers in the body and 

shake the conscience.7

With this, bin Laden and Zawahiri, who is widely believed to be bin 

Laden’s pen, justified defensive jihad, while blaming the Zionist-Crusader 

alliance for every fight against Muslims. But the fourth jihad, the jihad of 

the sword, is a defensive jihad only, that is against those who take up arms 

against Muslims. In 1996, the target was only the American military in 

Saudi Arabia, with the stated goal of expelling U.S. military from Arabian 

soil, although the Declaration of War did expand the enemy to include not 

only military bearing arms but also non-combatants, justifying the attack 

in June 1996 on the American military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 

Khobar Towers. Of course, to bin Laden’s stated dismay, the enemy “that 

is afar,” the United States, in fact, was near, indeed within the holy land of 

Arabia. 

In 1998, a major expansion of the mission occurred, with the 

“Declaration of the World Islamic Front for Jihad Against the Jews and 

Crusaders” in which all Americans, civilian and military were declared to 

be the enemy, the civilians because they supported anti-Muslim U.S. policy. 

From Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders: 

World Islamic Front Statement (February 1998 Fatwa) 

In compliance with God’s order, we issue the following 

fatwa to all Muslims: The ruling to kill the Americans and 

their allies – civilians and military – is an individual duty 
6 . . . Introduction

for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it 

is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque 

and the holy mosque [Mecca] from their grip, and in order 

for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, 

defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim. This is in 

accordance with the words of Almighty God, “and fight the 

pagans all together as they fight you all together,” and 

“fight them until there is no more tumult or oppression, and 

there prevail justice and faith in God.” We – with God’s 

help – call on every Muslim who believes in God and 

wishes to be rewarded to comply with God’s order to kill 

the Americans and plunder their money wherever and 

whenever they find it. 

The distinction between Al-Qaeda and other charismatically led 

groups in having a leadership circle, rather than a sole leader has already 

been noted. Perhaps reflecting principles learned in bin Laden’s studies of 

business management, Al-Qaeda was established with a flat decentralized 

organizational structure, exemplifying the emerging form of conflict that 

is emphasized by Arquila and Ronfeld in Netwar.

Training, too, plays a different role in Al-Qaeda. In most terrorist 

organizations, established members have been sent for training to augment 

their capabilities. In Al-Qaeda, in contrast, training is a mechanism of 

identifying loyal committed followers who can be called upon to 

participate in the jihad. 

The sixteen hours I spent interviewing Khalfam Khamis Muhammad 

(one of the defendants in the trial, spring of 1991, in federal court, New 

York, of the terrorists involved in the bombing of the American embassies 

in Dar es Saalam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya) was illuminating in these 

regards. It also emphasized the central role of the mosque in mobilizing 

feelings in potential recruits and as a spotting ground for recruitment. 

Khalfam Khamis Muhammad was born in 1973 in Zanzibar, 

Tanzania, an island off the coast of Tanzania. In 1979, when he was six or 

seven, his father died, leading him to turn to his older brother as a father 

surrogate but also probably leaving him seeking and vulnerable to male 

authority. 

Zanzibar is Muslim, some 90% according to Muhamed. While he 

describes his family as not especially religious, he was more devout than 
Introduction . . . 7

his brothers and regularly attended services in the madrassa, the religious 

school in their small village in Zanzibar where he was taught to pray, taught 

to obey, and developed his desire to become a good Muslim. He had no 

other dreams as a boy. In primary school, his teacher tried to inspire him, 

told him of the importance of the Koran. In secondary school, there was no 

political education, but he was taught to obey and accept what he was told 

and to not ask questions. This pattern of accepting what he is told by 

authorities and not questioning can be traced to his earliest days. 

His brothers left for the mainland, where they opened a small grocery 

in Dar es Salaam. Muhamed completed primary school, but in 1991, one 

year short of graduation from secondary school, his brothers persuaded him 

to drop out of school and come to Dar es Salaam to help them as a clerk in 

their grocery store. He planned to continue in school there but did not. 

As a boy he did not have close friends, nor did he make friends easily. 

In Dar es Salaam, he was lonely, had no friends, but the one place he felt 

accepted and made acquaintances, was in the mosque. Unlike the 

traditional madrassa in Zanzibar, this mosque was much more political. 

There he heard about the suffering of Muslims in Bosnia and in Chechnya, 

and was shown videos of Muslim mass graves in Bosnia and the Serbian 

military machine, and of the bodies of Muslim women and children in 

Chechnya, and of the Russian military machine. The sermons concerned 

the fact that they all belonged to the religious community of observant 

Muslims, the umma, and they had an obligation to help the suffering 

Muslims. In a rather unformed romantic way, he became inspired to join 

the struggle, the jihad, and help the Muslim victims. He wanted, in his 

words, to become “a soldier for Allah.” 

In contrast to his bleak existence as a clerk in his brothers’ grocery 

store, with an empty future, it was increasingly a dream, of joining 

something larger than himself, of becoming part of the umma, struggling 

for the victimized Muslims. 

They talked about this a lot in the mosque. He spoke with his new 

acquaintance Fahid about his wish to help the Muslims. Fahid told him he 

could not join the struggle until he had training, that he did not trust him, 

but if he went to training in Afghanistan then he would earn their trust and 

then he could fight against the enemies of the Muslim people, the Serbs in 

Bosnia, or the Russians in Chechnya. In 1994 he paid his own way to 

Afghanistan to have jihad training, with money he earned at his brother’s 
8 . . . Introduction

grocery store. He met Fahid at the camp, Markaz Fath, who told him that 

there would be military training in the morning, in small arms, mortars, 

and explosives, and they would learn about Islam in the afternoon, with 

religious studies and ideology.8

 The purpose of the training, he was told, 

was to learn how to help other Muslims, if necessary, through an armed 

struggle. He was also instructed in security, to not talk about his job with 

others, nor have others talk about their jobs with him. He had not heard 

about Osama bin Laden or of Al-Qaeda before coming to the camp, and 

did not come to the camp to join Al-Qaeda, but to get the training so he 

could join the struggle to help other Muslims. In particular, he wanted to 

fight as a soldier in Bosnia against the Serb military, or in Chechnya 

against the Russian military. They did talk about Americans, but only 

about the need to get the American military out of Saudi Arabia, where the 

holiest shrines in Islam were located. (Through 1997, bin Laden in his 

fatwahs spoke about expelling the American military from Muslim lands. 

This was the theme when Muhamed was in the training camp. It was only 

in the fatwah of 1998 that bin Laden shifted to American citizens as 

targets—military and civilian—anywhere in the world.) His goal, 

literally, was to be a soldier for Allah fighting against soldiers attacking 

Muslims. 

At the camp, he felt like an outsider, along with other foreigners, for 

he did not speak the urdu dialect in which the religious classes and 

sermons were given, even though there were translated summaries. He 

envied the Pakistanis in training, who had fire in their eyes. 

After 9 or 10 months of training, although others were selected for 

missions or additional training he was told he could not go to Bosnia or 

Chechnya to fight against the enemies of Muslims, but was offered the 

opportunity of going to Kashmir, which he declined. He saw himself as a 

soldier fighting soldiers. He was asked to give them a telephone number 

where he could be contacted. 

Extremely disappointed, he returned to Dar es Salaam to his lowly job 

as a grocery clerk. He renewed his acquaintances at the mosque and 

became absorbed again by the need to help suffering Muslims. It was 

three years later, in 1997, that he was invited by an Al-Qaeda member, 

who he had met on a trip to Somalia, to “do a jihad job.” He accepted 

without questioning the nature of the job, and was to become the safehouse minder for the Tanzanian operation. He never was asked to become 
Introduction . . . 9

a member of Al-Qaeda, and was excluded from details about the planned 

operation. His job, he was told, was not to ask questions, but to follow 

instructions. 

As will be seen, the manual is clearly designed for young 

inexperienced recruits, who were previously untrained. The period of 

training itself, as with Khalfan Khamis Muhamed, was not only for 

training but for identifying candidates who were sincerely committed to 

the mission and could be called upon. When Muhamed returned to 

Tanzania, it was not as a “sleeper.” Rather, he was more like a member of 

the reserves, who had gone through military training, and was on tap, 

ready to be called up when his services were needed, as they were in 1997. 

The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 11 

Al-Qaeda Handbook 

Dedication ................................................................................................. 13 

Introduction............................................................................................... 17 

First Lesson: 

General Introduction ................................................................................. 21 

Second Lesson: 

Necessary Qualifications and Character for Organization’s Members..... 25 

Third Lesson: 

Counterfeit Currency and Forged Documents .......................................... 33 

Fourth Lesson: 

Organization Military Bases: Apartments and Hiding Places .................. 35 

Fifth Lesson: 

Means of Communication and Transportation.......................................... 39 

Sixth Lesson: 

Training..................................................................................................... 51 

Seventh Lesson: 

Weapons: Measures Related to Buying and Transporting Them ............ 53 

Eighth Lesson: 

Member Safety.......................................................................................... 57 

Ninth Lesson: 

Security Plan ............................................................................................. 61 

Tenth Lesson: 

Special Tactical Operations ...................................................................... 73 

Eleventh Lesson: 

Espionage: Information-gathering Using Open Methods ........................ 81 

Twelfth Lesson: 

Espionage: Information-gathering Using Covert Methods...................... 91 
12 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Thirteenth Lesson: 

Secret Writing and Ciphers and Codes ................................................... 105 

Fourteenth Lesson: 

Kidnapping and Assassination Using Rifles and Pistols ........................ 123 

Fifteenth Lesson: 

Assassination Using Explosives.............................................................. 141 

Sixteenth Lesson: 

Assassination Using Poisons and Cold Steel .......................................... 153 

Seventeenth Lesson: 

Interrogation and Investigation ............................................................... 157 

Eighteenth Lesson: 

Prisons and Detention Centers ................................................................ 169 

IT IS FORBIDDEN TO REMOVE THIS FROM THE HOUSE 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 13 

Declaration of Jihad (Holy War) 

Against the Country’s Tyrants Military Series 

Editor’s Comment: Given President Bush’s identification of the 

adversary in the war on terrorism as “terrorists with a global reach,” the 

logo on the title page is striking. It is indeed a globe, with the Middle East 

and Africa particularly emphasized, and an Islamic dagger piercing the 

heart of the globe. 

[Emblem]: A drawing of the globe emphasizing the Middle East and 

Africa with a sword through the globe 

[On the emblem:] Military Studies in the Jihad [Holy War] Against the 

Tyrants 

In the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate. 

Presentation 

To those champions who avowed the truth day and night... 

...And wrote with their blood and sufferings these phrases... 

The confrontation that we are calling for with the apostate regimes does 

not know Socratic debates..., Platonic ideals..., nor Aristotelian diplomacy. 

But it knows the dialogue of bullets, the ideals of assassination, bombing, 

and destruction, and the diplomacy of the cannon and machine-gun. 

Islamic governments have never and will never be established through 

peaceful solutions and cooperative councils. They are established as they 

[always] have been 

by pen and gun 

by word and bullet 

by tongue and teeth 

Editor’s Comment: The literary quality and rhetorical force of the 

dedication is striking. Socratic debates, Platonic ideals, Aristotelian 

diplomacy—characteristics of a democracy—are dramatically contrasted 
14 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

with the absolutist, uncompromising nature of the confrontation with 

apostate regimes, referring to the moderate modernizing Islamic nations, 

who have strayed from the Islamist path, who will know only “the 

dialogue of the bullet, the ideals of assassination, bombing and 

destruction, and the diplomacy of the cannon and machine gun.” 

The three dangling last lines, in their pairing of qualities responsible 

for the establishment of Islamic governments pair words connoting 

violence (gun, bullet, teeth) with words reflecting persuasive rhetoric (pen, 

word, tongue.) Powerful rhetoric is highly valued in Arab leaders, and a 

notable aspect of Osama bin Laden’s leadership is his capacity to use 

words to justify and to inspire. 

Many who have followed closely the Al-Qaeda leadership have 

observed that Osama bin Laden is not particularly effective as a speaker, 

and believe that the most dramatic and inspiring language is probably 

penned by Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s designated successor, 

a founder of the Islamic jihad of Egypt, believed to have been involved in 

the assassination of Anwar Sadat. Zawahiri indeed is reputed to be even 

more apocalyptic and extreme in his views than bin Laden. Further 

evidence in support of the conjecture that it is Zawahiri who is actually 

the author is the absence of references to Jews and Christians in the cited 

religious verses, for the main target of the radical Egyptians were Muslim 

leaders, referred to as apostates or murtid, (those who renounce Islam.) 

In the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate 

This book 

Belongs to the guest house 

Please do not remove it from the house except with permission. 

[Emblem and signature, illegible] 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 15 

Pledge, O Sister 

To the sister believer whose clothes the criminals have stripped off. 

To the sister believer whose hair the oppressors have shaved. 

To the sister believer whose body has been abused by the human dogs. 

To the sister believer whose... 

Pledge, O Sister 

Covenant, O Sister...to make their women widows and their children 

orphans. 

Covenant, O Sister...to make them desire death and hate appointments and 

prestige. 

Covenant, O Sister...to slaughter them like lambs and let the Nile, al-Asi, 

and Euphrates rivers flow with their blood. 

Covenant, O Sister...to be a pick of destruction for every godless and 

apostate regime. 

Covenant, O Sister...to retaliate for you against every dog who touches 

you even with a bad word. 

Editor’s Comment: Given the extremity of the conditions decreed for 

women under the orthodox interpretation of the Koran as interpreted by 

the Taliban, the blocking from education of girls over eight years old, the 

severity of the dress code requiring covering of all parts of the body—this 

emphasis on the importance of women in their collective psychology is 

interesting, but in particular the justification for striking out against those 

who defile women. 

Osama bin Laden’s religious philosophy, and that of the Taliban, is 

strongly influenced by the puritan Wahabi form of Islam that dominates 

Saudi Arabia. The subordination of women to men in this form of Islam is 

striking. At one level, then, this calling out to the “sisters” of Islam is in 

fact calling out to the men to protect their highly traditional stature 

against the depredation of Western culture, and its emphasis on women’s 

rights, education for women, and the equal stature of women. 

In the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate 
16 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Thanks be to Allah. We thank him, turn to him, ask his forgiveness, and 

seek refuge in him from our wicked souls and bad deeds. Whomever 

Allah enlightens will not be misguided, and the deceiver will never be 

guided. I declare that there is no god but Allah alone; he has no partners. 

I also declare that Mohammed is his servant and prophet. 

[Koranic verses]: 

“O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except 

in a state of Islam.” 

“O mankind! Fear your guardian lord who created you from a single 

person. Created, out of it, his mate, and from them twain scattered [like 

seeds] countless men and women; fear Allah, through whom ye demand 

your mutual [rights], and be heedful of the wombs [that bore you]: for 

Allah ever watches over you.” 

“O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and make your utterance straight forward: 

That he may make your conduct whole and sound and forgive you your 

sins. He that obeys Allah and his messenger, has already attained the 

great victory.” 

Afterward, the most truthful saying is the book of Allah and the best 

guidance is that of Mohammed, God bless and keep him. [Therefore,] the 

worst thing is to introduce something new, for every novelty is an act of 

heresy and each heresy is a deception. 

Editor’s Comment: The Surah “Fear Allah as He should be feared, 

and die not except in a state of Islam” is from Surah 3: Ali Imran. This 

Surah discusses death and life, the rewards in the afterlife given to man 

after leading a good life, and the fact that it is only God who can give and 

take away life. Interestingly, the Surah address the “people of the Book’ 

(Jews and Christians), and God’s view of them. Here and throughout the 

references to the Koran, positive—indeed all—references to Jews and 

Christians are stripped out. The statement “Die not except in a state of 

Islam” in context is taken to mean that you should be committed to Islam 

in all its aspects, and in all of your being. The radical Islamists have 

made use of this command in a distorted fashion to inspire suicidal 

terrorism. The rationale is, in effect, since you are only going to die once, 

why not die in pursuit of jihad? 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 17

Introduction 

Martyrs were killed, women were widowed, children were orphaned, men 

were handcuffed, chaste women’s heads were shaved, harlots’ heads were 

crowned, atrocities were inflicted on the innocent, gifts were given to the 

wicked, virgins were raped on the prostitution altar... 

After the fall of our orthodox caliphates on March 3, 1924 and after 

expelling the colonialists, our Islamic nation was afflicted with apostate 

rulers who took over in the Moslem nation. These rulers turned out to be 

more infidel and criminal than the colonialists themselves. Moslems have 

endured all kinds of harm, oppression, and torture at their hands. 

Those apostate rulers threw thousands of the Haraka Al-Islamyia (Islamic 

Movement) youth in gloomy jails and detention centers that were 

equipped with the most modern torture devices and [manned with] experts 

in oppression and torture. Those youth had refused to move in the rulers’ 

orbit, obscure matters to the youth, and oppose the idea of rebelling 

against the rulers. But they [the rulers] did not stop there; they started to 

fragment the essence of the Islamic nation by trying to eradicate its 

Moslem identity. Thus, they started spreading godless and atheistic views 

among the youth. We found some that claimed that socialism was from 

Islam, democracy was the [religious] council, and the prophet – God bless 

and keep him – propagandized communism. 

Colonialism and its followers, the apostate rulers, then started to openly 

erect crusader centers, societies, and organizations like Masonic Lodges, 

Lions and Rotary clubs, and foreign schools. They aimed at producing a 

wasted generation that pursued everything that is western and produced 

rulers, ministers, leaders, physicians, engineers, businessmen, politicians, 

journalists, and information specialists. [Koranic verse:] “And Allah’s 

enemies plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of 

planners is Allah.” 

They [the rulers] tried, using every means and [kind of] seduction, to 

produce a generation of young men that did not know [anything] except 

what they [the rulers] want, did not say except what they [the rulers] think 

about, did not live except according to their [the rulers’] way, and did not 

dress except in their [the rulers’] clothes. However, majestic Allah turned 
18 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

their deception back on them, as a large group of those young men who 

were raised by them [the rulers] woke up from their sleep and returned to 

Allah, regretting and repenting. 

The young men returning to Allah realized that Islam is not just 

performing rituals but a complete system: Religion and government, 

worship and Jihad [holy war], ethics and dealing with people, and the 

Koran and sword. The bitter situation that the nation has reached is a 

result of its divergence from Allah’s course and his righteous law for all 

places and times. That [bitter situation] came about as a result of its 

children’s love for the world, their loathing of death, and their 

abandonment of Jihad [holy war]. 

Unbelief is still the same. It pushed Abou Jahl – may Allah curse him – 

and Kureish’s valiant infidels to battle the prophet – God bless and keep 

him – and to torture his companions – may Allah’s grace be on them. It is 

the same unbelief that drove Sadat, Hosni Mubarak, Gadhafi, Hafez 

Assad, Saleh, Fahed – Allah’s curse be upon the non-believing leaders – 

and all the apostate Arab rulers to torture, kill, imprison, and torment 

Moslems. 

These young men realized that an Islamic government would never be 

established except by the bomb and rifle. Islam does not coincide or make 

a truce with unbelief, but rather confronts it. 

The confrontation that Islam calls for with these godless and apostate 

regimes, does not know Socratic debates, Platonic ideals nor Aristotelian 

diplomacy. But it knows the dialogue of bullets, the ideals of 

assassination, bombing, and destruction, and the diplomacy of the cannon 

and machine-gun. 

The young came to prepare themselves for Jihad [holy war], commanded 

by the majestic Allah’s order in the holy Koran. [Koranic verse:] “Against 

them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including 

steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies of Allah and 

your enemies, and others besides whom ye may not know, but whom 

Allah doth know.” 

I present this humble effort to these young Moslem men who are pure, 

believing, and fighting for the cause of Allah. It is my contribution toward 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 19 

paving the road that leads to majestic Allah and establishes a caliphate 

according to the prophecy. 

According to Imam Ahmad’s account, the prophet – God bless and keep 

him – said, ...[A few lines of Hadith verses, not translated.] 

Editor’s Comment: Here the manual addresses youth in particular, 

who are characteristically in the forefront of revolution, seeking to inspire 

them to turn away from their apostate leaders, see the Koran for what it is, 

prescribing an entire system of life, providing an ideological framework 

as interpreted by the Al-Qaeda leadership. The history of persecution by 

those opposed to Islam, the fuel for revenge, is detailed. The fall of the 

caliphate on March 3, 1924, refers of course to the defeat of the Ottoman 

Empire, as does the 80 years of persecution to which Osama bin Laden 

frequently refers, the end of the era of glory of Islam, the earlier period to 

which he wishes to return.

The Surah “And Allah’s enemies plotted and planned, and Allah too 

planned, and the best of planners is Allah” is from Surah 3:54, and refers 

to those who did not follow Jesus, and those who he found were not true 

believers. The word makara in Arabic means to carry out some secret 

purpose, which can be either for good or for evil. But the emphasis is on 

plotting, and evildoers will have no chance against the plans of God. 

The Surah “Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of 

your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the 

enemies of Allah and your enemies, and others besides whom ye may not 

know, but whom Allah doth know” refers to the weakness of the cavalry 

with reference to conventional military confrontation, during the early 

battles of Islam, but is also a general admonition concerning preparing 

for all battles. Indeed this is a notable feature of Al-Qaeda’s terrorist 

operations, extremely careful planning. Moreover, the command to 

“strike terror into the hearts of the enemies of Allah” can be seen as a 

justification for terrorism, and is a phrase frequently used by bin Laden in 

his public statements, as was the case in the series of statements after the 

events of September 11. For example, he indicates with satisfaction that 

“America is filled with fear from North to South, from East to West.” The 

evident goal of many of Al-Qaeda’s subsequent statements is to continue 

“to strike terror into the hearts of his enemies,” as exemplified by 
20 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

“thousands of Islamic youth seeking death storm the planes...and warning 

good Muslims to abandon airplanes and high rises.” 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 21 

First Lesson: 

General Introduction 

We cannot resist this state of ignorance unless we unite our ranks, and 

adhere to our religion. Without that, the establishment of religion would 

be a dream or illusion that is impossible to achieve or even imagine its 

achievement. Sheik Ibn Taimia – may Allah have mercy on him – said, 

“The interests of all Adam’s children would not be realized in the present 

life, nor in the next, except through assembly, cooperation, and mutual 

assistance. Cooperation is for achieving their interests and mutual 

assistance is for overcoming their adversities. That is why it has been 

said, ‘man is civilized by nature.’ Therefore, if they unite there will be 

favorable matters that they do, and corrupting matters to avoid. They will 

be obedient to the commandment of those goals and avoidant of those 

immoralities. It is necessary that all Adam’s children obey.” 

He [Sheik Inb Taimia] then says, “It should be understood that governing 

the people’s affairs is one of the greatest religious obligations. In fact, 

without it, religion and world [affairs] could not be established. The 

interests of Adam’s children would not be achieved except in assembly, 

because of their mutual need. When they assemble, it is necessary to 

[have] a leader. Allah’s prophet – God bless and keep him – even said, ‘If 

three [people] come together let them pick a leader.’ He then necessitated 

the rule by one of a small, non-essential travel assembly in order to draw 

attention to the remaining types of assembly. Since Allah has obligated us 

to do good and avoid the unlawful, that would not be done except through 

force and lording. Likewise, the rest of what he [God] obligated [us with] 

would not be accomplished except by force and lordship, be it Jihad [holy 

war], justice, pilgrimage, assembly, holidays, support of the oppressed, or 

the establishment of boundaries. That is why it has been said, “the sultan 

is Allah’s shadow on earth.9

” 

Editor’s Comment: The manual regularly cites the writings of Sheikh 

Ibn Tamai as justification, clearly an important influence on the 

author’s(s)’ ideological formulations. The emphasis on uniting all 

Muslims in the struggle to recapture control over their destiny and that 

force is the only path to do so is a continuing theme of Osama bin Laden’s 
22 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

rhetoric. The declaration concerning the importance of unity under one 

leader is also striking. Al-Qaeda’s and bin Laden’s declarations and 

statements reflect increasing dogmatism and an increasingly expansive 

mission since the Declaration of War in 1996, markedly intensified since 

the events of September 11, making it clear that it is bin Laden who is 

destined to be that unifying leader in a holy war of radical Islam against 

the corrupt, modernizing secular West, a jihad against the Jews and the 

Crusaders.

What follows is a detailed operations manual, specifying missions, 

tasks and roles, and, notably, wherever an extreme or controversial act is 

specified, providing justification from the Koran or an interpreter thereof. 

The tone for the following section, through chapter seven, is matter of 

fact, highly detailed, and well organized operational instructions, 

consistent with a very well done tradecraft manual for any national 

intelligence organization operating undercover in an adversary’s 

territory. There is no reference to the Koran in this section. It is quite 

mater of fact, an instruction manual. 

Principles of Military Organization: 

Military Organization has three main principles without which it cannot be 

established. 

1. Military Organization commander and advisory council 

2. The soldiers (individual members) 

3. A clearly defined strategy 

Military Organization Requirements: 

The Military Organization dictates a number of requirements to assist it in 

confrontation and endurance. These are: 

1. Forged documents and counterfeit currency 

2. Apartments and hiding places 

3. Communication means 

4. Transportation means 

5. Information 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 23 

6. Arms and ammunition 

7. Transport 

Missions Required of the Military Organization: 

The main mission for which the Military Organization is responsible is: 

The overthrow of the godless regimes and their replacement with an 

Islamic regime. Other missions consist of the following: 

1. Gathering information about the enemy, the land, the installations, 

and the neighbors. 

2. Kidnapping enemy personnel, documents, secrets, and arms. 

3. Assassinating enemy personnel as well as foreign tourists. 

4. Freeing the brothers who are captured by the enemy. 

5. Spreading rumors and writing statements that instigate people 

against the enemy. 

6. Blasting and destroying the places of amusement, immorality, and 

sin; not a vital target. 

7. Blasting and destroying the embassies and attacking vital 

economic centers. 

8. Blasting and destroying bridges leading into and out of the cities. 

Editor’s Comment: This is assuredly a remarkable mission 

statement, each task flowing from the overall goal of the overthrow of the 

apostate regimes. As noted earlier, that the primary target is the apostate 

regimes, with no mention of the United States or other Western 

governments, is strongly suggestive that the authorship is from the 

Egyptian members of the Al-Qaeda leadership circle, especially Ayman alZawahiri. Espionage, kidnapping, assassination, psychological 

operations, and sabotage—not the typical tasks of a so-called military 

organization, but rather of an underground revolutionary organization. 
24 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Importance of the Military Organization: 

1. Removal of those personalities that block the call’s path. [A 

different handwriting:] All types of military and civilian 

intellectuals and thinkers for the state. 

2. Proper utilization of the individuals’ unused capabilities. 

3. Precision in performing tasks, and using collective views on 

completing a job from all aspects, not just one. 

4. Controlling the work and not fragmenting it or deviating from it. 

5. Achieving long-term goals such as the establishment of an Islamic 

state and short-term goals such as operations against enemy 

individuals and sectors. 

6. Establishing the conditions for possible confrontation with the 

regressive regimes and their persistence. 

7. Achieving discipline in secrecy and through tasks. 

Editor’s Comment: Written in a different hand, this is in effect a 

restatement and different emphasis of the mission statement, which now 

emphasizes characteristics of the revolutionary, reminiscent of Nechayev’s 

catechism of the Revolutionary, which stresses the total, selfless 

dedication to the task. The emphasis on doing things in a highly 

organized manner and in secret is stressed. 

Again, the specifying of assassination of those who “block the call’s 

path,” referring implicitly to apostate leaders, and the goal of establishing 

an Islamic state, is emphasized. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 25 

Second Lesson: 

Necessary Qualifications and Character 

For Organization’s Members 

Necessary Qualifications for the Organization’s Members 

1. Islam: 

The member of the Organization must be Moslem. How can an 

unbeliever, someone from a revealed religion [Christian, Jew], a 

secular person, a communist, etc. protect Islam and Moslems and 

defend their goals and secrets when he does not believe in that religion 

[Islam]? The Israeli Army requires that a fighter be of the Jewish 

religion. Likewise, the command leadership in the Afghan and 

Russian armies requires any one with an officer’s position to be a 

member of the communist party. 

Editor’s Comment: As if it were needed, the job requirement of being 

a Muslim is specified, offering as a justification that only Jews can enter 

the army of Israel! And the member must be fully committed to the goals, 

a commitment that is evaluated and tested during the prospective 

member’s period of training in the camps. 

2. Commitment to the Organization’s Ideology: 

This commitment frees the Organization’s members from conceptual 

problems. 

Editor’s Comment: The earlier emphasis on one leader, combined 

with the requirement of commitment to the ideology not only frees the 

member from conceptual problems, having to think through the assigned 

task, but also from self-reflection and moral qualms, for the authentic 

leader defines the assigned task as supporting the ideology. 

3. Maturity: 

The requirements of military work are numerous, and a minor cannot 

perform them. The nature of hard and continuous work in dangerous 
26 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

conditions requires a great deal of psychological, mental, and 

intellectual fitness, which are not usually found in a minor. It is 

reported that Ibn Omar – may Allah be pleased with him – said, 

“During Ahad [battle] when I was fourteen years of age, I was 

submitted [as a volunteer] to the prophet – God bless and keep him. 

He refused me and did not throw me in the battle. During Khandak 

[trench] Day [battle] when I was fifteen years of age, I was also 

submitted to him, and he permitted me [to fight]. 

Editor’s Comment: The source of the age of maturity is the prophet 

himself, an age of maturity rather earlier than that usually considered in 

the West, but it should be emphasized, distinguishing these warriors for 

Islam from the children utilized by Ayatollah Khomeini in his human wave 

attacks during the Iran-Iraq war. 

4. Sacrifice: 

He [the member] has to be willing to do the work and undergo 

martyrdom for the purpose of achieving the goal and establishing the 

religion of majestic Allah on earth. 

Editor’s Comment: In this requirement, for the first time the 

obligation of giving one’s life in the pursuit of jihad is specified. 

5. Listening and Obedience: 

In the military, this is known today as discipline. It is expressed by 

how the member obeys the orders given to him. That is what our 

religion urges. The Glorious says, “O, ye who believe! Obey Allah 

and obey the messenger and those charged with authority among you.” 

In the story of Hazifa Ben Al-Yaman – may Allah have mercy on him 

– who was exemplary in his obedience to Allah’s messenger – Allah 

bless and keep him. When he [Mohammed] – Allah bless and keep 

him – sent him to spy on the Kureish and their allies during their siege 

of Madina, Hazifa said, “As he [Mohammed] called me by name to 

stand, he said, ‘Go get me information about those people and do not 

alarm them about me.’ 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 27

As I departed, I saw Abou Soufian and I placed an arrow in the bow. I 

[then] remembered the words of the messenger – Allah bless and keep 

him – ‘do not alarm them about me.’ If I had shot I would have hit 

him.” 

6. Keeping Secrets and Concealing Information 

[This secrecy should be used] even with the closest people, for 

deceiving the enemies is not easy. Allah says, “Even though their 

plots were such that as to shake the hills! [Koranic verse].” Allah’s 

messenger – God bless and keep him – says, “Seek Allah’s help in 

doing your affairs in secrecy.” 

It was said in the proverbs, “The hearts of freemen are the tombs of 

secrets” and “Moslems’ secrecy is faithfulness, and talking about it is 

faithlessness.” [Mohammed] – God bless and keep him – used to keep 

work secrets from the closest people, even from his wife A’isha- may 

Allah’s grace be on her. 

Editor’s Comment: This emphasis on secrecy, citing alleged 

religious scriptural authority “Seek Allah’s help in doing your affairs in 

secrecy” and the instruction to use secrecy “even with the closest people,” 

according to Allah, “Even though their plots were such that as to shake 

the hills,” in fact is contrary to the theme of openness and honesty 

emphasized throughout the Koran. We have not been able to identify the 

sources in the Koran of the Surahs cited. In fact, in Surah 10, God warns 

against the use of secrecy, stating “Secret Counsels are only (inspired) by 

the Evil One, in order that he may cause Grief to the Believers.” In 

general, the Koran decries secrecy because it inspires disunity in the 

Muslim community. Surah 4: 114 emphasizes this while, however, 

permitting an exception, “In most of their secret talks There is no good, 

but if One exhorts to a deed of Charity or justice.” 

7. Free of Illness 

The Military Organization’s member must fulfill this important 

requirement. Allah says, “There is no blame for those who are infirm, 

or ill, or who have no resources to spend.” 
28 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

8. Patience 

[The member] should have plenty of patience for [enduring] afflictions 

if he is overcome by the enemies. He should not abandon this great 

path and sell himself and his religion to the enemies for his freedom. 

He should be patient in performing the work, even if it lasts a long 

time. 

Editor’s Comment: Patience and great care in planning are 

assuredly striking qualities of Al-Qaeda’s operations. 

9. Tranquility and “Unflappability” 

[The member] should have a calm personality that allows him to 

endure psychological traumas such as those involving bloodshed, 

murder, arrest, imprisonment, and reverse psychological traumas such 

as killing one or all of his Organization’s comrades. [He should be 

able] to carry out the work. 

Editor’s Comment: This requirement for a “calm personality” is 

truly remarkable, and is repeated later in the manual under 

characteristics required of members carrying out special operations. 

Being able in a calm and detached manner to carry out bloodshed and 

murder is one thing, but to be able to kill “one or all of his Organization’s 

comrades” in an imperturbable manner is quite another. It does again 

echo the “Catechism of the Revolutionary” but seems to be specifying a 

psychopathic personality as a job requirement. 

10. Intelligence and Insight 

When the prophet – Allah bless and keep him – sent Hazifa Ben AlYaman to spy on the polytheist and [Hafiza] sat among them, Abou 

Soufian said, “Let each one of you look at his companion.” Hazifa 

said to his companion, “Who are you?” The companion replied, “Soand-so son of so-and-so.” 

In World War I, the German spy, Julius Seelber [PH] managed to enter 

Britain and work as a mail examiner due to the many languages he had 

mastered. From the letters, he succeeded in obtaining important 

information and sent it to the Germans. One of the letters that he 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 29 

checked was from a lady who had written to her brother’s friend in the 

fleet. She mentioned that her brother used to live with her until he was 

transferred to a secret project that involved commercial ships. When 

Seelber read that letter, he went to meet that young woman and blamed 

her for her loose tongue in talking about military secrets. He, 

skillfully, managed to draw out of her that her brother worked in a 

secret project for arming old commercial ships. These ships were to 

be used as decoys in the submarine war in such a way that they could 

come close to the submarines, as they appeared innocent. Suddenly, 

cannonballs would be fired from the ship’s hidden cannons on top of 

the ships, which would destroy the submarines. 48 hours later that 

secret was handed to the Germans. 

Editor’s Comment: Until this point, all justifications and examples 

have drawn solely on the Koran and Muslim figures. Here a noted 

German espionage agent of World War I is cited as a model to be 

emulated in his cunning and manipulative skill, under the rather more 

laudatory heading of “Intelligence and Insight.” 

11. Caution and Prudence 

In his battle against the king of Tomedia [PH], the Roman general 

Speer [PH] sent an emissary to discuss with that king the matter of 

truce between the two armies. In reality, he had sent him to learn 

about the Tomedians’ ability to fight. The general picked, Lilius [PH], 

one of his top commanders, for that task and sent with him some of his 

officers, disguised as slaves. During that mission, one of the king’s 

officers, Sifax [PH] pointed to one of the [disguised] slaves and yelled, 

“That slave is a Roman officer I had met in a neighboring city. He 

was wearing a Roman uniform.” At that point, Lilius used a clever 

trick and managed to divert the attention of the Tomedians from that 

by turning to the disguised officer and quickly slapping him on the 

face a number of times. He reprimanded him for wearing a Roman 

officer’s uniform when he was a slave and for claiming a status that he 

did not deserve. 

The officer accepted the slaps quietly. He bowed his head in humility 

and shame, as slaves do. Thus, Sifax’ men thought that officer was 
30 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

really a slave because they could not imagine that a Roman officer 

would accept these hits without defending himself. 

King Sifax prepared a big feast for Lilius and his entourage and placed 

them in a house far away from his camp so they could not learn about 

his fortifications. They [the Romans] made another clever trick on top 

of the first one. They freed one of their horses and started chasing him 

in and around the camp. After they learned about the extent of the 

fortifications they caught the horse and, as planned, managed to abort 

their mission about the truce agreement. Shortly after their return, the 

Roman general attacked King Sifax’ camp and burned the 

fortifications. Sifax was forced to seek reconciliation. 

Editor’s Comment: Demonstrating the author’s(s’) breadth and 

depth of knowledge of military history, now the source is ancient Roman 

history. Under the more exalted heading of Caution and Prudence, what 

is really being extolled as a virtue is the capacity to dissimulate. 

There was a secret agent who disguised himself as an American fur 

merchant. As the agent was playing cards aboard a boat with some 

passengers, one of the players asked him about his profession. He 

replied that he was a “fur merchant.” The women showed interest [in 

him] and began asking the agent – the disguised fur merchant – many 

questions about the types and prices of fur. He mentioned fur price 

figures that amazed the women. They started avoiding and regarding 

him with suspicion, as though he were a thief, or crazy. 

Editor’s Comment: A further eclectic example from the annals of 

espionage, demonstrating the need to have solid knowledge of one’s 

operational cover story. 

12. Truthfulness and Counsel 

The Commander of the faithful, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab – may Allah be 

pleased with him – asserted that this characteristic was vital in those 

who gather information and work as spies against the Moslems’ 

enemies. He [Omar] sent a letter to Saad Ibn Abou Wakkas – may 

Allah be pleased with him – saying, “If you step foot on your enemies’ 

land, get spies on them. Choose those whom you count on for their 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 31 

truthfulness and advice, whether Arabs or inhabitants of that land. 

Liars’ accounts would not benefit you, even if some of them were true; 

the deceiver is a spy against you and not for you.” 

13. Ability to Observe and Analyze 

The Israeli Mossad received news that some Palestinians were going to 

attack an Israeli El Al airplane. That plane was going to Rome with 

Golda Meir – Allah’s curse upon her – the Prime Minister at the time, 

on board. The Palestinians had managed to use a clever trick that 

allowed them to wait for the arrival of the plane without being 

questioned by anyone. They had beaten a man who sold potatoes, 

kidnapped him, and hidden him. They made two holes in the top of 

that peddler’s cart and placed two tubes next to the chimney through 

which two Russian-made “Strella” [PH] missiles could be launched. 

The Mossad officers traveled the airport back and forth looking for 

[clues] that [would] lead them to the Palestinians. One officer passed 

the potato cart twice without noticing anything. On his third time, he 

noticed three chimneys, but only one of them was working with smoke 

coming out of it. He quickly steered toward the cart and hit it hard. 

The cart overturned, and the Palestinians were captured.10

Editor’s Comment: Most remarkable of all, to cite, as an example of 

the requirement for the capacity to observe and analyze, an example from 

Israeli intelligence! 

14. Ability to Act, Change Positions and Conceal Oneself 

A. [An example] is what Noaim Ibn Masoud had done in his mission 

to cause agitation among the tribes of Koraish, those of Ghatfan, and 

the Jews of Koreitha. He would control his reactions and managed to 

skillfully play his role. Without showing signs of inconsistency, he 

would show his interest and zeal towards the Jews one time and show 

his concern about the Koraish at another. 

B. In 1960, a car driven by an American colonel collided with a truck. 

The colonel lost consciousness, and while unconscious at the hospital, 

he started speaking Russian fluently. It was later discovered that the 

colonel was a Soviet spy who was planted in the United States. He 
32 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

had fought in Korea in order to conceal his true identity and to gather 

information and critical secrets. If not for the collision, no one would 

have suspected or confronted him. 

Editor’s Comment: A particularly interesting aspect of this example 

drawn from Soviet espionage is that a “sleeper” agent is being described, 

a key aspect of the long duration preceding the events of September 11, in 

which “sleeper cells” were employed. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 33 

Third Lesson: 

Counterfeit Currency and Forged Documents 

Financial Security Precautions: 

1. Dividing operational funds into two parts: One part is to be 

invested in projects that offer financial return, and the other is to be 

saved and not spent except during operations. 

2. Not placing operational funds [all] in one place. 

3. Not telling the Organization members about the location of the 

funds. 

4. Having proper protection while carrying large amounts of money. 

5. Leaving the money with non-members and spending it as needed. 

Editor’s Comment: It is interesting that the very first series of 

precautions emphasized concerns financial security. Indeed, as bin Laden 

was making his substantial financial resources available to Al-Qaeda, he 

always tended to managing his far-flung legitimate business enterprises, 

and managed to increase his substantial wealth (reportedly at age 16 he 

inherited $57 million from his father’s estate) to some $300 million. 

Forged Documents (Identity Cards, Records Books, Passports) 

The following security precautions should be taken: 

1. Keeping the passport in a safe place so it would not be seized by 

the security apparatus, and the brother it belongs to would have to 

negotiate its return (I’ll give you your passport if you give me 

information.) 

2. All documents of the undercover brother, such as identity cards 

and passport, should be falsified. 

3. When the undercover brother is traveling with a certain identity 

card or passport, he should know all pertinent [information] such 

as the name, profession, and place of residence. 
34 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

4. The brother who has special work status (commander, 

communication link) should have more than one identity card and 

passport. He should learn the contents of each, the nature of the 

[indicated] profession, and the dialect of the residence area listed 

in the document. 

5. The photograph of the brother in these documents should be 

without a beard. It is preferable that the brother’s public 

photograph [on these documents] be also without a beard. If he 

already has one [document] showing a photograph with a beard, he 

should replace it. 

6. When using an identity document in different names, no more than 

one such document should be carried at one time. 

7. The validity of the falsified travel documents should always be 

confirmed. 

8. All falsification matters should be carried out through the 

command and not haphazardly (procedure control). 

9. Married brothers should not add their wives to their passports. 

10. When a brother is carrying the forged passport of a certain country, 

he should not travel to that country. It is easy to detect forgery at 

the airport, and the dialect of the brother is different from that of 

the people from that country. 

Editor’s Comment: This extremely detailed and careful attention to 

security, explicitly identifying behavior that could breach security, is 

emphasized throughout the manual. 

Security Precautions Related to the Organizations’ Given Names: 

1. The name given by the Organization [to the brother] should not be 

odd in comparison with other names used around him. 

2. A brother should not have more than one name in the area where 

he lives (the undercover work place). 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 35 

Fourth Lesson: 

Organization Military Bases 

“Apartments – Hiding Places” 

Definition of Bases: 

*These are apartments, hiding places, command centers, etc. in which 

secret operations are executed against the enemy. 

These bases may be in cities, and are [then] called homes or apartments. 

They may be in mountainous, harsh terrain far from the enemy, and are 

[then] called hiding places or bases. 

During the initial stages, the Military Organization usually uses 

apartments in cities as places for launching assigned missions, such as 

collecting information, observing members of the ruling regime, etc. 

Hiding places and bases in mountains and harsh terrain are used at later 

stages, from which Jihad [holy war] groups are dispatched to execute 

assassination operations of enemy individuals, bomb their centers, and 

capture their weapons. In some Arab countries such as Egypt, where there 

are no mountains or harsh terrain, all stages of Jihad work would take 

place in cities. The opposite was true in Afghanistan, where initially Jihad 

work was in the cities, then the warriors shifted to mountains and harsh 

terrain. There, they started battling the Communists. 

Security Precautions Related to Apartments: 

1. Choosing the apartment carefully as far as the location, the size for 

the work necessary (meetings, storage, arms, fugitives, work 

preparation). 

2. It is preferable to rent apartments on the ground floor to facilitate 

escape and digging of trenches. 

3. Preparing secret locations in the apartment for securing documents, 

records, arms, and other important items. 

4. Preparing ways of vacating the apartment in case of a surprise 

attack (stands, wooden ladders). 
36 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

5. Under no circumstances should any one know about the apartment 

except those who use it. 

6. Providing the necessary cover for the people who frequent the 

apartment (students, workers, employees, etc.) 

7. Avoiding seclusion and isolation from the population and 

refraining from going to the apartment at suspicious times. 

8. It is preferable to rent these apartments using false names, 

appropriate cover, and non-Moslem appearance. 

9. A single brother should not rent more than one apartment in the 

same area, from the same agent, or using the same rental office. 

10. Care should be exercised not to rent apartments that are known to 

the security apparatus [such as] those used for immoral or prior 

Jihad activities. 

11. Avoiding police stations and government buildings. Apartments 

should not be rented near those places. 

12. When renting these apartments, one should avoid isolated or 

deserted locations so the enemy would not be able to catch those 

living there easily. 

13. It is preferable to rent apartments in newly developed areas where 

people do not know one another. Usually, in older quarters people 

know one another and strangers are easily identified, especially 

since these quarters have many informers. 

14. Ensuring that there is has been no surveillance prior to the 

members entering the apartment. 

15. Agreement among those living in the apartment on special ways of 

knocking on the door and special signs prior to entry into the 

building’s main gate to indicate to those who wish to enter that the 

place is safe and not being monitored. Such signs include hanging 

out a towel, opening a curtain, placing a cushion in a special way, 

etc. 

16. If there is a telephone in the apartment, calls should be answered in 

an agreed-upon manner among those who use the apartment. That 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 37

would prevent mistakes that would, otherwise, lead to revealing 

the names and nature of the occupants. 

17. For apartments, replacing the locks and keys with new ones. As 

for the other entities (camps, shops, mosques), appropriate security 

precautions should be taken depending on the entity’s importance 

and role in the work. 

18. Apartments used for undercover work should not be visible from 

higher apartments in order not to expose the nature of the work. 

19. In a newer apartment, avoid talking loud because prefabricated 

ceilings and walls [used in the apartments] do not have the same 

thickness as those in old ones. 

20. It is necessary to have at hand documents supporting the 

undercover [member]. In the case of a physician, there should be 

an actual medical diploma, membership in the [medical] union, the 

government permit, and the rest of the routine procedures known 

in that country. 

21. The cover should blend well [with the environment]. For example, 

selecting a doctor’s clinic in an area where there are clinics, or in a 

location suitable for it. 

22. The cover of those who frequent the location should match the 

cover of that location. For example, a common laborer should not 

enter a fancy hotel because that would be suspicious and draw 

attention. 

Editor’s Comment: This section is concerned with “safe-houses,” 

maintaining the security of terrorist operational bases in a city. The care 

with which security steps are specified—no less than twenty-two separate 

instructions—is notable. In the case referred to in the introduction, 

Khalfan Khamis Muhamed, he was a local resident of Dar es-Salaam who 

was recruited by Al-Qaeda to be the safe-house minder. As a citizen of 

Tanzania, he was able to lease the apartment in his true name, whereas 

the Al-Qaeda members who planned and conducted the operation flew in 

under aliases from Pakistan, and might have experienced difficulties had 

they tried themselves to lease the apartment. According to one of the AlQaeda members whom I interviewed during the course of the trial, this 
38 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

hierarchical distinction between members and non-members is standard 

operating procedure for Al-Qaeda, recruiting low-level local personnel 

who are excluded from information concerning the operation under 

development. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 39 

Fifth Lesson: 

Means of Communication and Transportation 

In the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate 

Means of Transportation 

Introduction: 

It is well known that in undercover operations, communication is the 

mainstay of the movement for rapid accomplishment. However, it is a 

double-edged sword: It can be to our advantage if we use it well and it 

can be a knife dug into our back if we do not consider and take the 

necessary security measures. 

Editor’s Comment: The introduction to this section concerned with 

communication security emphasizes the Achilles’ heel of undercover 

organizations, the “double-edged sword” of the requirement to 

communicate, but the vulnerability of communication to penetration by the 

adversary’s intelligence forces. 

Communication Means: 

The Military Organization in any Islamic group can, with its modest 

capabilities, use the following means: 

1. The telephone, 

2. Meeting in-person, 

3. Messenger, 

4. Letters, and 

5. Some modern devices, such as the facsimile and wireless 

[communication]. 

Communication may be within the county, state, or even the country, in 

which case it is called local communication. When it extends expanded 

between countries, it is then called international communication. 
40 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Secret Communication is Limited to the Following Types: 

Common, standby, alarm 

1. Common Communication: It is a communication between two 

members of the Organization without being monitored by the 

security apparatus opposing the Organization. The common 

communication should be done under a certain cover and after 

inspecting the surveillance situation [by the enemy]. 

2. Standby Communication: This replaces common communication 

when one of the two parties is unable to communicate with the 

other for some reason. 

3. Alarm Communication: This is used when the opposing security 

apparatus discovers an undercover activity or some undercover 

members. Based on this communication, the activity is stopped for 

a while, all matters related to the activity are abandoned, and the 

Organization’s members are hidden from the security personnel. 

Method of Communication among Members of the Organization: 

1. Communication about undercover activity should be done using a 

good cover; it should also be quick, explicit, and pertinent. That is, 

just for talking only. 

2. Prior to contacting his members, the commander of the cell11

should agree with each of them separately (the cell members 

should never meet all in one place and should not know one 

another) on a manner and means of communication with each 

other. Likewise, the chief of the Organization should [use a 

similar technique] with the branch commanders. 

3. A higher-ranking commander determines the type and method of 

communication with lower-ranking leaders. 

First Means: The Telephone 

Significant technological advances, security measures for monitoring the 

telephone and broadcasting equipment have increased. Monitoring may 

be done by installing a secondary line or wireless broadcasting device on a 

telephone that relays the calls to a remote location. That is why the 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 41 

Organization takes security measures among its members who use this 

means of communication (the telephone). 

1. Communication should be carried out from public places. One 

should select telephones that are less suspicious to the security 

apparatus and are more difficult to monitor. It is preferable to use 

telephones in booths and on main streets. 

2. Conversation should be coded or in general terms so as not to alert 

the person monitoring [the telephone]. 

3. Periodically examining the telephone wire and the receiver. 

4. Telephone numbers should be memorized and not recorded. If the 

brother has to write them, he should do so using a code so they do 

not appear as telephone numbers (figures from a shopping list, etc.) 

5. The telephone caller and person called should mention some words 

or sentences prior to bringing up the intended subject. The brother 

who is calling may misdial one of the digits and actually call 

someone else. The person called may claim that the call is for him, 

and the calling brother may start telling him work-related issues 

and reveal many things because of a minor error. 

6. In telephone conversations about undercover work, the voice 

should be changed and distorted. 

7. When feasible, it is preferable to change telephone lines to allow 

direct access to local and international calls. That and proper cover 

facilitate communications and provide security protection not 

available when the central telephone station in the presence of 

many employees is used. 

8. When a telephone [line] is identified [by the security apparatus], 

the command and all parties who were using it should be notified 

as soon as possible in order to take appropriate measures. 

9. When the command is certain that a particular telephone [line] is 

being monitored, it can exploit it by providing information that 

misleads the enemy and benefits the work plan. 

10. If the Organization manages to obtain jamming devices, it should 

use them immediately. 
42 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Second Means: Meeting in-person: 

This is direct communication between the commander and a member of 

the Organization. During the meeting the following are accomplished: 

1. Information exchange, 

2. Giving orders and instructions, 

3. Financing, and 

4. Member follow-up 

Stages of the In-Person Meeting: 

A. Before the meeting, 

B. The meeting [itself], and 

C. After the meeting 

A. Before the Meeting: 

The following measures should be taken: 

1. Designating the meeting location, 

2. Finding a proper cover for the meeting, 

3. Specifying the meeting date and time, and 

4. Defining special signals between those who meet. 

1. Identifying the meeting location: 

If the meeting location is stationary, the following matters should be 

observed: 

a. The location should be far from police stations and security 

centers. 

b. Ease of transportation to the location. 

c. Selecting the location prior to the meeting and learning all its 

details. 

d. If the meeting location is an apartment, it should not be the first 

one, but one somewhere in the middle. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 43 

e. The availability of many roads leading to the meeting location. 

That would provide easy escape in case the location ware raided by 

security personnel. 

f. The location should not be under suspicion (by the security 

[apparatus]). 

g. The apartment where the meeting takes place should be on the 

ground floor, to facilitate escape. 

h. The ability to detect any surveillance from that location. 

i. When public transportation is used, one should alight at some 

distance from the meeting location and continue on foot. In the 

case of a private vehicle, one should park it far away or in a secure 

place so as to be able to maneuver it quickly at any time. 

If the meeting location is not stationary, the following matters should 

be observed: 

a. The meeting location should be at the intersection of a large 

number of main and side streets to facilitate entry, exit, and escape. 

b. The meeting location (such as a coffee shop) should not have 

members that might be dealing with the security apparatus. 

c. The meeting should not be held in a crowded place because that 

would allow the security personnel to hide and monitor those who 

meet. 

d. It is imperative to agree on an alternative location for the meeting 

in case meeting in the first is unfeasible. That holds whether the 

meeting place is stationary or not. 

Those who meet in-person should do the following: 

a. Verifying the security situation of the location before the meeting. 

b. Ensuring that there are no security personnel behind them or at the 

meeting place. 

c. Not heading to the location directly. 
44 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

d. Clothing and appearance should be appropriate for the meeting 

location. 

e. Verifying that private documents carried by the brother have 

appropriate cover. 

Prior to the meeting, designing a security plan that specifies what the 

security personnel would be told in case the location were raided by them, 

and what [the brothers] would resort to in dealing with the security 

personnel (fleeing, driving back, ...) 

2. Finding a proper cover for the meeting: [The cover] 

a. Should blend well with the nature of the location. 

b. In case they raid the place, the security personnel should believe 

the cover. 

c. Should not arouse the curiosity of those present. 

d. Should match the person’s appearance and his financial and 

educational background. 

e. Should have documents that support it. 

f. Provide reasons for the two parties’ meeting (for example, one of 

the two parties should have proof that he is an architect. The other 

should have documents as proof that he is a land owner. The 

architect has produced a construction plan for the land) 

3. Specifying the Meeting Date and Time: 

a. Specifying the hour of the meeting as well as the date. 

b. Specifying the time of both parties’ arrival and the time of the first 

party’s departure. 

c. Specifying how long the meeting will last. 

d. Specifying an alternative date and time. 

e. Not allowing a long period of time between making the meeting 

arrangements and the meeting itself. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 45 

4. Designating special signals between those who meet 

If the two individuals meeting know one another’s shape and appearance, 

it is sufficient to use a single safety sign. [In that case,] the sitting and 

arriving individuals inform each other that there is no enemy surveillance. 

The sign may be keys, beads, a newspaper, or a scarf. The two parties 

would agree on moving it in a special way so as not to attract the attention 

of those present. 

If the two individuals do not know one another, they should do the 

following: 

a. The initial sign for becoming acquainted may be that both of them 

wear a certain type of clothing or carry a certain item. These signs 

should be appropriate for the place, easily identified, and meet the 

purpose. The initial sign for becoming acquainted does not [fully] 

identify one person by another. It does that at a rate of 30%. 

b. Safety Signal: It is given by the individual sitting in the meeting 

location to inform the second individual that the place is safe. The 

second person would reply through signals to inform the first that 

he is not being monitored. The signals are agreed upon previously 

and should not cause suspicion. 

c. A second signal for getting acquainted is one in which the arriving 

person uses while sitting down. That signal may be a certain 

clause, a word, a sentence, or a gesture agreed upon previously, 

and should not cause suspicion for those who hear it or see it. 

B. The Stage of the Meeting [itself]: 

The following measures should be taken: 

1. Caution during the meeting. 

2. Not acting unnaturally during the meeting in order not to raise 

suspicion. 

3. Not talking with either loud or very low voices ([should be] 

moderate). 

4. Not writing anything that has to do with the meeting. 
46 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

5. Agreeing on a security plan in case the enemy raids the location. 

C. After the Meeting: 

The following measures should be taken: 

1. Not departing together, but each one separately. 

2. Not heading directly to the main road but through secondary ones. 

3. Not leaving anything in the meeting place that might indicate the 

identity or nature of those who met. 

Meeting in-person has disadvantages, such as: 

1. Allowing the enemy to capture those who are meeting. 

2. Allowing them [the enemy] to take pictures of those who are 

meeting, record their conversation, and gather evidence against 

them. 

3. Revealing the appearance of the commander to the other person. 

However, that may be avoided by taking the previously mentioned 

measures such as disguising himself well and changing his 

appearance (glasses, wig, etc.) 

Third Means: The Messenger: 

This is an intermediary between the sender and the receiver. The 

messenger should possess all characteristics mentioned in the first chapter 

regarding the Military Organization’s member. 

These are the security measures that a messenger should take: 

1. Knowledge of the person to whom he will deliver the message. 

2. Agreement on special signals, exact date, and specific time. 

3. Selecting a public street or place that does not raise suspicion. 

4. Going through a secondary road that does not have check points. 

5. Using public transportation (train, bus, ...) and disembarking 

before the main station. Likewise, embarking should not be done 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 47

at the main station either, were there are a lot of security personnel 

and informants. 

6. Complete knowledge of the location to which he is going. 

Fourth Means: Letters: 

This means (letters) may be used as a method of communication between 

members and the Organization provided that the following security 

measures are taken: 

1. It is forbidden to write any secret information in the letter. If one 

must do so, the writing should be done in general terms. 

2. The letter should not be mailed from a post office close to the 

sender’s residence, but from a distant one. 

3. The letter should not be sent directly to the receiver’s address but 

to an inconspicuous location where there are many workers from 

your country. Afterwards, the letter will be forwarded to the 

intended receiver. (This is regarding the overseas-bound letter). 

4. The sender’s name and address on the envelope should be 

fictitious. In case the letters and their contents are discovered, the 

security apparatus would not be able to determine his [the 

sender’s] name and address. 

5. The envelope should not be transparent so as to reveal the letter 

inside. 

6. The enclosed pages should not be many, so as not to raise 

suspicion. 

7. The receiver’s address should be written clearly so that the letter 

would not be returned. 

8. Paying the post office box fees should not be forgotten. 

Fifth Means: Facsimile and Wireless: 

Considering its modest capabilities and the pursuit by the security apparatus 

of its members and forces, the Islamic Military Organization cannot obtain 
48 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

theses devices. In case the Organization is able to obtain them, firm 

security measures should be taken to secure communication between the 

members in the country and the command outside. These measures are: 

1. The duration of transmission should not exceed five minutes in 

order to prevent the enemy from pinpointing the device location. 

2. The device should be placed in a location with high wireless 

frequency, such as close to a TV station, embassies, and consulates 

in order to prevent the enemy from identifying its location. 

3. The brother, using the wireless device to contact his command 

outside the country, should disguise his voice. 

4. The time of communication should be carefully specified. 

5. The frequency should be changed from time to time. 

6. The device should be frequently moved from one location to 

another. 

7. Do not reveal your location to the entity for which you report. 

8. The conversation should be in general terms so as not to raise 

suspicion. 

Editor’s Comment: The care with which minute details of 

maintaining communication security are specified is impressive, consistent 

with “tradecraft” instructions for undercover intelligence operatives. The 

level of pitch does suggest this is designed for the new, inexperienced 

recruit. 

Transportation Means: 

The members of the Organization may move from one location to another 

using one of the following means: 

1. Public transportation, or 

2. Private transportation 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 49 

Security Measures that should be observed in Public 

Transportation: 

1. One should select public transportation that is not subject to frequent 

checking along the way, such as crowded trains or public buses. 

2. Boarding should be done at a secondary station, as main stations 

undergo more careful surveillance. Likewise, embarkment should 

not be done at main stations. 

3. The cover should match the general appearance (tourist bus, firstclass train, second-class train, etc). 

4. The existence of documents supporting the cover. 

5. Placing important luggage among the passengers’ luggage without 

identifying the one who placed it. If it is discovered, its owner 

would not be arrested. In trains, it [the luggage] should be placed 

in a different car than that of its owner. 

6. The brother traveling on a “special mission” should not get 

involved in religious issues (advocating good and denouncing evil) 

or day-to-day matters (seat reservation, ...). 

7. The brother traveling on a mission should not arrive in the 

[destination] country at night because then travelers are few, and 

there are [search] parties and check points along the way. 

8. When cabs are used, conversation of any kind should not be started 

with the driver because many cab drivers work for the security 

apparatus. 

9. The brother should exercise extreme caution and apply all security 

measures to the members. 

Security Measures that should be observed in Private 

Transportation: 

Private transportation includes: cars, motorcycles 

A. Cars and motorcycles used in overt activity: 
50 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

1. One should possess the proper permit and not violate traffic rules 

in order to avoid trouble with the police. 

2. The location of the vehicle should be secure so that the security 

apparatus would not confiscate it. 

3. The vehicle make and model should be appropriate for the 

brother’s cover. 

4. The vehicle should not be used in special military operations 

unless the Organization has no other choice. 

B. Cars and motorcycles used in covert activity: 

1. Attention should be given to permits and [obeying] the traffic rules 

in order to avoid trouble and reveal their actual mission. 

2. The vehicle should not be left in suspicious places (deserts, 

mountains, etc.). If it must be, then the work should be performed 

at suitable times when no one would keep close watch or follow it. 

3. The vehicle should be purchased using forged documents so that 

getting to its owners would be prevented once it is discovered. 

4. For the sake of continuity, have only one brother in charge of 

selling. 

5. While parking somewhere, one should be in a position to move 

quickly and flee in case of danger. 

6. The car or motorcycle color should be changed before the 

operation and returned to the original after the operation. 

7. The license plate number and county name should be falsified. 

Further, the digits should be numerous in order to prevent anyone 

from spotting and memorizing it. 

8. The operation vehicle should not be taken to large gasoline stations 

so that it would not be detected by the security apparatus. 

Editor’s Comment: As with communication security, the careful 

attention to transportation security in all its details reflects a highly 

sophisticated and experienced undercover organization. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 51 

Sixth Lesson: 

Training 

*The following security precautions should be taken during the training: 

The Place: 

The place should have the following specifications: 

1. Distance from the populated areas with the availability of living 

necessities. 

2. Availability of medical services during the training. 

3. The place should be suitable for the type of training (physical 

fitness, shooting, tactics). 

4. No one except the trainers and trainees should know about the 

place. 

5. The place should have many roads and entrances. 

6. The place should be visited at suitable times. 

7. Hiding any training traces immediately after the training. 

8. Guarding the place during the training. 

9. Appropriateness of the existing facilities for the number of training 

members. 

10. Exclusion of anyone who is not connected with the training. 

11. Taking all security measures regarding the establishment. 

12. Distance of the place from police stations, public establishments, 

and the eyes of informants. 

13. The place should not be situated in such a way that the training and 

trainees can be seen from another location. 
52 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

The Trainees: 

1. Before proceeding to the training place, all security measures 

connected with an undercover individual should be taken. 

Meanwhile, during training at the place, personnel safety should be 

ensured. 

2. Selecting the trainees carefully. 

3. The trainees should not know one another. 

4. The small size of groups that should be together during the training 

(7 - 10 individuals). 

5. The trainees should not know the training place. 

6. Establishing a training plan for each trainee. 

The Trainers: 

All measures taken with regard to the commanders apply also to the 

trainers. Also, the following should be applied: 

1. Fewness of the trainers in the training place. Only those 

conducting the training should be there, in order not to subject the 

training team to the risk of security exposure. 

2. Not revealing the identity of the trainer to trainees. 

3. Keeping a small ratio of trainees to trainer. 

4. The training team members should not know one another. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 53 

Seventh Lesson: 

Weapons: Measures Related to Buying and 

Transporting Them 

Prior to dealing with weapons, whether buying, transporting, or storing 

them, it is essential to establish a careful, systematic and firm security plan 

that plan deals with all stages. It is necessary to divide that task into 

stages: First Stage: Prior to Purchase; Second Stage: Purchasing; Third 

Stage: Transport; Fourth Stage: Storage. 

1. Prior to Purchase Stage: 

It is necessary to take the following measures: 

a. In-depth knowledge of the place where weapons will be purchased, 

together with its entrances and exits. 

b. Verifying there are no informants or security personnel at the place 

where purchasing will take place. 

c. The place should be far from police stations and government 

establishments. 

d. Not proceeding to the purchasing place directly by the main road, 

but on secondary streets. 

e. Performing the exercises to detect the surveillance. 

f. One’s appearance and clothing should be appropriate for the place 

where purchasing will take place. 

g. The purchasing place should not be situated in such a way that the 

seller and buyer can be seen from another location. To the 

contrary, the purchasing place should be such that the seller and 

buyer can see the surrounding area. 

h. Determining a suitable cover for being in that place. 

i. The place should not be crowded because that would facilitate the 

police hiding among people, monitoring the arms receiving, and 

consequently arresting the brother purchasing. 
54 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

j. In case one of the parties is unable to arrive, it is essential to 

prearrange an alternative place and time with the seller. 

k. Selecting a time suitable for the purchase so that it does not raise 

suspicion. 

l. Prior to purchasing, the seller should be tested to ensure that he is 

not an agent of the security apparatus. 

m. Preparing a place for storage prior to purchasing. 

2. The Purchase Stage: 

a. Verifying that the weapons are in working condition. 

b. Not paying the seller the price for the weapons before viewing, 

inspecting, and testing them. 

c. Not telling the seller about the mission for which the weapons are 

being purchased. 

d. Extreme caution should be used during the purchasing operation in 

the event of any unnatural behavior by the seller or those around 

you. 

e. Not lengthening the time spent with the seller. It is important to 

depart immediately after purchasing the weapons. 

3. The Transport Stage: 

a. Avoid main roads where check points are common. 

b. Choose a suitable time for transporting the weapons. 

c. Observers should proceed on the road ahead of the transportation 

vehicle for early warning in case of an emergency. 

d. Not proceeding directly to the storage place until after verifying 

there is no surveillance. 

e. During the transport stage, weapons should be hidden in a way that 

they are inconspicuous and difficult to find. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 55 

f. The route for transporting the weapons should be determined very 

carefully. 

g. Verifying the legality of the vehicle, performing its maintenance, 

checking its gasoline and water levels, etc. 

h. Driving the car normally in order to prevent accidents. 

4. The Storage Stage: 

a. In order to avoid repeated transporting, suitable storage places 

should be selected. In case the materials are bombs or detonators, 

they should be protected from extreme heat and humidity. 

b. Explosive materials and detonators should be separated and stored 

apart from each other. 

c. Caution should be exercised when putting detonators in the 

arsenal. 

d. Lubricating the weapons and placing them in wooden or plastic 

crates. The ammunition should be treated likewise. 

When selecting an arsenal, consider the following: 

1. The arsenal should not be in well-protected areas, or close to parks 

or public places. 

2. The arsenal should not be in a “no-man’s-land.” 

3. The arsenal should not be in an apartment previously used for 

suspicious activities and often frequented by security personnel. 

4. The arsenal should not be a room that is constantly used and 

cannot be given up by family members who do not know the 

nature of the father or husband’s work. 

5. The apartment selected as an arsenal should be owned by the 

Organization or rented on a long-term basis. 

6. The brother responsible for storage should not visit the arsenal 

frequently, nor toy with the weapons. 
56 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

7. The arsenal keeper should record in a book all weapons, explosive 

materials, and ammunition. That book should be coded and well 

secured. 

8. Only the arsenal keeper and the commander should know the 

location of the arsenal. 

9. It is necessary to prepare alternative arsenals and not leave any 

leads in the original arsenals to the alternative ones. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 57

Eighth Lesson: 

Member Safety 

Defining Members Safety: 

This is a set of measures taken by members who perform undercover 

missions in order to prevent the enemies from getting to them. 

It is necessary for any party that adopts Jihad work and has many 

members to subdivide its members into three groups, each of which has its 

own security measures. The three groups are: 

1. The overt member, 

2. The covert member, and 

3. The commander 

Measures that should be taken by the Overt Member: 

1. He should not be curious and inquisitive about matters that do not 

concern him. 

2. He should not be chatty and talkative about everything he knows 

or hears. 

3. He should not carry on him the names and addresses of those 

members he knows. If he has to, he should keep them safe. 

4. During times of security concerns and arrest campaigns and 

especially if his appearance is Islamic, he should reduce his visits 

to the areas of trouble and remain at home instead. 

5. When conversing on the telephone, he should not talk about any 

information that might be of use to the enemy. 

6. When sending letters, he should not mention any information that 

might be of use to the enemy. When receiving letters, he should 

burn them immediately after reading them and pour water on them 

to prevent the enemy from reading them. Further, he should 
58 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

destroy any traces of fire so the enemy would not find out that 

something was burned. 

Editor’s Comment: K.K. Muhamed, the safe-house minder in Dar esSalaam referred to earlier, was the one overt member of the cell planning 

the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania. He felt isolated from the 

undercover members as they talked among themselves. When he tried to 

be “chatty” and then expressed curiosity as to the nature of the action 

they were planning, demonstrating adherence to the “need to know” 

principle, the leader of the cell coldly informed him, “Your job is not to 

ask questions. Your job is to follow instructions. This is your instruction 

now. Get me a Fanta.” (The orange drink.) 

Measures that should be taken by the Undercover Member: 

In addition to the above measures, the member should... 

1. Not reveal his true name to the Organization’s members who are 

working with him, nor to the [Islamic] Da’wa [Call]. 

2. Have a general appearance that does not indicate Islamic 

orientation (beard, toothpick, book, [long] shirt, small Koran). 

3. Be careful not to mention the brothers’ common expressions or 

show their behaviors (special praying appearance, “may Allah 

reward you”, “peace be on you” while arriving and departing, etc.) 

4. Avoid visiting famous Islamic places (mosques, libraries, Islamic 

fairs, etc.) 

5. Carry falsified personal documents and know all the information 

they contain. 

6. Have protection preceding his visit to any place while moving 

about (apartment, province, means of transportation, etc.). 

7. Have complete and accurate knowledge of the security status 

related to those around him in his place of work and residence, so 

that no danger or harm would catch him unaware. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 59 

8. Maintain his family and neighborhood relationships and should not 

show any changes towards them so that they would not attempt to 

bring him back [from the Organization] for security reasons. 

9. Not resort to utilizing letters and messengers except in an 

emergency. 

10. Not speak loudly. 

11. Not get involved in advocating good and denouncing evil in order 

not to attract attention to himself. 

12. Break the daily routine, especially when performing an undercover 

mission. For example, changing the departure and return routes, 

arrival and departure times, and the store where he buys his goods. 

13. Not causing any trouble in the neighborhood where he lives or at 

the place of work. 

14. Converse on the telephone using special code so that he does not 

attract attention. 

15. Not contacting the overt members except when necessary. Such 

contacts should be brief. 

16. Not fall into the enemy’s incitement trap, either through praising or 

criticizing his Organization. 

17. Performing the exercises to detect surveillance whenever a task is 

to be performed. 

18. Not park in no-parking zones and not take photographs where it is 

forbidden. 

19. Closing all that should be closed before departing the place, 

whether at home or his place of undercover work. 

20. Not undergo a sudden change in his daily routine or any 

relationships that precede his Jihad involvement. For example, 

there should not be an obvious change in his habits of conversing, 

movement, presence, or disappearance. Likewise, he should not be 

hasty to sever his previous relationships. 
60 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

21. Not meet in places where there are informers, such as coffee shops, 

and not live in areas close to the residences of important 

personalities, government establishments, and police stations. 

22. Not write down on any media, especially on paper, that could show 

the traces and words of the pen by rubbing the paper with lead 

powder. 

Editor’s Comment: The special precautions recommended to the 

undercover member combine basic tradecraft security measures 

recommended earlier, with a number of particular requirements that 

potentially pose a dilemma for the devout Muslim, in effect prescribing 

omitting or reducing practices of an observant Muslim, for these practices 

might attract attention. Lesson Eleven provides the rationalization for how 

a good Muslim can do this. 

Measures that Should be Taken by the Commander: 

*The commander, whether in overt or covert work, has special importance 

for the following reasons: 

1. The large amount of information that he possesses. 

2. The difficulty of the command in replacing the commander. 

3. Therefore, all previously mentioned security precautions regarding 

members should be heightened for the commander. Many 

resources should be reserved for protecting the commanders. 

Important Note: Married brothers should observe the following: 

1. Not talking with their wives about Jihad work. 

2. The members with security risks should not travel with their wives. 

A wife with an Islamic appearance (veil) attracts attention. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 61 

Ninth Lesson: 

Security Plan 

Defining Security Plan: 

This is a set of coordinated, cohesive, and integrated measures that are 

related to a certain activity and designed to confuse and surprise the 

enemy, and if uncovered, to minimize the work loss as much as possible. 

Importance of the Security Plan: 

The work will be successful if Allah grants that. The more solid is the 

security plan, the more successful [the work] and the fewer the losses. 

The less solid the security plan, the less successful [the work] and the 

greater the losses. 

Specifications of the Security Policy: 

A number of conditions should be satisfied to help the security plan to 

succeed. These are: [It should be] 

A. realistic and based on fact so it would be credible to the enemy 

before and after the work. 

B. coordinated, integrated, cohesive, and accurate, without any gaps, 

to provide the enemy [the impression of] a continuous and linked 

chain of events. 

C. simple so that the members can assimilate it. 

D. creative. 

E. flexible. 

F. secretive. 

The Method of Implementing the Security Plan: 

There should be a security plan for each activity that is subject to being 

uncovered by the enemy. For example, the brother who is charged with a 
62 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

certain mission might be arrested. It is, therefore, essential that a security 

plan be designed for him through which he will be able to deny any 

accusation. Likewise, for the group assigned a collective mission, there 

should be a security plan to which all members are committed. Each 

member would then find out, learn, and be trained in his role to ensure his 

assimilation of it. 

In this lesson, we shall cover many examples of security plans related to 

certain matters: 

1. Security plan for an individual mission. 

2. Security plan for a group (important meeting). 

3. Security plan for a group mission (assassination operation). 

Example of a security plan for an individual mission 

(training in Afghanistan): 

Prior to Departure: 

Traveling through an airport, the brother might be subjected to 

interrogation. It is essential that he be taught the answers to the following 

anticipated questions: 

A. What are the reasons for your travel? 

B. How did you get the money for travel? 

C. How long is the travel period? 

D. Who will meet you in the arrival country? 

E. What will you be doing in the arrival country? 

(There are different degrees of interrogation) 

During Travel (transit country): 

The brother should be taught the answers to the following questions: 

A. Why are you going to Pakistan? 

B. Do you belong to any religious organizations? 

C. How did you get the travel money? 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 63 

D. Who got you the visa to Pakistan? 

E. What will you be doing in Pakistan? 

F. With whom will you be staying in Pakistan? 

Arrival Country (Pakistan): 

The brother should be taught the answers to the following questions: 

A. Why did you come to Pakistan? 

B. How long will you be spending in Pakistan? 

C. With whom will you be staying? 

Transit Country (Return): 

The brother should be taught the answers to the following questions: 

A. What were you doing in Pakistan? 

B. Are you a Jihad fighter? 

C. Do you belong to religious organizations in your country? 

D. Why did you come to our country in particular? 

E. Whom will you be staying with now? 

F. How long will you spend here? 

Return Country (Returning to your Country): 

A. What were you doing in the transit country? 

B. Addresses and telephone numbers of those who hosted you during 

your stay? 

C. Whom did you visit in your group, and for how long? 

Editor’s Comment: Apart from the careful attention to detail, 

specifying in great detail questions to be prepared for, it is interesting to 

observe the centrality of Pakistan in their operational planning. 
64 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

When Your Travel to Pakistan is Discovered: 

A. What were you doing in Pakistan or Afghanistan? 

B. In which camp were you trained? 

C. Who trained you? On what weapons were you trained? 

D. Who assigned you to go to Afghanistan? 

E. Whom will you contact in your country? 

F. What are the tasks and missions that you intend to execute in your 

country? 

G. Who else trained with you in Afghanistan? 

H. How many of your countrymen are in that camp and in 

Afghanistan? 

I. What are their names? 

J. Who are the group commanders there [in Pakistan]? Where do 

they live and what do they do? 

K. What things do the commanders talk about? 

An Example of a Security Plan for a Group Mission 

(Important Meeting). 

The meeting is of two types: 

A. A meeting held by those responsible for overt work. That 

[meeting] is held in many places (mosque, apartment, ...) 

B. A meeting held by those responsible for covert work. For that 

[meeting], great effort on our part should be exercised to ensure its 

safety. We shall discuss that meeting and what makes it secure 

from enemies spies. 

The security plan for that meeting is divided into several stages: 

A. Before the meeting, 

B. The meeting location, 

C. During the meeting, 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 65 

D. After the conclusion of meeting, and 

E. In case security personnel storm the meeting place and capture one 

of the members. 

A. Before the meeting: 

Here the meeting for covert work is divided into: 

Meeting in a Stationary Location: 

A meeting where more than three members gather to discuss a plan or 

prepare for an activity. 

Mobile Meeting (Encounter): 

A meeting among a small number of members, not more than three, to 

inform [one another] of a certain issue. 

Security Measures Necessary Prior to the Stationary Meeting: 

1. Establishing a plan suitable for the members if any of them is 

arrested. It consists of: 

a. Who is the owner of the apartment? 

b. What was discussed in the meeting? 

c. Who was with you? 

d. What was agreed upon? 

2. Specifying the timing of the meeting in such a way as not to raise 

suspicion of the members’ movements. 

3. Not allowing a long period of time between specifying the meeting 

time and the meeting itself. 

4. Securing the meeting location and the routes leading to it by the 

following: 

a. Ensuring the security status via telephone. 

b. Assigning members to monitor the place before and during 

the meeting. 
66 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

c. Planting a member close to the nearest enemy security 

point (police station, security administration) to 

communicate the first sight of security movement. 

d. Posting an armed guard to stop any attack and to give those 

meeting a chance to escape. 

5. Specifying what would happen in the event the police storm the 

place. 

6. Those members going to the meeting should consider the 

following: 

a. Ensuring that the enemy is not behind them while on the 

way to the meeting place. 

b. Not heading directly to the meeting place but through 

secondary places. 

c. Not going to the meeting place as a group but individually, 

with time gaps between them. 

d. The clothing and appearance should be suitable for the 

meeting place. 

e. If the brother uses public transportation, he should alight 

before or after the meeting location. In case he has a 

private car, he should park it in a secure place not near the 

location that allows him to maneuver quickly at any 

moment. 

f. Verifying the proper cover for the documents he has with 

him. 

g. If a member is armed, he should make sure that the weapon 

is in good working condition. 

Necessary Security Measures Prior to the Mobile Meeting: 

a. When a brother goes to a certain meeting (mobile meeting), he 

should review these things: 

b. Is he sure that the enemy is not behind him nor at the meeting 

place? 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 67

c. Who will meet him? 

d. Is there anything that might raise suspicion? 

e. Is this the first appointment or the second (alternative, changed)? 

f. Does he know the meeting place in detail? 

g. Are his appearance and clothing suitable for the location where he 

will stand [meet]? 

h. Is his weapon in good working condition? 

i. What is the alternative for each action? 

j. Not going directly to the person whom he would like to meet. 

Verifying the person’s appearance and features. 

B. The Stationary Meeting Location: 

It is necessary that it have special characteristics to confront any danger to 

the meeting members: 

1. Location-wise, it should be in the middle of a group of houses, not 

at the beginning. 

2. Having many routes leading to that location. That would assist 

entering and exiting in many ways. Consequently, it makes 

surrounding the place difficult and facilitates escaping from 

danger. 

3. The location should not be close to suspicious locations ([where] 

individuals or establishments work with the security [apparatus]). 

4. It is preferable that the apartment be on the ground floor and have 

a telephone. 

The Mobile Meeting Location (Encounter): 

1. The meeting location should be at the intersection of many roads 

where it is easy to come, go, and flee. 

2. The meeting should be held far from places where it is believed some 

of whose elements deal with the security apparatus (coffee shops). 
68 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

3. The place should not be crowded because that allows security 

personnel to go undetected. 

4. It is necessary to have alternative locations and times. That would 

make it difficult for security personnel to monitor the place. 

C. During the Meeting: 

The following should be observed: 

1. Establishing a security plan that consists of the following: 

a. Proper cover for the members’ presence (students, for 

example, it is necessary to have books, notebooks, ...) 

b. Verifying that personal documents match the agreed-upon 

cover. 

c. Not having written direction to the meeting place. If that is 

necessary, it should be coded. 

d. Not having or leaving food or anything else that would 

reveal the presence of many people. 

e. Surrounding the place with barb wire. That depends on the 

importance of the meeting and if there are items that cannot 

be carried during escape. 

D. After the Conclusion of the Meeting: 

1. Departing singly or in pairs, depending on the number of members 

present. 

2. Not heading directly onto main roads but to secondary ones. 

3. Not speaking about what was discussed in the meeting, during or 

after departure. 

4. Removing all observers after the members depart. 

5. Not leaving anything that would lead [to the fact that] there was 

anyone there except the owner. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 69 

Editor’s Comment: Many of the instructions are redundant with 

those issued earlier, only now the subject is the act of meeting, whereas 

earlier it was concerned with location. Just as with the instructions for 

obtaining weapons, there is a systematic and logical sequential line of 

march to the instructions reflecting not only a conceptual clarity of the 

writer, but suggesting a compulsive personality style. 

E. Raiding and capturing one of the members. 

1. Establishing a plan to repel the attack, which consists of the 

following: 

a. Who will engage the enemy with bullets? 

b. Who will flee with the important documents and who will 

burn the rest? 

c. Not heading directly to other organization locations. 

d. Specifying the escape roads and streets. 

e. If the place is surrounded by barb wire, make sure all 

members have left. 

In case an individual is caught, the following should be done: 

1. Executing what was agreed upon with the brother in the security 

plan. 

2. If the brother has important work position (commander, one who 

knows the arsenal locations, ...), whatever is necessary should be 

done before the enemy discovers anything. 

3. Instruct all members not to go to the meeting location. 

4. Inform all members of the telephone number of that apartment in 

order to mislead the enemy. 

An Example of a Security Plan for a Group Mission (assassinating an 

important person)12: Assassination is an operation of military means and 

basic security. Therefore, it is essential that the commanders who 

establish plans related to assassination give attention to two issues: 
70 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

First Issue: 

The importance of establishing a careful, systematic, and solid security 

plan to hide the operation from the enemy until the time of its execution, 

which would minimize the losses in case the executing party is discovered. 

Second Issue: 

The importance of establishing a tactical plan for the assassination 

operation that consists of the operational factors themselves (members, 

weapons, hiding places ...) and factors of the operation (time, place). In 

this example, we shall explain in detail the part related to the security plan. 

The part related to operational tactics will be explained in the lesson on 

special operational tactics. 

Security Plan for the Assassination Operation: 

The security plan must take into account the following matters: 

A. The Commander: The security apparatus should not know his 

whereabouts and movements. All security measures and 

arrangements related to members of the Military Organization 

(soldiers, commanders) apply to him. 

B. The Members: 

1. They are elements who are selected from various provinces 

and are suitable for the operation. 

2. During the selection process, members should not know 

one another. They should not know the original planners of 

the operation. In case they do, the commander should be 

notified. He then should modify the plan. 

3. They should be distributed as small groups (3 members) in 

apartments that are not known except to their proprietors. 

They should also be given field names. 

4. During the selection process, consider whether their 

absence from their families and jobs would clearly attract 

attention. We also apply to them all security measures 

related to the Organization’s individuals (soldiers). 

C. Method of Operating: 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 71 

1. The matters of arming and financing should not be known 

by anyone except the commander. 

2. The apartments should not be rented under real names. 

They [the apartments] should undergo all security measures 

related to the Military Organization’s camps. 

3. Prior to executing an operation, falsified documents should 

be prepared for the participating individuals. 

4. The documents related to the operation should be hidden in 

a secure place and burned immediately after the operation, 

and traces of the fire should be removed. 

5. The means of communication between the operation 

commander and the participating brothers should be 

established. 

6. Prior to the operation, apartments should be prepared to 

hide the brothers participating in it. These apartments 

should not be known except to the commander and his 

soldiers. 

7. Reliable transportation means must be made available. It is 

essential that prior to the operation, these means are 

checked and properly maintained. 

D. Interrogation and Investigation: Prior to executing an operation, 

the commander should instruct his soldiers on what to say if they 

are captured. He should explain that more than once, in order to 

ensure that they have assimilated it. They should, in turn, explain 

it back to the commander. The commander should also sit with 

each of them individually [and go over] the agreed-upon matters 

that would be brought up during the interrogation: 

1. The one who conceived, planned, and executed this 

operation was a brother who has a record of those matters 

with the enemy. 

2. During the interrogation, each brother would mention a 

story that suits his personal status and the province of his 
72 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

residence. The story should be agreed upon with the 

commander. 

3. Each brother who is subjected to interrogation and torture, 

should state all that he agreed upon with the commander 

and not deviate from it. Coordination should be maintained 

with all brothers connected to the operation. 

Note: 

The fictitious brother who the brothers say conceived, planned, trained, 

and executed the operation, should be sent away on a journey [outside the 

country]. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 73 

Tenth Lesson: 

Special Tactical Operations 

Definition of Special Operations13: 

These are operations using military means and basic security. Special 

operations are some of the tasks of groups specialized in intelligence and 

security. 

Characteristics of Members that Specialize in the Special 

Operations: 

1. Individual’s physical and combat fitness (jumping, climbing, 

running, etc.). 

2. Good training on the weapon of assassination, assault, kidnapping, 

and bombing (special operations). 

3. Possessing cleverness, canniness, and deception. 

4. Possessing intelligence, precision, and alertness. 

5. Tranquility and calm personality (that allows coping with 

psychological traumas such as those of the operation of bloodshed, 

mass murder). Likewise, [the ability to withstand] reverse 

psychological traumas, such as killing one or all members of his 

group. [He should be able] to proceed with the work. 

6. Special ability to keep secrets and not reveal them to anyone. 

7. [Good] security sense during the interrogation. 

8. Great ability to make quick decisions after altering the agreedupon plan (proper actions in urgent situations). 

9. Patience, ability to withstand, and religiousness. 

10. Courage and boldness. 

11. Unknown to the security apparatus. 

Editor’s Comment: These characteristics resemble those of the 

members in general, but with some refinements. The member in general 
74 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

shall have a calm and unflappable personality that can tolerate murder. 

The personality of the special operations member shall be calm in the face 

of mass murder. 

Weapons of Special Operations: 

1. Cold steel weapons (rope, knife, rod, ...). 

2. Poisons 

3. Pistols and rifles 

4. Explosives 

We note that special operations include assassinations, bombing and 

demolition, assault, kidnapping hostages and confiscating documents, 

freeing prisoners. 

Importance of Special Operations: 

1. Boosting Islamic morale and lowering that of the enemy. 

2. Preparing and training new members for future tasks. 

3. A form of necessary punishment. 

4. Mocking the regime’s admiration among the population. 

5. Removing the personalities that stand in the way of the [Islamic] 

Da’wa [Call]. 

6. Agitating [the population] regarding publicized matters. 

7. Rejecting compliance with and submission to the regime’s 

practices. 

8. Giving legitimacy to the Jama’a [Islamic Group]. 

9. Spreading fear and terror through the regime’s ranks. 

10. Bringing new members to the Organization’s ranks. 

Editor’s Comment: This list of ten different ways in which special 

operations are important is striking, for with the exception of, “removing 

the personalities that stands in the way of the Da’wa,” each of the items is 

psychological—to terrorize the regime’s population, to enhance 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 75 

recruitment, to boost morale while lowering that of the enemy, etc. This 

emphasizes that at heart terrorism is psychological warfare, a particularly 

vicious species of psychological warfare, with violence as communication. 

Disadvantages of Special Operations: 

1. Restraining the [Islamic] Da’wa [Call] and preachers. 

2. Revealing the structure of the Military Organization. 

3. Financially draining the Military Organization. 

4. Use of [operations] as propaganda against the Islamic Jama’a 

[Group]. 

5. Spreading fear and terror among the population. 

6. The regime’s safeguards and precautions against any other 

operation. 

7. Special operations cannot cause the fall of the regime in power. 

8. Increase in failed [operation] attempts cause an increase in the 

regime’s credibility. 

9. [Operations] cause the regime to assassinate the Jama’a [Islamic 

Group] leaders. 

10. Boosting enemy morale and lowering that of the Organization’s 

members in case of repeated failure. 

11. Members of the Organization lose faith in themselves and their 

leaders in case of repeatedly failed special operations. The inverse 

is also true. 

Necessary Characteristics of Special Operations: 

A successful special operation requires the following: 

1. Security plan for the operation (members, weapons, apartments, 

documents, etc.). This requirement has been explained in detail in 

the security plan [lesson]. Refer to it. 

2. An operational tactical plan. This requirement will be explained in 

this lesson in detail. 
76 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Editor’s Comment: What is impressive about the following is the 

systematic methodical approach to planning that is reflected, a notable 

characteristic of Al-Qaeda operations. 

Special Operation Tactical Plan: 

A special operation must have stages. These stages are integrated and 

inseparable, otherwise, the operation would fail. These stages are: 

1. Research (reconnaissance) stage. 

2. Planning stage. 

3. Execution stage. 

1. Research (reconnaissance) stage: 

In this stage, precise information about the target is collected. The target 

may be a person, a place, or ... 

For example, when attempting to assassinate an important target - a 

personality, it is necessary to gather all information related to that target, 

such as: 

a. His name, age, residence, social status 

b. His work 

c. Time of his departure to work 

d. Time of his return from work 

e. The routes he takes 

f. How he spends his free time 

g. His friends and their addresses 

h. The car he drives 

i. His wife’s work and whether he visits her there 

j. His children and whether he goes to their school 

k. Does he have a girlfriend? What is her address, and when does he 

visit her? 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 77

l. The physician who treats him 

m. The stores where he shops 

n. Places where he spends his vacations and holidays 

o. His house entrances, exits, and the surrounding streets 

p. Ways of sneaking into his house 

q. Is he armed? How many guards does he have? 

However, if the target is an important place, such as a military base, a 

ministry[building],it is necessary to know the following: 

From the Outside: 

1. How wide are the streets and in which direction do they run 

leading to the place? 

2. Transportation means to the place 

3. The area, physical layout, and setting of the place 

4. Traffic signals and pedestrian areas 

5. Security personnel centers and nearby government agencies 

6. Nearby embassies and consulates 

7. The economic characteristics of the area where the place is located 

8. Traffic congestion times 

9. Amount and location of lighting 

10. Characteristics of the area of the place (residence, leveled, 

industrial, rural, lots of trees, ...) 

From the Inside: 

1. Number of people who are inside 

2. Number and location of guard posts 

3. Number and names of the leaders 

4. Number of floors and rooms 
78 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

5. Telephone lines and the location of the switchboard 

6. Individuals’ times of entrances and exits 

7. Inside parking 

8. Electric box 

2. Planning Stage: 

After receiving information about the target, the operational plan is 

created. The commander who makes the operation’s tactical plan should 

consider the following: 

1. The type of required weapons 

2. Number of required members and their training 

3. An alternative to the original plan 

4. Type of operation from a tactical perspective. Is it a silent or loud 

elimination operation? 

5. Time specified for the execution of the operation 

6. The target of the operation. Is it one individual or many? 

7. Team meeting place prior execution of the operation 

8. Team meeting place after execution of the operation 

9. Securing withdrawal of the team after the execution and routes of 

withdrawal 

10. Difficulties that the team may encounter 

Afterwards, the commander of the operation shares his plan with other 

group commanders. When the plan is discussed and modified, a final one 

is determined. Then the group commanders instruct their soldiers on their 

individual missions, and the members repeat their orders in order to ensure 

that they have assimilated them. 

3. Third Stage: Execution: 

In order to discover any unexpected element detrimental to the operation, 

it is necessary, prior to execution of the operation, to rehearse it in a place 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 79 

similar to that of the real operation. The rehearsal may take place shortly 

before the execution. It is then that the operation is executed in the place 

and time specified. After execution of the operation, a complete 

evaluation is made. At the end, a full report is given to the commanders of 

the Organization. 

Important Recommendations for Commanders of Special 

Operations: 

Before the Operation: 

1. The operation should be appropriate to the participants’ physical 

and mental abilities and capabilities. 

2. The participants should be selected from volunteers, not draftees. 

3. Roles should be distributed according to the members’ physical 

and moral abilities. 

4. The execution equipment should be brought to the place of the 

operation in a timely fashion and should be placed in a convenient 

location. 

5. The members should be well disguised and placed in a location 

close to that of the operation. 

6. Shortly before the operation, reconnaissance should be repeated in 

order to confirm that nothing new has occurred. 

7. The operation members should not all be told about the operation 

until shortly before executing it in order to avoid leaking of its 

news. 

8. Weapons should be tested prior to their use in the operation. 

9. The place and time should not be unsuitable for the operation. 

10. When using a pistol or rifle, a bullet should be already placed in 

the firing chamber. 

Editor’s Comment: This last instruction is reminiscent of the 

instruction under “Member Safety,” Lesson Eight that the Member should 

not park in no-parking zones. No detail is too small or so self evident as 
80 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

to not be included, including placing a bullet in the firing chamber. This 

also indicates that the manual is intended for the new recruit, with no 

previous experience. 

After the Operation: 

1. The operation should be completely evaluated as far as advantages 

and disadvantages. 

Editor’s Comment: This requirement, and it being listed first, reflects 

an adaptive learning organization. After each mission, the leadership 

reviews “lessons learned” and these in turn become incorporated in the 

training manual. 

2. Also, each member of the operation should be evaluated according 

to his assigned role. 

3. Each member who succeeded in his role should be rewarded, and 

each member who was weak or slacken in his role should be 

dismissed. 

4. Hiding or sending abroad those who executed the operation. 

5. Hiding the weapons used in the operation in a location difficult to 

find by the security apparatus. 

6. Burning any documents, maps, or drawings related to the 

operation. Removal of all traces of burning them. 

7. Defending members who participated in the operation in case they 

are captured, and taking care of their families. 

8. The party that performed the operation should not be revealed. 

9. No signs that might lead to the execution party should be left at the 

operation’s location. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 81 

Eleventh Lesson: 

Espionage 

Information-Gathering Using Open Methods 

Editor’s Comment: Once again, in this lesson, after ten matter-offact lessons concerned with tradecraft, and maintaining security, the 

manual returns to the style of justifying the actions in verses from the 

Koran and sayings of the prophet that was found in the introduction. This 

may reflect a change of authors, but may also be occasioned by the need 

to justify for the new recruit extreme actions that seem to contradict the 

religious teachings on which he has been raised. 

Definition of Espionage14: 

It is the covert search for and examination of the enemy’s news and 

information for the purpose of using them when a plan is devised. In [the 

book titled] “Nile Al-Aoutar wa Fath Al-Bari,” [it is said that] the spy is 

called an eye because his work is through his eyes, or because of his 

excessive and preoccupation with observation, as if all his being is an eye. 

Espionage in the era of the prophet – Allah bless and keep him – and his 

honored companions: The prophet – Allah bless and keep him – used 

informants in most of his attacks. As Abou Soufian’s caravan, that was 

coming from Damascus, was approaching, the prophet – Allah bless and 

keep him – wanted to know the caravan’s destination. While the prophet 

was in Madina, he sent Talha Ibn Obaidallah and Said Ibn Zeid to the 

Damascus route to gather information about the caravan. On their way 

back to Madina, and at the conclusion of the Badr battle, they met the 

prophet – Allah bless and keep him – in Terban, as he was descending 

from Badr to take Madina . [Though] they did not participate in the battle, 

they nevertheless got their share of the [spoils]. 

In his attacks, the prophet – Allah bless and keep him – would find out the 

enemy’s intention. In the Hodaibiya [battle] days, though he did not want 

war, he exercised caution by sending a special 40-man reconnaissance 

group, headed by A’kkasha Ibn Mohsen Al-Azda. One of that group 
82 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

forerunners found a man who led them to the enemy’s livestock. They 

captured 200 camels from that livestock and brought them to Madina. 

The prophet – Allah bless and keep him – had local informants in Mecca 

who told him everything, big and small, that might harm the Muslems’ 

welfare. Among those [enemies] were his uncle Al-Abbas Ibn Abd AlMutlib, and Bashir Ibn Soufian Al-Atki. Al-Khulafa Arrashidun 

[Mohammed’s successors] advised their commanders about the 

importance of using scouts and informants to learn the enemy’s secrets. 

Abou Bakr Al-Siddik – may Allah be pleased with him – said to his 

commander Amro Ibn Al-A’ss – may Allah be pleased with him –, “Send 

your informants to bring you Abou Obeida’s news. If he is victorious over 

his enemy, then you fight those that are in Palestine. If he needs soldiers, 

then dispatch one battalion after another for him.” 

Omar Ibn Al-Khattab – may Allah be pleased with him – advised his 

commander Saad Ibn Abou Wakkas – may Allah be pleased with him – 

saying, “If you step foot on your enemies’ land, get spies for them. 

Choose those whom you count on for their truthfulness and advice, 

whether Arabs or inhabitants of that land. Liars’ accounts would not 

benefit you, even if some of them were true; the deceiver is a spy against 

you and not for you.” Khaled Ibn Al-Walid – may Allah be pleased with 

him – used to take informants and spies with him in each of his wars 

against the Christian Orthodox. He chose them carefully and treated them 

well. 

Principle of Moslems Spying on their Enemies: 

Spying on the enemy is permitted and it may even be a duty in the case of 

war between Moslems and others. Winning the battle is dependent on 

knowing the enemy’s secrets, movements, and plans. The prophet – Allah 

bless and keep him – used that method. He would send spies and 

informants. Perhaps, he – Allah bless and keep him – even went himself 

as in the major Badr attack. Al-Khulafa Arrashidun [Mohammed’s 

successors] also ordered it [spying]. Since Islam is superior to all human 

conditions and earthly religions, it permits spying for itself but not for 

others. Majestic Allah says, “Not equal are the companions of the fire and 

the companions of the garden,” and the prophet says, “Islam is supreme 

and there is nothing above it.” Islam, therefore, fights so the word of 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 83 

Allah can become supreme. Others fight for worldly gains and lowly and 

inferior goals. 

Editor’s Comment: Using the role model of the prophet, the 

honorable role of the spy in wartime is justified. 

We have not been able to identify the source of the statement, “The 

prophet says that ‘Islam is supreme and there is nothing above it.’” As in 

several other locations, the honored status given to People of the Book in 

the Koran is omitted here, with the continuing implication that Christians 

and Jews are included among the non-believers. In fact, in Surah 2:62, 

the special status of all of the Abrahamic and monotheistic religions is 

emphasized: Those who believe, (Muslims), the Jews, the Christians, and 

the Sabeans—whosoever believe in God and the Last Day and do good 

deeds, they shall have their reward from their Lord, shall have nothing to 

fear, nor shall they come to grief. 

An Important Question: 

How can a Muslem spy live among enemies if he maintains his Islamic 

characteristics? How can he perform his duties to Allah and not want to 

appear Muslem? 

Concerning the issue of clothing and appearance (appearance of true 

religion), Ibn Taimia – may Allah have mercy on him – said, “If a Muslem 

is in a combat or godless area, he is not obligated to have a different 

appearance from [those around him]. The [Muslem] man may prefer or 

even be obligated to look like them, provided his action brings a religious 

benefit of preaching to them, learning their secrets and informing 

Muslems, preventing their harm, or some other beneficial goal.” 

Resembling the polytheist in religious appearance is a kind of “necessity 

permits the forbidden” even though they [forbidden acts] are basically 

prohibited. As for the visible duties, like fasting and praying, he can fast 

by using any justification not to eat with them [polytheist]. As for prayer, 

the book (Al-Manhaj Al-Haraki Lissira Al-Nabawiya) quotes Al-Bakhari 

that “he [the Moslem] may combine the noon and afternoon [prayers], 

sunset and evening [prayers]. That is based on the fact that the prophet – 

Allah bless and keep him – combined [prayers] in Medina without fear or 

hesitation.” 
84 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Editor’s Comment: This answer to “An Important Question” refers 

not only to the conduct of espionage but also to the requirement for the 

undercover special operations operative to maintain cover, delineated in 

Lesson Eight, Member Safety. It is designed to assist the devout Muslim in 

resolving the apparent conflict in complying with instructions that seem to 

contradict the prescriptions in the Koran for how to live up to the 

requirements of Allah. In effect, the answer provided says that Allah will 

forgive you for not living up to the concrete requirements for being an 

observant Muslim, since what the special operations member or espionage 

agent is doing is in the highest service of Allah. 

Though scholars have disagreed about the interpretation of that tradition, it 

is possible – though Allah knows best – that the Moslem spy combines 

[prayers]. It is noted, however, that it is forbidden to do the unlawful, 

such as drinking wine or fornicating. There is nothing that permits 

those15. 

Guidelines for Beating and Killing Hostages: 

Religious scholars have permitted beating. They use a tradition explained 

in Imam Mosallem’s manuscript, who quotes Thabit Ibn Ans that Allah’s 

prophet – Allah bless and keep him – sought counsel when he was 

informed about Abou Soufian’s arrival. Abou Bakr and Omar spoke, yet 

he [the prophet] did not listen. Saad Ibn Ibada said, “Do you want us, O 

Allah’s prophet, who controls my life? If you order us to subdue the 

camel we would do it, or beat and follow them to Al-Ghimad lakes (5-day 

trip beyond Mecca), we would do it, too.” The prophet – Allah bless and 

keep him – called on the people, who then descended on Badr. They were 

met by Kureish camels carrying water. Among their takers was a young 

black [slave] man belonging to the Al-Hajjaj clan. They took him [as 

hostage]. The companions of the prophet – Allah bless and keep him – 

started asking him about Abou Sofian and his companions. He first said, 

“I know nothing about Abou Soufian but I know about Abou Jahl, Atba, 

Sheiba, and Omaya Ibn Khalaf.” But when they beat him he said, “O yes, 

I will tell you. This is the news of Abou Soufian...” Meanwhile, the 

prophet – Allah bless and keep him –, who was praying, started to depart 

saying, “Strike him if he tells you the truth and release him if he lies.” 

Then he said, “That is the death of someone [the hostage].” He said that 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 85 

in the presence of his companions and while moving his hand on the 

ground. 

In this tradition, we find permission to interrogate the hostage for the 

purpose of obtaining information. It is permitted to strike the nonbeliever 

who has no covenant until he reveals the news, information, and secrets of 

his people. 

The religious scholars have also permitted the killing of a hostage if he 

insists on withholding information from Moslems. They permitted his 

killing so that he would not inform his people of what he learned about the 

Muslem condition, number, and secrets. In the Honein attack, after one of 

the spies learned about the Muslems’ kindness and weakness then fled, the 

prophet – Allah bless and keep him – permitted [shedding] his blood and 

said, “Find and kill him.” Salma Ibn Al-Akwaa followed, caught, and 

killed him. 

The scholars have also permitted the exchange of hostages for money, 

services, and expertise, as well as secrets of the enemy’s army, plans, and 

numbers. After the Badr attack, the prophet – Allah bless and keep him – 

showed favor to some hostages, like the poet Abou Izza, by exchanging 

most of them for money. The rest were released for providing services 

and expertise to the Muslems16. 

Editor’s Comment: The reference to religious scholars as the 

authoritative source is to be noted. These scholars “use a tradition” (i.e., 

a hadith) from Imam Mosallem, who in turn quotes Thabit Ibn Ans, 

probably a companion of the Prophet. The discussion is in the wake of the 

battle of Badr, in which a black slave was taken hostage, and apparently 

beaten on the orders of the Prophet himself. During the battle of Badr, 

there were two targets, one a line of traders with a wide variety of goods, 

led by Abu Sayfan coming from Syria, and the other a large army, which 

could not easily be vanquished. Mohammad had his men attack the latter, 

confirming the Muslims’ virtue, in their readiness to abandon worldly 

goods for their cause. In the battle, supreme enemies of the Muslims were 

killed. There is, it should be emphasized, no reference in any of the 

relevant Surahs in the Koran (for example Surah 8, 5-19), that 

Mohammad gave his permission to beat or to kill hostages. Rather the key 

point is that the victory came only from Allah who (Surah 9) provided “a 
86 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

thousand angels” and, as in Surah 10, “there is no help except from 

Allah.” Thus the battle is used as a parable to signify man’s dependence 

on God, not to justify beating and killing hostages. Once again, by lifting 

the story of the battle out of context, the author’s have misused religious 

stories and verses to provide justification for their goals. Furthermore, 

there is no reference in the Koran to the actions or statements attributed 

to Muhammad, although what the hadith claims may be accurate. But it is 

possible this story of the action and command of the Prophet was created 

to be persuasive. Indeed, the cold order attributed to the Prophet to 

“Find him and kill him” is in jarring contrast to the image of the Prophet 

stressing mercy and compassion found throughout the Koran. 

The assertion that the Prophet says, “Islam is supreme and there is 

nothing above it” cannot be found in the Koran. The singular in the 

statement is discordant with many Surahs in the Koran, which while 

advancing the truth of Islam, do not imply that Islam is superior, nor are 

they meant to suggest the previous religions were intrinsically untrue. 

Importance of Information: 

1. Based on the enemy’s up-to-date information, his capabilities, and 

plans, the Organization’s command can design good-quality and 

secure plans. 

2. Information about the enemy’s intention provides early warning 

signs for the command, which in turn makes appropriate 

preparation and thwarts the enemy’s opportunity. 

3. Information benefits the Organization’s command by providing 

information about the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses. 

4. Information benefits the Organization’s command by providing 

information about movements of the enemy and his members. 

Information requirements include: Newness, Trustworthiness, Forthcoming, 

security, and confirmation. 

Editor’s Comment: Here, as follows, once again there is a change of 

voice, with a thorough discussion of the importance of information. Then, 

the level of discourse shifts once again, citing first a Muslim military 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 87

leader on the importance of knowing thy enemy, and then Truman and 

Alan Dulles concerning the value of open information. 

General Mahmoud Sheet Khattab said, “The nation that wants to achieve 

victory over its enemy must know that enemy very well. It also must 

know the site of the battle in detail. Those who fight an enemy that they 

do not know, do not win because a successful military plan must be built 

on clear and trustworthy information. The commander who fights an 

enemy and does not know his strength (number and materiel) is blind and 

destined to fail and fall.” 

Information Sources: 

Any organization that desires to raise the flag of Islam high and proud, 

must gather as much information as possible about the enemy. 

Information has two sources: 

Public Source: 

Using this public source openly and without resorting to illegal means, it 

is possible to gather at least 80% of information about the enemy. The 

percentage varies depending on the government’s policy on freedom of the 

press and publication. It is possible to gather information through 

newspapers, magazines, books, periodicals, official publications, and 

enemy broadcasts. Attention should also be given to the opinion, 

comments, and jokes of common people. 

Truman, a past American President, said, “We attribute our great advance 

to our press, because it gives America’s enemies the capability of learning 

what we have not officially publicized about our plans and even our 

establishments.” 

In 1954, Allan Dulles [PH], Director of American Intelligence [CIA], said, 

“I am ready to pay any amount of money to obtain information about the 

Soviet Union, even as little as what the Soviet Union obtains by simply 

reading American newspapers.” 

The one gathering public information should be a regular person (trained 

college graduate) who examines primary sources of information published 
88 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

by the enemy (newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, etc.). He should search 

for information directly related to the topic in question. 

The one gathering information with this public method is not exposed to 

any danger whatsoever. Any brother can gather information from those 

aforementioned sources. We cannot label that brother a “Moslem Spy” 

because he does not make any effort to obtain unpublished and covert 

information. 

Secret Sources: 

It is possible, through these secret and dangerous methods, to obtain the 

20% of information that is considered secret. The most important of these 

sources are: 

1. Individuals who are recruited as either volunteers or because of 

other motives 

2. Recording and monitoring 

3. Photography 

4. Interrogation 

5. Documents: By burglary or recruitment of personnel 

6. Drugging 

7. Surveillance, spying, and observation 

Information Gathering Using Public Means: 

1. Newspapers, Magazines, and Official and Party Publications: 

In order to gather enemy information, the Military Organization can use 

means such as magazines, publications, periodicals, and official printed 

matter. Through these means, it is possible to learn about major 

government events and about the news, meetings, and travel of Presidents, 

ministers, and commanders. Information may be: 

a. Names and photographs of important government personalities, 

police commanders, and security leaders. 

b. Published meetings. Through these, one can learn about major 

decisions and topics being discussed. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 89 

c. Future meeting plans. 

d. Present and future enemy capabilities through current 

photographs of projects and strategic sites or through meetings 

with top officials. 

e. Beneficial news about the enemy’s diplomacy and its present 

and future plans. 

f. Tourism news and the arrival times of foreign tourist groups. 

g. Advertisements about apartments for rent, vacant positions, or 

anything else that is useful. 

h. Advertisements about new and used car lots. These may be 

used in assassination, kidnapping, and overthrowing the 

government. 

i. Learning the enemy position on current Islamic issues (veil, 

beard, dedication, Jihad, ...). 

2. Radio and Television: 

The Military organization can use these important public sources to gather 

information all day and night. The importance of these means is explained 

below. 

a. Visual and audible news help the Organization to determine its 

present and future plans. 

b. Interviews may help to identify the government policy and its 

general directives. 

c. Spotting the appearance of those who occupy high positions. 

d. Learning the prevailing information diplomacy and its position 

on contemporary issues. 

e. Learning about the interior of important government places and 

establishments during their opening ceremonies or through 

advertisements. 

In addition to the aforementioned, [attention should be given] to 

newspapers, magazines, and the public’s comments and jokes. 

The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 91 

Twelfth Lesson: 

Espionage 

Information-Gathering Using Covert Methods 

Editor’s Comment: The instructions in this section represent basic 

tradecraft for espionage organizations. 

Information needed through covert means: 

Information needed to be gathered through covert means is of only two 

types: 

1. Information about government personnel, officers, important 

personalities, and all matters related to those (residence, work 

place, times of leaving and returning, wives and children, places 

visited) 

2. Information about strategic buildings, important establishments, 

and military bases. Examples are important ministries such as 

those of Defense and Internal Security, airports, seaports, land 

border points, embassies, and radio and TV stations. 

General security measures that should be taken by the person 

gathering information: 

During the process of gathering information, whether about governing 

personalities or establishments, the person doing the gathering must take 

the following security measures: 

1. Performing the exercises to detect surveillance while executing the 

mission. These exercises are not well defined, but are dependent 

on the time, place, and the ability to be creative. These exercises 

include the following: 

a. Walking down a dead-end street and observing who is 

walking behind you. Beware of traps. 

b. Casually dropping something out of your pocket and 

observing who will pick it up. 
92 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

c. Walking fast then stopping suddenly at a corner and 

observing who will be affected. 

d. Stopping in front of store windows and observing who is 

watching you. 

e. Getting on a bus and then getting off after it departs and 

observing who will be affected. 

f. Agreeing with one of your brothers to look for whoever is 

watching you. 

2. When receiving the gathered information, let the informants travel 

as far as possible from their place of residence and yours. Let each 

of them get there using secondary roads, preferably at night. 

3. Gather what information you can without emphasizing any 

particular part. Do not rush or show urgency because your 

excitement may uncover you and the degree of importance of the 

information. 

4. Avoid anything that reveals your identity quickly. Do not attempt 

to be too creative or inventive. Remember what Taliran [PH] said 

to his political emissaries, “Do not be anxious.” 

5. Move slowly and travel a great distance. The one who is 

successful in gathering information is the one who is not known or 

conspicuous. 

6. Do not accept events at their face value. Do not overlook a quick 

friendship or an apparent dispute. Evaluate the importance of 

events and do not judge them by their appearance. 

7. Do not speak vaguely or act mysteriously except when wanting to 

get a “blabber mouth” to talk about what he knows. 

8. Carry personal credentials and know all their contents. 

9. Prior to collecting the information, make sure that all necessities 

related to the mission, especially money, are ready. 

10. Study the area where information-gathering takes place carefully: 

Open and closed streets, residents’ customs, ways of dressing, and 

accent. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 93 

11. It is not permitted to carry any weapons during the informationgathering process. 

12. Finding a cover prior to gathering the information. 

Further, review all security measures concerning members of the Military 

[Organization], which are covered in prior lessons. 

Methods of Gathering Information Using Covert Means: 

The Military Organization may obtain secret information using: A. 

Surveillance, intelligence, and observation; B. Theft; C. Interrogation; D. 

Excitement; E. Drugging; F. Recruitment. 

Surveillance, Intelligence, and Observation: 

Civilian and military targets (personalities). The monitoring may be done 

on foot or by car. 

Surveillance on foot: 

1. The brother or brothers performing the surveillance operation on 

foot study the available information about the target (height, 

weight, way of walking, looking at a recent photograph.) 

2. Knowing the target’s habits, places he visits, and communications. 

3. Studying carefully the area where observation will take place: 

names of through and dead-end streets, residents’ habits and way 

of dressing. 

4. Prior to the start of the surveillance mission, making sure that all 

needs related to the mission, especially money, are met. 

5. Agreeing on how communications with the leaders will take place 

in case the surveillance plan is uncovered (telephone, a person 

used for that purpose). The telephone number should not be 

written but memorized. 

6. Agreeing on special signals to exchange orders and instructions 

among the surveillance team members. 

7. Knowing the measures to be taken when the target is lost, such as 

contacting the leaders or something else agreed upon. 
94 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

8. It is not permitted to carry any weapons during the informationgathering process. 

9. It is preferable to have a camera with the surveillance man in case 

the target is to personally contact others. 

Surveillance by car: 

Surveillance by car requires taking certain measures: 

1. Inspecting the car’s fuel, water, and lights. 

2. The car should be of a common type so it would not attract 

people’s attention. 

3. The car should be in good condition and the driver should be 

experienced. 

4. The car plates should not contain real numbers. It is important to 

use a false license plate and small numbers in order to prevent 

anyone from spotting and memorizing it. 

5. The car’s interior light should be disabled in order to hide the 

identity of the surveillance team members sitting inside. 

6. The number and appearance of the car surveillance team members 

should match those of the target’s car. 

Performing Surveillance by Car: 

1. The car being used for surveillance should keep up with the 

target’s car during the surveillance operation, especially in 

crowded areas and on side streets. The distance between the two 

cars depends on the circumstances. 

2. If the target gets out of his car and starts to walk, one of the 

surveillance team members should get out and observe him. 

3. Follow all aforementioned measures for surveillance on foot. 

Exercises to detect surveillance by car: 

1. The surveillance car speeds up then stops suddenly while observing which 

other car is affected (this is done where there is not a lot of traffic). 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 95 

2. The surveillance car enters a dead-end street. 

3. The surveillance car goes in the opposite direction of traffic. 

4. The surveillance car stops and goes backwards. 

5. [The surveillance car] enters a parking lot and immediately goes 

out. 

6. [The surveillance car] takes a side road and stops. 

Surveillance, Intelligence, and Observation 

(Information about the enemy places) 

The Organization’s command needs detailed information about the 

enemy’s vital establishments, whether civilian or military, in order to 

make safe plans, reach firm decisions, and avoid surprises. Thus, the 

individual who gathers information about a desired location should, in 

addition to drawing a diagram, describe it and all its details. 

The Drawing: 

The brother should draw a diagram of the area, the street, and the location 

which is the target of the information-gathering. He should describe its 

shape and characteristics. The drawing should be realistic so that someone 

who never saw the location could visualize it. It is preferable to also put 

on the drawing the directions of traffic, police stations, and security 

centers. 

The Description: 

It is necessary to gather as much information about the location as 

possible. For instance: 

1. Traffic directions and how wide the streets are 

2. Transportation leading to the location 

3. The area, appearance, and setting of the place 

4. Traffic signals and pedestrian areas 

5. Security personnel centers and government agencies 

6. Embassies and consulates 
96 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

7. The economic characteristics of the area and traffic congestion 

times 

8. Public parks 

9. Amount and location of lighting 

It is preferable to photograph the area as a whole first, then the street of 

the [desired] location. If possible, panoramic pictures should be taken. 

That is, the collection of views should be continuous in such a way that all 

pictures are taken from one location and that the ending of one picture is 

the beginning of the next. The photographer should be experienced with 

and proficient in film processing and developing. It is risky to use an 

outside film processing service. When observing a military installation or 

camp, we discourage taking pictures where it is forbidden. The 

brother/photographer should use a modern camera that can photograph at 

night or from a distance, and only the lens of the camera should be visible. 

When gathering information about a military camp, the brother should 

draw a diagram of the camp’s overall area, the camp itself, and its interior, 

if possible. 

The description of the base or camp must contain the following: 

1. Location 

2. Exterior shape 

3. Transportation to it 

4. Space [area] 

5. Weapons used 

6. Unit using the camp 

7. Fortifications and tunnels 

8. Guard posts 

9. Amount and periods of lighting 

10. Number of soldiers and officers. Officers’ ranks 

11. Ammunition depot locations 

12. Vehicles and automobiles 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 97

13. Leave policy 

14. Commander’s name, rank, arrival and departure times 

15. Degree and speed of mobilization 

16. Brigades and names of companies 

17. Sleeping and waking times 

18. Telephone lines and means of communication 

The brother gathering the information may start a friendship with one of 

the soldiers or officers of that base. Information may be collected 

gradually and easily from soldiers when giving them rides from the camp 

to the bus or train stations, etc. 

Gathering Information through Interrogation: 

Security personnel in our countries arrest brothers and obtain the needed 

information through interrogation and torture. 

The Military Organization must do likewise. On one hand, the 

Organization can obtain important information about enemy 

establishments and personnel. On the other hand, that is a form of 

necessary punishment. 

Editor’s Comment: As in the justification of the jihad of the sword 

being justified by the enemy’s aggression, here torturing hostages is 

justified because, after all, “security personnel in our countries obtain 

information through interrogation and torture.” Note, in the following 

“the source of information is not permanent,” an antiseptic reference to 

killing hostages under torture. 

Information is collected in this method by kidnapping an enemy 

individual, interrogating him, and torturing him. This source of 

information is not permanent. Also, caution should be exercised about 

being deceived by misinformation from enemy individuals. Thus, the 

brother who interrogates the hostage should possess the following 

characteristics: 
98 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

1. Should have knowledge and expertise about people’s behavior and 

morals. 

2. Should have a strong personality. 

3. Should possess a sixth sense based on practice and experience. 

4. Should be extremely patient. 

5. Should be able to act, pretend, and mask himself. 

6. Should be intelligent, observant, analytical, and deductive. 

7. Should be able to establish an investigative plan. 

Gathering Information through Recruitment: 

Recruiting agents is the most dangerous task that an enlisted brother can 

perform. Because of this dangerous task, the brother may be killed or 

imprisoned. Thus, the recruitment task must be performed by special 

types of members. 

There are a number of motives that might entice an uncommitted person to 

take part in intelligence work. These motives are: 

1. Coercion and entanglement 

2. Greed and love for money 

3. Displaying courage and love of adventure 

4. Love of amusement and deviance 

5. Mental and political orientation 

6. Fear of being harmed 

The Organization may use motives No. 2, 3, 5, and 6 in recruitment. 

Editor’s Comment: The differentiation of acceptable motives to exploit 

for recruitment is interesting and somewhat puzzling, why “fear of being 

harmed” is an acceptable motivation to exploit, but “coercion and 

entanglement” are not. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 99 

Candidates for Recruitment Are: 

1. Smugglers 

2. Those seeking political asylum 

3. Adventurers 

4. Workers at coffee shops, restaurants, and hotels 

5. People in need 

6. Employees at borders, airports, and seaports 

Types of Agents Preferred by the American Intelligence Agency 

[CIA]: 

1. Foreign officials who are disenchanted with their country’s 

policies and are looking towards the U.S. for guidance and 

direction. 

2. The ideologist (who is in his county but against his government) is 

considered a valuable catch and a good candidate for American 

Intelligence Agency [CIA]. 

3. Officials who have a lavish lifestyle and cannot keep up using their 

regular wages, or those who have weaknesses for women, other 

men, or alcoholic beverages. The agent who can be bought using 

the aforementioned means is an easy target, but the agent who 

considers what he does a noble cause is difficult to recruit by 

enemy intelligence. 

4. For that purpose, students and soldiers in Third World countries 

are considered valuable targets. Soldiers are the dominating and 

controlling elements of those countries. 

Editor’s Comment: Demonstrating once again the breadth of their 

sources, they cite the CIA’s agent preferences. 

Recruitment Stages: 

Suppose the Islamic Organization, with its modest capabilities, wants to 

obtain information about an important target (important personality, 

building, camp, agency, ministry). It has to do the following: 
100 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

1. Finding the Agent: In this stage, the Organization picks the 

suitable person for supplying the information. The Organization 

learns about that person: His financial condition, his family status, 

his position regarding the government, and his weaknesses and 

strengths. 

2. Evaluating the Agent: In this stage, the agent is placed under 

continuous observation to learn the times of his departure to and 

return from work, the places he visits, the individuals he meets, 

and his social interaction with those that he meets in coffee shops, 

clubs, etc. 

3. Approaching the Agent: After gathering information about him, a 

relationship with him is developed under a certain cover, such as: 

a. Family connection and tribal relations. 

b. Developing a friendship with him in the club, coffee shop, 

and workers union. The [recruiting] brother develops the 

friendship as if it were unpretentious and unplanned. The 

relationship should develop naturally and gradually in order 

not to attract the target’s attention. 

Important Note: In case the first brother fails to develop a 

friendship with the target, another brother takes over after 

learning from the first about the target’s weaknesses 

(motives that can be exploited) such as his love for money, 

opposition to the government, love for adventure, or 

displays courage. 

4. Recruiting the Agent: After finding, evaluating, and approaching 

a target, comes the second stage of recruiting him. Recruiting may 

be direct, that is, telling the agent frankly about working for the 

Organization for a specific and agreed-upon salary. A promise is 

secured in writing or verbally. Or recruitment may be indirect, that 

is, information may be taken from the target without informing 

him that he is an agent. That may be accomplished by giving him 

gifts, sharing his joys and sorrows, and attempting to solve his 

problems. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 101

5. Testing the Agent: In this stage, the agent is assigned certain tasks 

in order to test his ability, loyalty, and dependability. The agent 

does not know that the Organization already has the sought 

information. If the information supplied by the agent does not 

match the Organization’s existing information, then the agent may 

be an unreliable source of information or may be trying to mislead 

the Organization. During the testing stage, the agent should 

remain under careful observation to spot all his movements. 

6. Training the Agent: This stage applies to the recruited agent, that 

is, the agent who has been recruited directly and is aware that he 

has been recruited by someone or some organization for money or 

other things. That agent may be trained on the following: 

a. Work secrecy and means of gathering and hiding 

information 

b. The method of passing information on to officials 

c. Concealment and disguising 

d. Interrogation and resisting the interrogation 

e. Explaining the assigned mission in utmost detail 

f. Photography 

There might not be any training at all. The agent may be given freedom in 

his work, relying on his instinct, talents, background, and the capabilities 

of his superior brother. 

7. Treating the Agent: The brother who manages the agent should 

possess the qualifications of a perfect spy, a psychiatrist, and an 

interrogator. There are two points of view on treating the agent: 

a. First Point of View: Maintaining a strong personal 

relationship with the agent. This technique provides the 

agent with the motivation that entices him to take chances 

in order to please his friend with the information. 

However, this technique has disadvantages. The barriers 

between the agent and his superiors are removed, and the 

agent may ask for many things that were not agreed upon. 
102 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

b. Second Point of View: The person managing the agent 

treats him roughly and pushes him to the limits for the 

purpose of getting as much information as possible. This 

technique uses harshness, cruelty, and threats in order to 

keep the agent constantly active. I believe that the Islamic 

Military organization can combine the two techniques. The 

agent may be treated in a careful Islamic manner, while the 

managing brother appeals to the agent’s conscience and his 

Islamic association with the work for majestic Allah’s 

religion. He lures the agent with money and gifts, and uses 

cruelty and kindness when appropriate. 

8. Terminating the Agent’s Services: That should occur when any 

of the following take place: 

a. The recruitment mission terminates, 

b. Incapacity to work because of sickness or changes in the 

job situation, 

c. Repeated errors in security measures, or 

d. The agent requests the termination. 

Means for Testing the Recruit: 

1. Requesting specific information that the Organization knows well, 

2. Monitoring him while he performs his covert work, 

3. Overpaying him in order to know his trustworthiness, 

4. Giving him a chance to tamper with the work documents 

(unimportant documents). 

Important Advice about Dealing with Agents: 

1. Do not send sealed packages to the agent or receive them from 

him. These could be booby traps. 

2. Leaving something for the agent should be done as quickly as 

possible. When transporting and giving an item to the agent at 

the agreed-upon location, it should not attract attention and lead 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 103

to the agent’s arrest. 

3. The financial status of the agent should be controlled so that the 

agent does not suddenly show great wealth. A portion of the 

payment should be given to him, while the other should be 

deposited in his bank account. 

4. When wishing to recruit an agent, events should occur naturally. 

You may agree with a friend that he invite the person to be 

recruited for dinner, or something similar. While that intermediary 

person is talking with him, he notices your arrival at your friend’s, 

greets you, starts to converse with you, and invites you to sit down 

with the person you want to recruit. 

5. When meeting with the agent, make sure neither you nor the 

meeting place are being monitored. Do not enter a place to meet 

with an agent before he does. There could be a trap for you. 

6. If you wait for your agent at the agreed-upon location, you could 

be a target for him. Be especially careful if he goes to the 

bathroom. Once, in Belgium, an Israeli Mossad officer met an 

Arab agent. A few minutes after they sat down, the Arab agent 

said that he had to go get something. When he returned, the Israeli 

intelligence agent was still there. The Arab agent then pulled out a 

pistol and shot the Mossad agent several times. 

7. In order to communicate with the agent, it is necessary to specify 

locations such as parks, a university campus area, etc. 

8. It is necessary to continuously communicate with the agent, to 

learn about his problems and requests, help him as much as 

possible, lift his morale, and renew his confidence. 

Editor’s Comment: The details of the above section in terms of 

selection, recruitment, testing, management and termination of agents 

could well be adopted by many intelligence services. It reflects a 

thoughtful and sophisticated understanding of the complexity of the 

relationship with and psychology of the recruited agent. 

The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 105

Thirteenth Lesson: 

Secret Writing and Ciphers and Codes 

Secret Ink: 

It consists of chemical material that is used on a special type of paper, and 

the writing can be made visible by various methods with numerous 

[chemical] solutions. The history of invisible writing is somewhat old; 

spies used various types of invisible ink during World War I, and after the 

war many improvements were made after chemical compounds were 

discovered. [These compounds] can make most of these invisible inks 

become visible. War is still being waged between the nations and terrorist 

organizations. The Islamic organizations can resort to their modest 

capabilities of writing letters with invisible ink using materials available 

on the market which leave no trace at all as long as it is well hidden in the 

writing. The paper that is used must have the following [characteristics]: 

1. The paper must be smooth. 

2. The paper must be the type on which ink doesn’t spread. 

3. There must not be anything or any pictures on the paper that attract 

attention. 

Types of Invisible Ink: 

There are two types of invisible ink – organic and chemical compounds. 

Examples [of organic solutions] include: milk, vinegar, apple juice, lemon, 

and urine. They are easily exposed by simply heating them, and they are 

used frequently. Chemical solutions, which are colorless when they are 

dry, also appear as various colors if they are treated with another solution. 

Methods of Producing Secret Ink and Ways to expose it: 

1. It is possible to use any animal-based fluid and any fruit or lemon 

juice to expose the message. It can also be placed above a lamp, 

passed over a candle, or ironed with a hot iron, and yellow or 

brown writing will appear. 
106 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

2. It is possible to use Aluminum Chloride (Neshader [PH] Salt) to 

write letters with secret ink. To expose the writing use the 

previous method. 

3. It is possible to dissolve an aspirin tablet (except for children’s 

aspirin) in alcohol to expose the writing. All we have to do is get a 

piece of cotton, dip it in the alcohol solution, and wipe it on the 

message. 

4. It is possible to use some colorless vitamins like Vitamin A or 

Penicillin. 

5. Compounds like silver or lead should be avoided because they 

affect the secret ink. 

Considerations When Using Secret Ink: 

1. The writing should only be on smooth surfaces like glass or 

Formica. 

2. Don’t press with the pen or quill on the paper so that the imprint of 

the writing doesn’t show. The writing must be done lightly on the 

paper. 

3. Use a good quality paper. 

4. Don’t write any names in a message written with secret ink. 

5. A regular letter is written with a ballpoint pen and not with secret 

ink. 

6. The quill or pen should be washed before and after use, and not 

used with any other ink. 

How to Write on Paper with Secret Ink: 

An innocent-looking letter (family-personal-greeting) is written with a 

ballpoint pen, but within the letter, between the lines, write the message 

with secret ink. 

Both ciphers and code are considered important means of conveying 

information without anyone other than the party to which it is sent being 

able to determine its contents. Ciphers differ from code. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 107

Ciphers: 

A letter, number, or symbol takes the place of another letter, number, or 

symbol. The number (1), the letter (H), or the symbol (_) could take the 

place of the number (3), the letter (D), the symbol (o), or any other 

number, symbol, or letter. Notice that in simple ciphers that the same 

number or symbol always replaces the same letter, while in complicated 

ciphers, which are currently in use, the same symbol and number replace a 

different letter each time. 

Codes: 

It consists of symbols, words, or groups of letters chosen to represent or 

express other words. One word could have several meanings, or could 

represent a complete sentence, or could be a long paragraph according to 

the system used. 

Scientists have proved that the ancient Egyptians, Jews, Greeks and 

Romans used ciphers and code. [They were also used] during the Middle 

Ages, simple though they may have been, like simply putting every letter 

in the place of the letter that followed it in a specific arrangement of the 

alphabet. Specific letters only might have been substituted. Secret writing 

developed and took on more complicated forms. America entered World 

War II because of a secret message that fell into the hands of British 

Intelligence in 1937, which was sent by the German Foreign Minister 

(Zimmermann) to the German Ambassador to Mexico. The British 

learned from the deciphered letter that the Germans were planning to wage 

all-out submarine warfare. The letter contained a proposal that Mexico 

enter the war on the side of the Germans, with the provision that after the 

victory, Mexico would acquire Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. The 

British Foreign Minister (Balfour) turned the letter over to the American 

Ambassador in London, who in turn passed it on to the White House, 

which confirmed the authenticity of the letter [by checking] the [original] 

ciphered letter and correlating it with the code. Consequently, America 

entered the war against Germany. 

Both Roosevelt and Churchill escaped death because of a German 

translator’s ignorance. He was deciphering an enciphered message in 

Spanish. Both Roosevelt and Churchill had agreed to meet in Casablanca 

in 1943. Spanish spies in Washington learned of the news, and they sent 
108 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

this in an enciphered message to Hitler. The German translator received it 

for deciphering, and he read the name as two words: (Casa), which means 

(house), and (Blanca), which means (white). So he translated the message 

that Churchill and Roosevelt were going to meet in the White House. 

German aircraft were not able to penetrate American air space, and both 

Churchill and Roosevelt escaped. 

Editor’s Comment: An interesting history of codes and ciphers going 

back to ancient history, with two fascinating anecdotes with relationship 

to World War II. But what is the utility of this for the agent in training? It 

would seem rather to reflect the expertise in the history of espionage of the 

author, which periodically he somewhat excessively demonstrates. 

Types of Ciphers and Codes: 

1. Enciphering with coordinates. 

2. Enciphering with symbols and words. 

3. Enciphering books, newspapers, and magazines. 

Secret writing must have two important elements without which it is not a 

true cipher. They are: 

1. The First Element: It must have a general system on which the 

sender and receivers agree, and it is normally a fixed [system]. 

2. The Second Element: There must be a special key which changes 

from time to time. The cipher key may be composed of a number 

or group of numbers. It could also be composed of a word, an 

expression, or a sentence according to what was agreed upon 

among the correspondents. This key is used to decode the cipher, 

and is what dictates the steps required to encipher any secret letter. 

There are a few other elements which secret writing must have, 

though less important than the two previously mentioned elements. 

The message must be short, sharply delineated, and understandable. 

The key must be changed periodically, so that the enemy does not obtain it 

and [thereby be able to] read all the messages. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 109

Types of Ciphers and Codes and How to Use Them: 

The Numeric Method: 

There are 28 letters in the Arabic language; they are found in this verse: 

((ABJD ?W; HUI KLMN S”FX QR:T COZ VYG)) 

Each letter is replaced by a number, and it is not necessary for the 

numbers to be sequential. That is, we separate one number from the 

following one. Example: A=1, B=6, J=20 etc. 

The important thing is that the other side (the receiver) be aware of that. It 

is also possible to change the verse with another one: ((ABJD ?W; HUI 

KLMN S”FX QR:T COZ VYG)) 

A=1 B=2 J=3 D=4 ?=5 W=10 ;=15 H=20 

U=25 I=30 K=40 L=50 M=60 N=75 S=80 “=90 

F=100 X=200 Q=300 R=400 :=500 T=600 C=700 O=800 

Z=900 V=1000 Y=1500 F=2000 [sic] 

Example: 

QAM ALAOW? BQTL REIS ALJM?WRI? 

[The brothers killed the President of the Republic.] 

QAM

Q=300 

A=1 

M=60 

ALAOW?

A=1 

L=50 

A=1 

O=800 

W=10 

?=5 
110 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

BQTL

B=2 

Q=500 

T=600 

L=50 

REIS

R=400 

A=1 

I=3 

S=80 

ALJM?WRI?

A=1 

L=50 

J=3 

M=60 

?=5 

W=10 

R=700 

I=30 

?=5 

530400105603501803014005060030025108001501601300 

Another Numeric Method: 

There is another method by which we can encipher using digits as follows: 

We leave out the numbers (8, 9, 0) from the numbers used in the cipher. 

A=1 B=2 T=3 C=4 J=5 H=6 O=7 D=11 

Z=12 R=13 ;=14 S=15 :=16 X=17 V=21 U=22 

Y=23 “=24 G=25 F=26 Q=27 K=31 L=32 M=33 

N=34 ?=35 W=36 I=37 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 111

Notice that this cipher could be used over the telephone or radio, but it 

wouldn’t be good for letters because they could be discovered too easily. 

Important Note: 

Some may ask how a brother (the receiver) can know what the sender 

wants, when he sends a letter with nothing but numbers placed next to 

each other. Like in the previous example: QAM ALAOW? BQTL REIS 

ALJM?WRI? [The brothers killed the President of the Republic.] 

530400105603501803014005060030025108001501601300 

We say that it is possible, as we mentioned in the second method to 

eliminate some numbers and use them as separators, between numbers. 

Example: 

We eliminate the numbers like (8, 9, 0) from them, and we choose the 

number 5, for example. An example of the second method: QAM 

ALAOW? BQTL W;IR ALDAOLI? [The brothers killed the Minister of 

the Interior.] 

QAM

Q=27 

A=1 

M=33 

ALAOW?

A=1 

L=32 

O=7 

W=36 

?=35 

BQTL

B=2 

Q=27 

C=3 [sic] 

L=32 
112 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

W;IR

W=36 

;=14 

I=37 

R=13 

DAOLI?

A=1 

L=32 

D=11 

A=1 

O=7 

L=32 

I=37 

?=35 

3537327111321133714363232723536732133127 

When we put the number ((0)) to separate between the letters, it would be 

as follows: 

370320701011032010130370140360320302702035036070320103301027

035 

To complicate the cipher somewhat, we would put the numbers (9, 8, 0) as 

separators in one method. 

The method of symbols and numbers: We separate the letters of the 

alphabet into a number of groups, and each group is composed of a 

number of digits. 

Example: 

It is possible to make six groups, and so each group will be composed of 

five numbers, except for the last group, which would have only four [sic] 

numbers. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 113

Sixth 

Group 

Fifth 

Group 

Fourth 

Group 

Third 

Group 

Second 

Group 

First 

Group 

IW? 

321 

NMLKQ 

54321 

FG“YU 

54321 

VX:S; 

54321 

RZDOH 

54321 

JCTBA 

54321 

Then we give every group a symbol. 

Sixth 

Group 

Fifth 

Group 

Fourth 

Group 

Third 

Group 

Second 

Group 

First 

Group 

_ _ _ _ o ¡ 

Then after that, every group has a specific symbol, and every letter in the 

group has a specific number, so the cipher will be as follows: 

_ _ _ _ o ¡ 

IW? 

321 

NMLKQ 

54321 

FG“YU 

54321 

VX:S; 

54321 

RZDOH 

54321 

JCTBA 

54321 

Example: 

Form the following sentence by means of this cipher: 

AL?JWM ALSA”? ALSAB”? XBAHA 

[The attack will be at seven in the morning.] 

AL?JWM 1 ¡ 3 _ 1 _ 5 ¡ 2 _ 4 _ 

ALSA”? 1 ¡ 3 _ 2 _ 1 ¡ 3 _ 1 _ 

ALSAB”? 1 ¡ 3 _ 2 _ 1 ¡ 2 ¡ 3 _ 1 _ 

XBAHA 4 _ 2 ¡ 1 ¡ 1 o 1 ¡ 

The message would be formed as follows: 

1 ¡ 3 _ 1 _ 5 ¡ 2 _ 4 _ 1 ¡ 3 _ 2 _ 1 ¡ 3 _ 1 _ 1 ¡ 3 _ 2 _ 1 ¡ 2 ¡ 3 _ 1 _ 4 _ 2 ¡ 

1 ¡ 1 o 1 ¡ 
114 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

In order not to mix up the letters when decoding the cipher, it is possible 

to choose a symbol other than the symbols present. It is possible to choose 

the symbol (for example) ¤ a circle with a dot in it, to separate one word 

from another. 

Another method for symbols and numbers: For this, we use seven circles, 

and each circle contains four letters, as follows: 

 (6) (5) (4) (3) 

K Q “ Y X : R Z 

M L F G U V S ; 

 (2) (1) (7) 

H J B A ? N 

D O C T I W 

Example: 

AQTL ?ZA ALUAGWT [Kill this devil.] 

AQTL [See original for symbols.] 

?ZA [See original for symbols.] 

ALUAGWT [See original for symbols.] 

In order for one to know the context of the message, it would be sent to 

(the receiver) as follows: 

[See the original Arabic text for the symbols.] 

It is possible to separate between each word and the one that follows it by 

placing a specific symbol between each word (other than a symbol already 

present.) 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 115

The Letter Method: 

There are 28 letters in the Arabic language. We eliminate (3) letters from 

the (28) letters, and (by way of example) the letters we eliminate are (C-GZ), and so we have a chart with (5) groups containing (25) letters as 

follows: 

M “ : O A 

N F X D B 

? Q V R T 

W K U ; J 

I L Y S H 

Note: the Arrows found to the right of the chart indicate that we must take 

the last horizontal letter. [See original for arrows.] 

Example: 

If we had a word composed of a number of letters like (KAN), when 

enciphering, the first letter (K) would be (WL). That is, for this letter (K), 

when enciphering, there would be (two letters), one horizontal letter and 

the other would be the vertical. The horizontal would be the (W), and the 

vertical would be the (L), and the rest of the letters of the word (KAN) 

would be done the same way. If the last letter of the schedule were 

needed, like (H), then in this case, we would encipher the (H) as follows: 

(IA). If it were the letter (N), we would encipher it as follows: (BI) and so 

forth. 

Example: 

AQTL ?ZA ALUAGWT [Kill this devil.] 

AQTL

A=MH 

Q=?L 

T=?H 

L=I” 
116 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

?ZA

?=TI 

Z=Not found on the chart so we [exchange] the letter (D) for it, and when 

the cipher is broken, the true letter is understood from the meaning of 

the word, and so it would be thus: Z=NS 

A=M[H] 

ALUAGWT

A=MH 

L=I” 

U=WY 

A=MH 

G=Is also not found in the chart, so we deal with it as if it is an(“), and 

when the cipher is broken, put it in its original form (G) G=ML 

W=JI 

T=?H 

The enciphered sentence would be as follows: 

MH?L?HI”TINSMHMHI”WYMHLJI?H. 

We must use one of the three letters that were cancelled (C-G-Z) to 

separate between each word from the [following] one. 

Note: 

It would be incorrect to use this chart the same way as the previous one, 

because it is [too easy] for an enemy to figure out the context of the 

message and its cipher. Therefore, we make a specific key for this chart, 

which no one knows except for the (sender) and the (receiver). 

An Example of the Key: 

The sender and receiver may agree that the key to the cipher (the table) 

[be] a word or a name: ABW ALFRJ (for example), and so the cipher 

table would be as follows: 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 117

“ S T R A 

Q : H J B 

K V O M W 

N U D X L 

? Y ; I F 

Note: 

We took [something] away from the word [ABW ALFRJ] ABW LFRJ. 

We removed the Alef [A] found in ALFRJ, [therefore] the word was: 

ABW LFRJ, and after writing it in the cipher key (ABW ALFRJ), we 

write the 25 letters of the alphabet that we know, noticing that we have 

removed the letters which were written in the key (ABW ALFRJ) [sic] as 

in the previous table. 

Example: 

AQTL ?ZA ALUAGWU [Kill this devil.] 

Solution: 

AQTL

A=“F 

Q=B? 

T=B? 

T=“Z 

L=NF 

?ZA

?=F” 

Z=We treat it as if it is a D=N; 

A=“F 

ALUAGWT

A=“F 

L=NF 
118 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

A=“F 

G=We treat it as if it is a “=?A 

W=KF 

T=“Z 

Therefore the cipher comes out as follows: 

“FB?”;NFF”N;”F”FNFNY”F?AKF”; 

Then we need to insert one of the three letters (C-G-Z) between each 

enciphered word, so that the letters don’t get mixed up with each other. 

Consequently, as an example we choose the letter (Z), and then the cipher 

(the enciphered letter would be as follows:) 

“FB?”;NFZF”N;”FZ”FNF”F?AKF”;Z 

There will not be any mistake when the (receiver) begins decoding the 

cipher, because he knows that for each actual letter, there are two 

enciphered letters. [He also knows] that between each word and the one 

which follows it there is one of the three letters (Z-C-G). 

Important Note: 

1. It is possible to write the secret word (the key to the table) either 

horizontally or vertically. 

2. It is possible when enciphering using the previous table to choose 

one of the following methods: 

a. The table could use a descending-descending system [two 

arrows down]. 

b. The table could use an ascending-ascending system[two 

arrows up]. 

c. The table could use a descending-ascending system and the 

opposite [an arrow up and another arrow down]. 

However, both sides must be aware of this (the sender-the receiver). 

If it happens that any numbers appear in the message while we are using a 

letter cipher, then we begin, for example, by writing the numbers (1-2-

3.....) with letters (WAHD-ACNIN-CLAC?) [One-two-three........] 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 119

Note that we do not write ACNIN or CLAC? because we have eliminated 

the letter ( C ) from the table. 

To complicate the cipher we scramble the letters and [make] them 

uncomplicated in the table. 

To [also] complicate the cipher, we can exchange the letter with the one 

above it, and while decoding it, the receiver takes the letter that is below 

it. On the other hand, the letter below it can be written and when decoding 

it, the letter above is taken. 

The coordinates method: In order to devise a cipher with this method, we 

make a table in which every letter in the alphabet corresponds to a number 

in the vertical column and a letter in the horizontal row, and in the table 

we write the (25) letters as follows: 

5 4 3 2 1 

M “ : O A A 

N F X D B H 

? Q V R T M 

W K U ; J W 

I L Y S H D 

Note that we have eliminated the three letters (C-Z-G). 

Observation: 

This cipher (enciphered table) is very easy for any average person to break 

or solve; therefore it must be made more complicated. 

How to complicate it: 

1. Scramble the (25) letters of the alphabet in the table without any 

sequence. 

2. Leave some squares in the table blank for subterfuge or for any 

contingency. 
120 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

3. Instead of writing the coordinates of the desired letter, we write the 

coordinates for the letter above it, and when the receiver breaks it, 

he takes the lower letter. It is also possible to write the lower 

letter, and when breaking take the letter above. 

Enciphering using coordinates is as follows: 

96 70 34 32 20 9 

 N H K K 

? L J O W R 

 T Q D M 

I B A R ; 

Y “ ; X ? 

 F : S D 

M V U I 

The key of the cipher is KRM ;?DI [Karem Zouhdi] (May God release 

him). 

Example: 

AST:?D AHD ALAOW? MN :D? ALT”ZIB [One of the martyrs died due 

to the severe torture.] 

Solution: 

AST:?D

A=M32 

S=M9 

T=R70 

:=?32 

?=M96 

D=R9 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 121

AHD

A=M32 

H=D32 

D=R9 

ALAOW?

A=M32 

L=K70 

A=M32 

O=K20 

W=D9 

?=M96 

MN

M=D96 

N=D70 

:D?

:=?32 

D=R9 

?=M96 

ALT”ZIB

A=M32 

L=K70 

T=R70 

“=;34 

Z=We substitute with a D=R9 

T=R70 

Observe that when we began enciphering the sentence (AST:?D AHD 

ALAOW? THT ALT”ZIB) [One of the brothers died under torture], we 

took the letter from above (we didn’t use the actual letter), and the brother 

who receives it must take the letter from beneath while deciphering letter). 
122 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Likewise there is in the word (ALT”ZIB) the letter (Z), and it was one of 

the letters we dropped (Z-C-G). Therefore, we took in its place a similar 

letter, the (D), and the receiver would know that from the meaning of the 

word. 

There are also letters which did not have any [others] above or below, like 

the (K-H-N-?-W). Therefore, we apply the same steps which were 

followed. We look for the letter which is above it, so for example, with the 

letter (K), the letter (U) is considered higher than it. With the letter (W), 

the letter S is considered higher than it, and so forth. 

Editor’s Comment: This is a thorough exposition of basic 

cryptography. But this discussion would seem to require a higher level of 

education/intelligence, in contrast to some of the other tradecraft 

instructions which seem to be directed at a very basic level for uneducated 

and unsophisticated recruits.
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 123

Fourteenth Lesson: 

Kidnapping and Assassinations 

Using Rifles and Pistols 

Introduction to Pistols: 

The pistol was invented in the fifteenth century A.D., and it is now merely 

in the most recent of its phases of development. 

At the beginning, pistols were made by hand in various sizes. They were 

fired using a gunpowder fuse which ignited the gunpowder charge, 

thrusting the bullet forward through the barrel. 

The pistol underwent long phases of development until one called “the 

revolver” was produced. The credit for making it popular goes to Samuel 

Colt, but it would be a mistake to consider him the inventor of this pistol, 

because he was not an expert in weapons. Rather, he was very wealthy 

and he expended his wealth to satisfy his desire to acquire weapons. He 

produced the first revolver in 1835. It was made by hand, and then by 

machines in large quantities. 

Innovations [continued] developing until the automatic pistol designed by 

an Austrian appeared in 1883 A.D. Thirteen years later in 1896 another 

pistol came on the scene called the “Mauzer,” which is still in use to this 

day. 

A larger number of pistols have appeared, and there are still continuous 

developments and innovations. Pistol manufacturers prefer the automatic 

pistol over the revolver, which has largely fallen into disuse. 

Editor’s Comment: Like the history of the rifle, later in the chapter, 

this history is reminiscent of the history of ciphers discussed earlier, and 

reads as if taken out of a military encyclopedia. 
124 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

The Characteristics and Shortcomings of the Revolver and 

Automatic Pistol: 

Characteristics of the Automatic-action Pistol: 

We would call a pistol an automatic when there is more than one 

mechanical movement taking place. When the pistol is fired, it returns the 

moving components to the rear, expels the empty cartridge, and loads a 

new round in its firing chamber. This continues until the magazine is 

empty. 

It is likewise possible to call a pistol a semi-automatic, according to the 

type of firing when it fires one round at a time. 

Its characteristics are: 

1. The magazine holds a number of rounds (from 8-16). *Review the 

memorandum, “All about Handguns”, in detail. The spare bullets 

for this pistol are in the reserve magazine. 

2. It only takes a short time to load it. 

3. It can be concealed easily because of its small size. 

4. Its projectile has great acceleration, which makes it more accurate. 

Shortcomings of the Automatic Pistol: 

1. The necessity of using both hands when loading. 

2. In case of an unexpected malfunction, like a round being jammed, 

both hands must be used to correct it because of its complicated 

mechanism. 

3. It requires a safety device to ensure that accidents are avoided. 

4. It is not suitable for firing from the holster because of its 

mechanical action, since after it is fired, the components that are 

pushed forward and expel the bullet through the barrel, return to 

the rear, and as they return, the empty cartridge is expelled, then 

the components move forward carrying a new round. The holster 

is small and doesn’t allow the components to return to the rear, and 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 125

could block the way of the empty cartridge, whereby the action 

malfunctions. 

5. It can’t use any bullets other than those specified for it, because 

other bullets could have a large charge of gunpowder. Therefore, 

upon firing, the greater thrust of gas would push the components to 

the rear with greater force than they can bear, and so perhaps after 

firing once or twice, the pistol could break in two. 

Characteristics of the Revolver: 

1. The shooter doesn’t need a lot of motion to cock it, since it is 

sufficient to press the hammer, and the chamber revolves to load 

and cock the pistol. 

2. A malfunction, like a jammed bullet, does not prevent one from 

continuing to fire. 

3. The revolver rarely malfunctions. 

4. It doesn’t need a special safety device, and even if it did have one, 

it wouldn’t hinder the action of the hammer. 

5. It is preferable for assassinations because the empty shells are kept 

inside, making it difficult for investigators to determine the 

location from which the pistol was fired. It also makes it difficult 

to determine the type of pistol used. 

Shortcomings of the Revolver: 

1. Most models are large and bulky, especially older ones. 

2. It takes a relatively long time to load it. 

3. It leaks and loses some gas between the chamber and barrel when 

it fires, which slows the bullet down and causes it to fall short. 

4. The velocity of the bullet from a revolver is slower than that of an 

automatic. 

5. The cylinder does not hold many rounds, since it can only hold 

five or six bullets. 
126 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Holding the Pistol with Both Hands or with One Hand: 

Many ask: Should the pistol be held with both hands or with one hand? 

The answer is that the type of firing determines whether to hold the pistol 

with one hand or both. 

Therefore, if you are in a defensive situation where an adversary appears 

by surprise, pull your gun from the holster and fire at him right away onehanded without aiming. 

Conversely, if you are attacking or ambushing an adversary, you should 

hold the pistol with both hands, because: 

1. Holding the pistol with both hands decreases the recoil. 

2. Holding the pistol with both hands: The strong dominant hand 

pushes the pistol forward and the other pulls to the rear with the 

same force, thus making a firm grip on it. 

3. Using both hands prevents them from trembling or shaking and 

thus the pistol also. 

4. Hold the pistol with both hands to be steady and firm, especially 

when firing several shots, so you won’t be forced to adjust your 

grip on the pistol. 

How to Correctly Hold an Automatic Pistol 

1. Your right thumb that grips the pistol should be above the locking 

device and not beneath it, and it should be on the left side of the 

pistol, so that it doesn’t push the locking device inside the groove 

of the upper part and cause the mechanical movement to 

malfunction. 

2. The fleshy part between the thumb and index finger of the right 

hand holding the pistol should be behind and beneath the [moving] 

parts, so as not to disturb them with your hand when moving; the 

pistol should be centered vertically in the palm of the hand. 

3. The index finger should be around the trigger, and the rest should 

be on the pistol grip. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 127

4. The left thumb should be centered on the right thumb, and both of 

them should be centered on the locking device, neither [too] tight 

or [too] loose but with a medium [grip]. The other fingers of the 

left hand should be on the grip over the fingers of the right hand 

and intertwined with them to control the grip on the pistol. 

5. Don’t leave any space between your hand and the pistol, but 

control your grip on it. It should not be part of you, so don’t grip it 

too hard, because that will affect the nerves and muscles which 

could cause the hand to waiver and make the shot miss. 

See the drawing below: 

[Picture of a pistol with the caption:] 

The locking device, located on the lower part 

The mechanical action could malfunction while firing, as shown in the 

drawing, because the thumb is too close to the lower locking device. 

Therefore, perhaps because of a [grip] that’s too firm, the thumb presses 

the locking device on the lower part of the pistol inside the groove of the 

upper part, causing the mechanical action to malfunction while firing. 

Another Way to Hold the Pistol with Both Hands 

1. The right thumb gripping the pistol should be slightly above the 

magazine holder. 

2. The left thumb should be centered over the right thumb, and we 

follow the remaining four steps in the first method. 

3. We follow the previous steps in the first method. 

Observe the following drawing: 

[Drawing with caption saying:] 

Holding the pistol with both hands. Notice that the right thumb is slightly 

above the magazine holder, and the left thumb is over it. Holding the 

pistol and firing it with the right hand. 
128 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

A Third Way to Hold a Pistol with Both Hands: 

We follow all the steps of the second method, but the left index finger is 

on the trigger guard. 

Observe the following drawing 

[Drawing with the caption:] 

Gripping the automatic pistol with both hands. Notice that the left index 

finger is resting on the trigger guard 

A Fourth Method of Holding an Automatic Pistol with Both 

Hands: 

We follow all the steps of holding a pistol with the right hand (any of the 

previous methods), but the left hand is [placed] under the butt of the gun 

for balance. 

Observe the following drawing 

[Drawing with the following caption:] 

Notice how the left hand is placed under the butt of the pistol for balance. 

A Method to Hold an Automatic Pistol with One Hand 

1. We follow the previously mentioned steps whereby the right 

thumb is slightly above the magazine holder, and if we were to use 

the second method, it would be a good grip. 

2. The fleshy part of the hand between the thumb and the index finger 

should be behind and below the [moving] parts to avoid disturbing 

them with your hand while moving. 

3. The index finger is inside the trigger [guard] or over it with the rest 

on the pistol grip. 

Observe the following drawing 

[Drawing with the following caption:] 

Gripping the automatic pistol with one hand. Notice the placement of the 

right thumb. (The right thumb is slightly above the magazine holder) 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 129

The Proper Way to Hold a Revolver 

1. The right thumb and the other three fingers except for the index 

finger should be holding the grip around the bottom (butt of the 

pistol) firmly and evenly to ensure that the pistol doesn’t move 

while firing. The index finger should be on the trigger or outside 

[the guard]. 

2. The second grip should be with the same method used to hold the 

automatic pistol. However, there is a slight difference; the right 

and left thumbs are firmly set one above the other. 

Important Note: 

Some people place the left thumb over the right hand to push the hammer 

to the rear with it. 

This method is only used with the revolver because it is assembled with 

parts that move to the rear. It’s impossible to use this method with an 

automatic pistol because it’s too hard on the shooter’s hand since the parts 

the automatic pistol move across the barrel to the rear after firing and 

discharging the shell, and during [this action], they could cut off the 

brother’s finger or severely injure it. 

Observe the following drawings of revolvers: 

[Drawing of a revolver with the following caption:] 

The second method must be the same as that used to hold an automatic 

pistol, but there is a slight difference; it is that the two thumbs are held 

firmly next to one another. 

[Drawing of a revolver with the following caption:] 

Notice that the thumb and three other fingers hold the grip around the butt 

firmly and evenly to avoid moving the pistol when firing continuously. 

The index finger must be on the trigger from the first shot. 

[Drawing of a revolver with the following caption:] 

Some put the left thumb over the right hand to pull the hammer to the rear. 

This method should not be used with an automatic pistol, but it is fine for 

the revolver because it isn’t assembled with [moving] parts. 
130 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

[Drawing of a revolver with the following caption:] 

We are not able to use this method with an automatic pistol because it is 

dangerous for the thumb where the assembly of [moving] parts are 

released. With this motion there is an [opposite reaction] and the thumb 

could be cut off. 

Introduction to Rifles*: 

The rifle developed significantly during World War II, when combatants 

used bolt action rifles. A few years after the war, the Soviets began 

producing a famous automatic rifle called the Kalashnikov, which uses 

7.62 mm rounds. Then the Americans produced a rifle called the 

“Armalite,” which uses a 5.6 mm round, while the British produced the 

“Infield” rifle. Italy produced the “Beretta,” and Germany produced the 

“Hechler and Koch” rifle. Belgium produced the “SIG” rifle, and Spain 

produced the “Cetme.” All of these were 7.62 caliber rifles. 

Developments and innovations continue to be made in the production of 

lightweight small rifles. 

The Kalashnikov is still the best and most famous rifle used in the field 

since World War II. It was designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov, who was 

born in 1920 in Siberia. He entered the Soviet armed forces in 1939 and 

was seriously wounded, for which he received the Red Star Medal. 

The design of the first Kalashnikov, the AK47, was influenced by a 

German rifle which he [Kalashnikov] came across while he was in the 

hospital. He was also influenced by a Soviet automatic weapon, the 

“BBS” machine gun. 

Kalashnikov developed and improved upon his rifle and presented it to the 

Inspection Commission of the Defense Ministry in Moscow, which 

recommended using this 7.62 mm rifle. 

In 1935 a modification was made to the design of the first rifle, the 

“AK47”, and the automatic “AK10” rifle was produced according to 

design modification. The production of the Kalashnikov spread to the 

arsenals of several former Warsaw Pact countries. The number of pieces 

produced or used is estimated at ten to twenty million. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 131

The Kalashnikov is still competitive with the American M-16 which, was 

designed in 1964 and was brought into service in the mid sixties. 

*Review the Kalashnikov lesson in detail. 

Principles and Rules of Aiming 

Most aiming mistakes are due to physical stress or nerves, which cause the 

hand to tremble and shake. It could be caused by putting excessive 

pressure on the trigger and by pulling the trigger rather than squeezing it, 

causing the pistol’s muzzle to swerve from the target. 

Therefore, the following considerations are necessary when aiming and 

shooting: 

1. Control yourself while squeezing the trigger so as to not shake the 

pistol. 

2. Squeeze the trigger without too much force, and don’t pull the 

trigger because this will cause the pistol’s muzzle to dip down. 

3. Don’t let the sound of the round discharging or the explosion affect 

you, and don’t focus on anticipating the sound of the explosion 

because this will cause unconscious trembling in your hand and the 

pistol. 

4. The body should be normal, not tense, and the joints relaxed; not 

too tight, and not too loose. 

5. When firing, let the crosspiece of your sight drop to the top of the 

bead and the front sight to the center of the target; that is, there 

must be four [objects]: the right eye, the center of the sight 

housing, the bead on the front sight, and the center of the target 

must be lined up and fire the pistol at the center of the target. This 

applies when you are close to the target and gravity does not affect 

the bullet. With rifles and when not at short range, fire low [sic] 

and at the center of the target. 

6. Close the left eye while firing if you are firing with the right hand, 

and vice versa [with the left]. 

7. Don’t take too long while aiming so your nerves don’t shake. 
132 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Important Notes: 

1. If the round hits above the target, this means that you are holding 

the pistol grip too firmly. 

2. If the round hits to the right of the target, this means that you are 

gripping the pistol too tightly, which results in pulling the pistol to 

the right because it is pressing against the other grip from 

nervousness. 

3. If the round hits left of the target the opposite is true. 

4. If the round hits below the target; it the result of nervousness when 

trying to fire and aim [at the target]. 

Critical Parts of the Body 

The shooter must know the lethal parts of the body or [where to] seriously 

wound, in order to fire at these spots on the person he wants to assassinate. 

They are: 

1. The circle comprising the two eyes, nose, and mouth is a lethal 

area, and the shooter should not aim above, to the left, or to the 

right of this area lest the round glance off. 

2. The part of the neck where the veins and arteries come together. 

3. The heart, and this is the lethal part. 

4. The stomach 

5. The liver 

6. The kidneys 

7. The spinal column 

Examples of Types of Assassinations: 

Elementary Operations: Crossing the Street: 

1. The target is on his way to work via public transportation. 

2. The moment he crosses the street to get to the bus stop or to the 

main thoroughfare, the assassins, “two people” riding a 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 133

motorcycle, open fire on the target and get away quickly in the 

opposite direction of the traffic. 

An Actual Example of an Assassination when the Target is crossing 

the Street 

This operation took place on 3/22/1948 AD in Egypt. Al-Khazander, a 

puppet judge who viewed the English presence in Egypt as legal, was the 

person assassinated. Al-Khazander had been issuing severe sentences 

against personnel in the covert branch of the Muslim Brotherhood [AlAkhwan Al-Muslimin] who were involved in bombing operations. The 

“Al-Khazander Assassination” operation [occurred] during the Christmas 

bombings. 

1. The choice fell to both Hassan Abdel Hafez and Mahmoud Saeid 

to assassinate Al-Khazander. They were from the covert branch of 

the Al-Akhwan Al-Muslimin, which at that time was headed by 

Abdel Rahman Al-Sandi. 

2. Al-Khazander was surveyed for a period days, and it was learned 

that he went to the court at Bab Al-Khalaq in Cairo and returned to 

Helwan via public transportation. They went ahead to the railroad 

station in Helwan, [and took] the train from Hulwan to Bab AlKhalaq and then other public transportation. 

3. They made the plan as follows: 

The assassins, Abdul Hafez and Mahmoud Saeid, were waiting for 

Al-Khazander when he was leaving his house, and Hassan 

assassinated him with a pistol while Mahmoud was standing guard 

and protecting him with a pistol and percussion bombs as he got 

away. They escaped to the home of Abdul Rahman Al-Sandi, the 

chief of the organization. 

After Al-Khazander left his house, walking resolutely, Hassan 

Abdul Hafez approached him and fired several rounds which did 

not hit Al-Khazander. When Mahmoud Saeid saw that, he left his 

place, approached Al-Khazander, seized him, threw him to the 

ground, and emptied several rounds into him. He and his 

companion left [the victim] and departed. 
134 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Hassan Abdul Hafez and Mahmoud Saeid were caught because of 

several mistakes. 

The Errors which Hassan and Mahmoud Committed were as follows: 

1. There was no car or motorcycle with which to flee after executing 

the operation. 

2. They did not anticipate the possibility of a chase after the 

operation. They didn’t notice that the operation was carried out 

near the Helwan Police Department. 

3. They had no training with the pistol, as evidenced by Hassan’s 

inability to kill Al-Khazander in spite of his proximity to him. 

4. The agreement to meet after executing the operation at the home of 

the chief of the Covert Branch of the Brotherhood was a fatal error. 

5. After police cars began pursuing them, the brothers fled to the 

mountain [called] “Al-Muqattam” Mountain, which was not 

suitable for evading [pursuit]. 

Editor’s Comment: As with examples that follow, this compendium of 

errors in the above assassination reflects a characteristic of the manual in 

general, namely a continuing examination of operations to learn of 

positive and negative features, vulnerabilities and mistakes in order to 

profit from them and improve the organization’s functioning, truly a 

characteristic of a learning organization, and a contribution to AlQaeda’s effectiveness as an organization. 

The Second Operation: Blocking the way of the Target’s Car 

1. The target goes to work in his own automobile, which comes to get 

him in the morning and brings him back after work is over. A 

driver operates the car and the target’s bodyguard sits beside the 

driver. 

2. The group of assassins, composed of three or four people, wait for 

the target’s car. The waiting place should allow the assassins’ car 

freedom of movement at any time. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 135

3. The assassins’ car departs upon sighting the target’s car and 

proceeds slowly until it comes to a spot which would allow it to 

block the way in front of the target’s car. It then immediately 

stops, blocking the target’s car. 

4. At the instant the assassins’ car stops, the personnel in charge of 

killing or kidnapping the target get out, kill the bodyguard and the 

driver, and then execute their mission. 

5. This operation requires the utmost speed within a short time to 

avoid any one pursuing the assassins’ car or seeing any of the 

brothers. 

Observations: 

1. It is best that one of the brothers participating in the assassination 

or kidnapping fire at the automobile’s tires so that it can not evade 

or run away. 

2. Most of the brothers participating in the operation should be very 

skilled drivers to avoid problems if the driver is wounded or killed. 

An Actual Example of an Assassination by Blocking the Target’s 

Path: 

Members of the Egyptian Revolution Organization* decided to assassinate 

a high-ranking Israeli living in Cairo. 

*The Egyptian Revolution Organization: An Organization, which 

followed Nasser ([and which he] Jamal Abdel Nasser deified), executed its 

first assassination in 1984 and the last in 1987. It undertook four 

assassinations of Jews or Americans in Cairo, and Egyptian Security as 

well as Israeli and American intelligence were not able to.... 

[Translator’s Note: The rest of this page is cut off. The list starts at 

#2 on the following page] 

2. Surveillance of the target was carried out for a period of time. The 

exits and entrances to the theater of operations were studied. The 

time was set to execute the operation at eight am 8/20/85, when the 

Israeli target would leave for work at the Israeli Embassy in Cairo. 
136 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

3. A car was purchased for use in the operation. Someone’s 

identification was purchased indirectly, the photo was removed, 

and that of one of the organization’s members was put [in its 

place.] 

4. The organization members participating in the operation (there 

were four of them) rode in a car belonging to one of them. They 

put their weapons in the car (they had hidden their weapons in 

tennis racket covers.) Before arriving at the theater of operations, 

they left that car and got into the operations vehicle, which was 

close to the site of the operation. 

5. After riding in the car, it became apparent the car was not in good 

running order, and had leaked a lot of oil, so they decided to delay 

the operation. 

6. While they were returning in the car in poor condition, they saw a 

man from the Israeli Mosad, and the operation leader decided to 

kill him. The Israeli Mossad man was riding in a car with two 

Israeli women with him. 

7. The Assassins’ car drove behind the Israeli target’s car, which 

noticed the surveillance in the rear view mirror, but the driver of 

the assassins’ car was able to choke off the Mossad man’s car and 

he wasn’t able to escape. They blocked his way and forced him 

over by the curb. 

8. One of the four personnel got out of the car and emptied the 

magazine of his American rifle in the direction of the Mossad man. 

The second one got out on the other side and emptied his bullets, 

and the third did likewise. After executing the operation, they fled 

to the other car, and left the operations car on the street. 

9. After a period of time, the police force came and found the car 

with traces of blood. 

[It was not] known that the crime was committed by the organization until 

one of its members (the brother of the organization’s leader) turned 

himself in to the American Embassy and disclosed all the secrets of the 

operation which the Egyptian Revolution Organization undertook. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 137

Positive [Aspects] 

1. The assassins killed an Israeli person they found on the way back. 

2. The purchase of a car just for the operation and a counterfeit 

identification. 

3. Concealing the weapons in tennis racket covers. 

4. Choosing a good method to stop the Israeli Mosad man’s car. 

Negative [Aspects] 

1. Failure to inspect the car prepared for the operation with sufficient 

time before the execution. 

2. Undertaking the operation even though the car was 

malfunctioning, which could have broken down and failed to run 

after executing the operation. 

3. Failure to remove the traces of blood found on the car. 

The Third Operation: The Entrance to a Building: 

1. The Assassins’ car is parked in a location near to the target’s 

building. 

2. When the target gets out of the car or exits from the building, the 

assassins open fire upon him, the bodyguard, and the driver who is 

opening the car door for him. 

3. Run away immediately or ride the car or motorcycle which is 

prepared for an immediate get away. 

An Actual Example of an Assassination at the Entrance to a Building 

(Assassination Attempt on the Former Minister of the Interior, 

Hassan Abu Basha): 

A group from the Islamic organization called “[Those who have] escaped 

the Fire” composed of three people waited for the previous Minister of the 

Interior, Hassan Abu Basha’s car in a location near the entrance to the 

building. 
138 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

When Abu Basha arrived, and as soon as he got out of the car, two of the 

brothers opened fire on him over the cabin of their vehicle (pick-up). 

1. Abu Basha threw himself between his car and another car parked 

nearby as soon as they opened fire. As a result of this incident, the 

minister was paralyzed in half [of his body]. 

2. The brothers fled after the incident took place, and they took their 

car in the opposite direction of the flow of traffic. 

Important Observations: 

When the brothers went to the location near Abu Basha, they hadn’t gone 

to kill him but to do reconnaissance (gather information on him). 

1. One of the brothers was bearded while doing the reconnaissance. 

2. The brothers were armed while gathering information about the 

minister. 

3. There was no established plan for the assassination. 

The Fourth Operation: While Going To or From Work: 

1. The target is going to work in his own car, and he has a driver and 

a bodyguard. 

2. The assassins lie in wait for the target in a certain place while he is 

going to or from work. 

3. When the assassins see the target’s car approaching, they take their 

places. 

4. The car’s tires, the bodyguard, driver, and target are hit. 

An Actual Example of an Assassination While the Target is Going to 

Work: (The Assassination of Rif’at El-Mahgoub)) 

1. The brothers began surveillance of all the Interior Minister – Abdul 

Halim Mousa’s movements, from his departing his house until 

entering the ministry. The surveillance lasted several weeks. 

2. Friday morning was set for the execution of the operation where 

the minister heads to work. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 139

3. Exactly at ten in the morning the brothers were fully prepared. An 

observer was going to give a signal to the brothers when the 

minister’s car departed from his house. 

4. When the convoy reached the specified location of the operation 

(the operations stage), bullets were sprayed from all directions on 

the private car in front of him and on the escort vehicle. 

5. The brothers approached the car after firing at the tires to confirm 

that the minister was dead, The brothers did not find the Minister 

of the Interior, but they did find Rif’at El-Mahgoub, Head of the 

People’s Assembly, dead inside the car. [Translator’s Note: 

Similar to our Speaker of the House] 

6. This was a startling situation. The two convoys (the Interior 

Minister’s convoy and that of the Head of the People’s Assembly) 

were separated by only about seven minutes. After about seven 

minutes the Minister of the Interior arrived at the location of the 

incident. 

7. The brothers who were participating in the operation (four brothers 

to execute the assassination and two to drive the motorcade) had 

only two motorcycles (three people to each motorcycle), and after 

executing the operation, one of the two motorcycles fled and the 

other broke down, and after a moment they left that motorcycle 

behind. 

8. When the motorcycle broke down, one of the brothers fled on foot, 

carrying his weapon in the opposite direction of the cars. He 

stopped a taxi and threatened the driver with his weapon, and then 

rode with him. During the drive, a police officer (a general in the 

police force) stopped the car, supposing that the armed man was 

just a thief. He opened the door to arrest him, but the brother put 

the rifle to his chest and emptied a burst of rounds into it and the 

officer fell to the ground like a slain bull. It came to light 

afterwards, that this officer was one of the criminals who used to 

torture the brothers in some neighborhoods of Cairo. 

The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 141

Fifteenth Lesson: 

Assassination Using Explosives 

Editor’s Comment: In the following discussion of the use of 

explosions in assassinations, the degree of attention paid to details is, as 

with the above sections, meticulous and impressive. There is moreover a 

systematic orderly exposition that reflects a very careful attention to 

detail, of an obsessive character consistent with a healthy compulsive 

personality. 

Introduction: 

Explosives are believed to be the safest weapon for the Mujahideen 

[Translator’s Note: Mujahideen does not refer to a specific group but 

rather is a generic term for holy warriors.] [Using explosives] allows 

them to get away from enemy personnel and to avoid being arrested. An 

assassination using explosives doesn’t leave any evidence or traces at the 

operation site. In addition, explosives strike the enemy with sheer terror 

and fright. 

Defining Explosives: 

They consist of chemical compounds or mixtures capable of being 

converted into large quantities of hot gas in a very short period of time. It 

is affected by a specific external agent that produces increasing pressure, 

resulting in a chain reaction. 

Explosive Chain [Reactions] 

A series of initial explosions starting with a small amount of highly 

sensitive explosives and ends with a large charge composed of basically 

stable explosives. 

It is composed of explosions arranged to bring about a large yield. 

The simplest explosive chain [reaction] has two stages whereas other 

explosions could require four stages or more. Any break in the chain 

prevents the material which follows it from exploding. 
142 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

The Usual Series 

The series starts with a small spark and ends with a sizeable explosion. 

1. The Spark 

2. Combustible material 

3. A small amount of secondary material 

4. Basic charge 

Methods of Detonation: 

This means pyrotechnics or electronic devices used for detonation. They 

are divided into means of generating – means of transferring – means of 

stabilizing. 

A. Means of Generating 

Divided into: 

1. Combustible Means 

2. Mechanical Means 

B. Means of Transferring 

Types of fuses: 

First the Slow Fuse: (The Safety Fuse): 

It consists of cotton or linen threads woven together and coated with an 

insulating layer of pitch or plastic, and has capsules of black gunpowder 

inside. 

The threads help to circulate the wave of combustion. The pitch or plastic 

holds the fuse together and prevents it from absorbing moisture. 

Characteristics: 

1. Ignites with sparks or flames. 

2. Ignites quickly, at about one centimeter per second. 

3. Ignites under water. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 143

4. Cutting it is a way to stop combustion. 

How to Prepare for the Explosion: 

1. Cut an appropriate length of fuse and check that there is no 

moisture. 

2. Cut the appropriate length of fuse for the distance that would be 

sufficiently safe. 

3. Cut one end of the fuse, which will be used for ignition, [at a 45-

degree angle. The other end of the fuse, which is placed inside the 

blasting cap, should be at a 90-degree angle. 

4. Put the fuse inside the blasting cap carefully and cautiously, and 

then put moderate pressure on the opening of the blasting cap. 

5. Put the head of a match on the gunpowder at the end of the fuse cut 

at 45 degrees so that the head of the match touches the gunpowder, 

then ignite it by rubbing the flint on the pack with the match. It is 

possible that the fire will send its flame to the black gunpowder 

and the fuse will begin burning. In this case, cut the fuse on both 

ends at a 90-degree angle. 

Observation: 

White fuses are used in coal mines. Green fuses are used in the military, 

and they have more safety [features]. Black and orange [fuses] are for 

general civilian use. 

Second, the Fast Fuse 

It is the same as the slow fuse except for the fineness of the gunpowder 

and the speed at which it ignites, which goes up to 90 centimeters a 

second. Its use is limited to ambushes and traps. 

Important Warning: 

Before using any type of fuse, take part of it and test it to check that it is 

free of moisture, also [check] the ignition speed because if you were to use 

a fast fuse supposing that it is a slow one, then the burning will reach the 

blasting cap and the charge will explode before you leave the location. 
144 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Second, the Detonating Cord (Cortex Cord) 

It consists of a flexible cord that contains highly explosive material 

covered with a layer of plastic to insulate it from moisture. It is 

distinguished from delayed fuses because it contains a very white 

substance, PETAN, though it could have another substance added to it, 

which would change its color to gray. 

Characteristics: 

1. Speed of explosion varies between five and seven kilometers a 

second. 

2. It could explode with the force of 15 kilograms, or the round of a 

weapon. 

3. [Can be] used underwater for not more than 15 hours. 

4. It is used to explode several charges at the same time. 

5. It is affected by moisture, the sun, electric shocks, and mechanical 

jolts. 

6. It is used as an explosive belt to fell trees as well as cement and 

iron pillars. 

7. It is in the shape of a coil varying in length from 100 to 200 

meters. 

8. It can be substituted for a large number of fuses. 

9. It is used as an open cord to clear the way in a mine field and to 

increase the width by doubling the number of detonating cords 

which form the cord. 

Blasting Caps 

Consist of a metal capsule [made] of copper or aluminum containing a 

small amount of catalyst and other stimuli. Care and caution must be used 

while handling because it is very sensitive to external factors (bumping, 

shaking, and friction). 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 145

Composition of a Normal Blasting Cap 

It consists of an extended pipe, one end which contains sensitive explosive 

material, which is the basic substance. Its charge is also pressure-sensitive. 

The third charge is combustible. 

Length of the cap is 5 cm. Diameter of the cap is 7 cm 

There is an example of the largest normal blasting cap. The normal 

blasting cap should only be exploded with a slow fuse. 

[Drawing of a blasting cap with the captions: slow fuse (to the right) 

Chlorate and sugar 10% & Lead Nitrate 30% (beneath).] 

Composition of the Electrical Blasting Cap 

It has the same composition as the normal blasting cap, with the addition 

of a hot wire and connecting wire. The opening of the extended pipe is 

insulated with rubber. 

[Drawing with the captions: hot wire (above), active substance (to the 

left), and (from right to left beneath:) Electrical wire, stabilizing column, 

wires, rubber, combustible charge, & catalyst.] 

Precautions that must be taken with Blasting Caps: 

1. Do not store blasting caps with explosive materials, and don’t 

expose them to the heat of the sun. 

2. Don’t test a blasting cap with an O’meter, Alpha meter or other 

electrical devices which have batteries lest it explode (this pertains 

to electrical blasting caps.) 

Connecting and Connectors 

First: Connecting one Slow Fuse with Another: 

1. Cut one end of the fuse at a 45-degree angle. 

2. Place the two sides next to each other so that the black powder is in 

contact with both of the fuses together. 

3. Connect the two sides with a strong tape or chord. 
146 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

4. The head of a match or something similar can be placed between 

the two ends of the fuse before the connector. The two of them 

must touch the match stick, which increases the flames burning 

between them (ensuring the transmission of the flame from one 

fuse to another.) 

Second: Connecting a Slow Fuse with Another Blasting Cap (Explosive): 

1. A detonating cord can’t explode without a blasting cap, so there is 

no benefit from connecting a slow fuse directly; it should have a 

blasting cap placed between them to transfer the spark of the slow 

fuse to its cap so that the detonating cord will ignite. 

2. When the slow fuse ignites, the resulting spark reaches the cap and 

it explodes and ignites the fuse. 

Third: Connecting the Detonating Cord with the End of the Cap: 

The two detonating cords can be connected to one of the following: 

1. Place the two cords one above the other [overlapping] by 15 cm, 

and tie them with strong tape or cord. [Drawing with the following 

captions:] Blasting cap fuse (to the right), blasting cap fuse (to the 

left), and tape (beneath). 

2. With a straight knot. [Drawing (no caption).] 

3. A Tree Leaf [Knot]: [Drawing.] We connect this way when 

exploding two charges at the same time, starting from the main 

branch of the explosive cord, or to ensure the charge explodes 

using two detonating cords. 

4. The Letter P Connector: [Drawing.] This connector is used when 

the direction of the explosive wave in the main branch is not 

known. 

5. Letter Y Connector: [Drawing.] This method is also used when 

the direction of the explosive wave in the main branch is not 

known. 

6. Broken Chord Connector: [Drawing.] It is used when the time 

needed to prepare the charges is limited. Connect it with an 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 147

explosive chord. Except for the problem of moisture, “Petan” 

causes a break in the fuse; it is not recommended to use this 

material for a period of more than 24 hours because of slackening 

of the two fuses, and they become separated. 

7. Letter U Connector: [Drawing.] It is the safest because the 

explosive wave transfers from the main line to the parallel branch 

in both directions. 

Booby Traps: 

These consist of creative, innovative methods aimed at planting antipersonnel and anti-vehicle explosive charges, and the enemy is blown up 

as a result of normal movement without paying attention to what is around 

him. Booby traps are considered one of the best ways to execute an 

assassination operation against enemy personnel because we have gotten a 

long distance away from the site of the incident without leaving any 

evidence or trace enabling the enemy to know who were the perpetrators. 

However, a brother should not be allowed the opportunity to work with 

setting booby traps until after he has mastered the use of explosives and 

has successfully worked in the electrical and mechanical fields, because 

the first mistake a brother makes could be his last mistake. 

One of the most important considerations in placing a booby trap is to 

make the right choice of the appropriate switch that the enemy would not 

notice [and avoid his detecting] and removal of the charge. 

Any sign of our work or presence in the area where the booby trap was 

placed must be removed, because any tools, pieces of electrical wire, tape 

etc. would put the enemy on the alert, and the plan and operation would 

fail. 

Switches for traps and explosive charge housings are categorized as 

follows: 

1. Electrical 

2. Chemical 

3. Mechanical 

4. Friction 
148 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

Electrical Switches: 

They can be divided into four groups: 

A. For manual use: Pull – push – loosen – raise – drop. 

B. Delayed (timed): Alarm clock – Temperature – Closed circuit 

(pressure placed on the insulator until it burns and contact is 

made.) 

C. Modifying Natural Circumstances: Temperature – Smoke or 

Sensitive Gas – Sensitive Metal. 

D. With the Influence of Waves: FM waves – Radio – Infrared Rays 

– ultraviolet – or Radar Waves. 

[Drawing with the following captions:] 

Switch (above), Charge with blasting cap (to the right), Opening to be 

closed after the operation is over (beneath), and Battery (to the left). 

The entire success of the switch [depends on] intelligence, innovation, and 

judgment. 

The Appropriate Switch 

The electric circuit is considered the best because it is timely, but its only 

flaw is a leaky battery. 

We will now touch on various simple types of booby traps to make it easy 

for the brother to comprehend; we have not written any new ideas in order 

to help invent other more preferable methods. 

1. The charge goes off when the door opens after the target has pulled 

the insulation from between the contact points, and the electrical 

circuit is broken. If we want to kill the target, we put [the booby 

trap] over the door; if we want to cut off his legs or bring about 

permanent injuries to various parts of the body, we put it in the 

vicinity of the door. 

Editor’s Comment: The matter of fact explanation of where to place 

the booby trap when the goal is to kill in contrast to where to place it 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 149

when the goal is only to “cut off his legs or cause permanent injury” is 

chilling. 

[Drawing (on the left) with captions:] 

Nine V Battery (upper right), insulation (upper left), the explosive charge 

(on the door), the personnel use a line fixed the wall, and it can make the 

charge explode as soon as soon as the prominent famous person is under it 

(to the left.) 

[Drawing on the right (with captions:] 

When the door is opened, the insulation is separated and the circuit is 

broken (middle left), attached insulation (lower left), the explosive charge 

(beneath). 

2. Igniting / closing the circuit: When the electric switch is pushed, 

the circuit is connected and the charge explodes. 

[Drawing and captions:] 

Electric switch (upper left), charge without a fuse (bottom right), and 

battery (bottom left). 

3. Booby–trapping a recorder and television: The idea is based on 

closing the circuit to [cause] the explosion when the equipment is 

turned on. A battery is used when setting the trap for a radio or 

recorder that works on batteries or by a power cord to the radio or 

television switch. 

4. Booby-Trapping a Car: Close the electrical circuit and cause the 

explosion when the ignition key is turned to start the car. It is 

possible to use the car battery when setting this type of trap. 

Explosives placed in locations inside the car, in the back or front, 

cause the explosion to be centered inside the car. 

[Drawing with captions:] 

Ignition key (above). Charge with detonator and explosives (beneath). 

5. Trap using an Alarm Clock: According to the drawing, the charge 

will explode at 3:30, when the small hand is on three and the big is 

on six. There must not be any insulation between the two hands. It 
150 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

is advisable to use a flexible rubber wire in front of the number 

three in case the big hand goes past it more than one time per hour. 

[Drawing with captions:] 

Explosive charge (upper right), battery (upper left), flexible rubber wire 

(middle right), small [hour] hand (upper middle left), and the big [minute] 

hand (lower middle right). 

6. Time Bomb Using an Alarm Clock: The explosion takes place 

when the time is reached, the alarm goes off, and the two electric 

wires make contact. 

[Drawing (with captions):] 

Charge without a fuse (above) and battery (upper left). 

7. It is also possible to booby trap a car by connecting two wires from 

the battery. One of the blasting cap wires makes contact with the 

wire connected to the battery, and the other wire connects to the 

line and is also connected to the fan. The wire connected to the 

battery does the same thing. When the ignition key is turned, the 

blade rotates, and the two sides connect, closing the circuit. 

8. There are very many things one could use in a very simple way to 

set a trap, like: shoes, bed etc. 

Examples of Assassination Operations Using Explosives: 

1. Blowing up a building or motorcade using a car bomb, whereby 

the driver of the car loaded with explosives blows up his [illegiblepossibly car]. 

An Actual Example: 

Some of the brothers in Egypt tried to blow up the motorcade of the 

former Minister of the Interior’s vehicle (ZIB) by putting 200 kilograms of 

TNT in a pick-up truck. When the minister’s car was seen, the brother 

approached in his car and blew up the car. 

However, it didn’t cause an explosion in the car, and it was confirmed 

afterward that the explosives didn’t go off because no catalyst was placed 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 151

with the large quantity of explosives. The explosives ignited but they did 

not explode. 

2. Throwing one or more bombs into a group of enemy personnel or 

into the target’s car: 

An Actual Example: 

Personnel from the Covert Branch of the Muslem Brotherhood threw some 

bombs into [some] stores and bars on the evening of January 7, 1947 at 

11:00 pm. 

3. Blowing up a location or car with a time bomb. 

Some Palestinians were able to place a time bomb inside an aircraft’s 

radio, and after the aircraft took off it blew up in the air. 

It is also possible to explode a time bomb using the timer from a washing 

machine or any other device (a fan, etc.); at a specified time, the two wires 

make contact and the charge explodes. 

The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 153

Sixteenth Lesson: 

Assassination Using Poisons and Cold Steel 

Assassinations Using Cold Steel: 

A. Assassinating with a Knife: 

When undertaking any assassination using a knife, the enemy must be 

struck in one of these lethal spots: 

From the Front: 

1. Anywhere in the rib cage. 

2. Both or one eye. 

3. The pelvis (under target’s navel) 

4. The area directly above the genitals. 

From Behind:

1. The axon (back of the head). 

2. The end of the spinal column directly above the person’s buttocks. 

B. Assassination with a Blunt Object: 

A blow with a club must be in lethal areas. 

From the Front: 

1. The two eyes. 

2. Where the veins and arteries converge in the neck. 

3. Top of the stomach, with the end of the stick. 

4. Above the genitals, with the end of the club. 

5. The area of the tongue. 

6. Choke the neck with the stick, like in a hanging. 
154 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

From the Rear: 

1. The area of the left ear. 

2. The back of the head (axon). 

[Translator’s Note: Blunt object, stick, and club were all the same word in 

Arabic; different choices were made to show range of meaning.] 

Assassination with a Rope: 

1. Choking (Neck area). There is no other area besides the neck. 

Assassination using Hands: 

1. Choking. 

2. Poking the fingers into one or both eyes and gouging them. 

3. Grab the testicles by the hand and twist and squeeze. 

4. Grab the rib cage with both hands and squeeze. 

Editor’s Comment: Note, while instruction for the preparation of 

poisons and toxic substances are widely available through open source 

material, in order to be prudent and not provide detailed instructions 

which could be exploited, the details of the following recipes, including 

ingredients, quantities, and techniques, have been deleted. 

The description of the use of poisons to assassinate stands in contrast 

to other portions of the manual, where actions that seem to contradict the 

Koran characteristically received elaborate justification with Surahs and 

hadiths. The use of poison is indeed proscribed by the Koran. In a 

research study sponsored by the Smith-Richardson Foundation directed by 

the editor that systematically interviewed incarcerated Middle Eastern 

terrorists, several indicated they would not consider the use of nerve gas 

because of the Koranic proscription. 

Assassinations with Poison: 

We will limit [the discussion] to poisons that the holy warrior can prepare 

and use without endangering his health. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 155

First – Herbal Poisons: 

A. Castor Beans 

The substance Ricin, an extract from Castor Beans, is considered one of 

the most deadly poisons. X is enough to kill someone. Death can be 

caused by inhaling or by injecting in a vein. However, though considered 

less poisonous if taken through the digestive system, chewing some Castor 

Beans could be fatal. It is a simple operation to extract Ricin, and Castor 

Beans themselves can be obtained from nurseries throughout the country. 

Symptoms: 

Need to vomit – diarrhea – unawareness of surroundings – the skin turns 

blue, leading to failure of blood circulation [sic] and finally ... death. 

B. Precatory Beans 

The herbal poison Abrin, extracted from Precatory Beans, is very similar 

to Ricin. The seeds of this plant are red and black and are used in prayer 

beads [Translator’s Note: like a Rosary]. [The detailed instructions, 

which have been deleted, include the requirement to put on “a pair of 

leather gloves” and to carry out the procedures “very carefully” because 

of the danger.] The Abrin will kill your victim slowly, but relentlessly. 

Dimothyl Sulfoxide 

[Instructions Deleted.] When the enemy touches the poison, he will die 

slowly within 15 minutes to an hour. 

Extracting Abrin and Ricin 

[Detailed Instructions Deleted.] The final result will be pure Eysein [PH] 

or Abrin. 

C. The Water Hemlock Plant 

Hemlock has a palatable taste, and is very similar to another plant, 

parsnip. 

Symptoms: 

Nervous spasms within 15 to 60 minutes, including severe locking and 

clenching of the jaw to the extent that the tongue could be cut off. 
156 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

D. The Tanj Oil Tree 

Second – Semi-alkaline substances: 

They are highly solvent in alcohol. 

A. Tobacco 

There is enough nicotine in three cigarettes to kill a person. Sixty to 70 

milligrams of pure nicotine will kill a person within an hour if eaten. 

B. Potato Sprout 

The potato sprout (both rotten and green) contains Solanine. 

How to Extract Poisonous Alkaline 

[Detailed Instructions Deleted] 

Poisoning from Eating Spoiled Food 

This poison is absolutely lethal. After consumption, the symptoms appear 

in 12 to 36 hours. They include dizziness, headaches, constipation, 

difficulty swallowing and speaking, fluids coming from the nose and 

mouth, and lack of muscle coordination. It results in death from 

respiratory failure. If it is received in the blood stream, death is very swift 

and almost without symptoms. 

How to Prepare Spoiled Food: 

[Detailed Instructions Deleted] 

During the time of the destroyer, Jamal Abdul Nasser, someone who was 

being severely tortured in prison (he had no connection with Islam), ate 

some feces after losing sanity from the severity of the torture. A few 

hours after he ate the feces, he was found dead. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 157

Seventeenth Lesson: 

Interrogation and Investigation 

Fundamental Differences between Interrogation and Questioning: 

Many people confuse the nature of the interrogation with that of 

questioning, and confuse what should be mentioned in the interrogation 

with that of the investigation. 

Interrogation: 

Consists of a psychological warfare and intellectual combat between the 

intelligence agent and the suspect through questions and answers related to 

one or more topics. The interrogation uses all kinds of physical and 

psychological techniques to break the will of the suspect and lead him to a 

total collapse. The agency that conducts the interrogation is the 

government’s questioning apparatus that belongs to the Ministry of 

Interior Affairs. The officers of that apparatus graduate from the police 

academy. In our country, that apparatus has no values or code of ethics. It 

does not hesitate to use all kinds of torture and bodily and emotional harm 

to obtain evidence that could incriminate the suspect. 

Questioning: 

Questioning is similar to interrogation in that they are both forms of 

psychological warfare and intellectual combat. The questioning, however, 

is conducted by the prosecution [office of district attorney], which is under 

the judicial branch. That authority is (apparently) independent from the 

government (executive branch) and from the people’s parliament 

(legislative branch). The prosecution officials graduate from law school 

and use the technique of confrontation and repeated questioning, but 

without torture. 

The brother should take the following measures: 

1. Under pressure of torture in the custody of the questioning 

apparatus, the brother may reveal some secrets. However, in the 

custody of the prosecution, the interrogation does not use 

physical force, but may use psychological coercion (threats and 
158 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

harsh words). 

2. In publicized cases, the questioning apparatus is careful not to 

allow the brother to talk in the district attorney’s office. 

Coordination takes place between the questioning apparatus and 

the prosecution office. Torture of the brother takes place once 

again in the questioning apparatus [center] to force him to confess 

in the prosecution center. That may be repeated more than once, 

until the brother confesses or they give up. The important thing to 

remember is that whatever the brother says in the prosecution 

center will be recorded against him and will be the basis for his 

judgment. 

3. Every word that the brother utters in the prosecution center makes 

a negative impact on him, on his colleagues, and later, on the 

judgment and major decisions. 

When taken to the prosecution office, a brother should do the following: 

a. He should, prior to questioning and whether or not he has 

injuries, ask the prosecutor or his representative to be seen by 

the medical examiner. 

b. He should, when the questioning begins, ask that evidence of 

his torture be entered in the report proceedings. 

c. He should, prior to the start of the questioning, ask that an 

attorney be present with him during the questioning process. 

He should mention the attorney by name. 

d. He should ask for food. 

e. He should deny all information [accusations] about him by the 

prosecution representative. He should claim that the 

interrogation apparatus has fabricated those accusations and 

should deny his connection to anything obtained against him. 

f. The brother may have to confess under pressure of torture in 

the interrogation center. Once in the prosecution center, 

however, he should say that he was tortured, deny all his prior 

confessions, and ask that the interrogation be repeated. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 159

Interrogation Techniques: 

A number of techniques are used to interrogate the brothers. The exact 

techniques used may be different from one brother to another depending 

on the brother’s status in the group and on current events. Interrogation is 

limited to the following types: 

A. Summoning: 

1. This is the simplest type of interrogation. It can happen to anyone 

under normal circumstances. In this type, the interrogation 

apparatus summons a brother by letter or messenger to appear. 

2. This happens when the brother does not respond to them [the 

interrogation apparatus], unless the command sees otherwise. 

3. If the command approves his appearing, the brother should be 

careful not to give the enemy any [vital] information. He should 

agree with the command on the line of answers to be followed 

during the interrogation and should answer questions wisely. 

4. Immediately upon his return, the brother should relate to the 

command all that happened to him in the interrogation process. 

5. The [interrogated] brother should memorize the appearance of the 

interrogation building, its interior, and the appearance of the 

officers. The interrogation is a major opportunity for the [Islamic] 

group as long as the brother is tactful, bright, and observant. When 

summoned, usually the brother is not blindfolded or tortured. 

B. Interrogation Surrounding Publicized Arrests: 

1. The brother may be arrested as a result of public incidents, such as 

the murder of an important personality, military overthrow [of the 

government], or the escape of Islamic leaders from prison. 

2. In these cases, the interrogation would be more severe. As long as 

there is no connection between the brother and the incident, the 

questions would remain general: Where were you during the 

incident? Who do you think executed it? Whom of the Jihad 

brothers do you know? 

3. The degree of torture varies according to the importance of the 
160 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

brother and the suspicion that he is connected with the incidents. 

Steps of Interrogation: 

1. The brother is arrested while walking in the street or at home. He 

is transported to a waiting room. After a while, he is searched and 

interrogated without being blindfolded (depends on the importance 

of the matter). He is then placed in a cell in the interrogation 

center, in a holding cell in the police station, or in a common 

prison. 

2. The brother is kept for a few days without interrogation. Then he 

is interrogated by a number of persons in an interrogation room. 

The room is ordinary, containing one or more desks, some chairs, 

and some torture devices, as needed. 

3. In the beginning, the brother may not be treated harshly, but rather 

kindly. He may be offered a chair with a cup of tea or a drink. 

Then he would be asked to recall information that is useful to the 

interrogators. If the brother refuses to offer any information and 

denies that he knows anything, he is then treated harshly. He and 

his family may be cursed, he may be forced into submission by 

following orders such as: face the wall, don’t talk, don’t raise your 

voice. All of that is to frighten the brother. The brother should 

refuse to supply any information and deny his knowledge of the 

subject in question. Further, the brother should disobey the 

interrogator’s orders as much as he can by raising his voice, 

cursing the interrogator back, and refusing to face the wall. The 

interrogator would resort to beating the brother in order to force 

him to obey. Thus, that attempt would fail. 

4. Within about a day, another session would be held with the 

brother. Usually, in this session the brother would be blindfolded, 

beaten, and tortured. He would be made to believe that his role in 

the incidents has been learned and that it is better if he talks. The 

cursing and torturing would intensify, depending on what the 

brother reveals. The brother should not disclose any information, 

no matter how insignificant he might think it is, in order not to 

open a door that cannot be closed until he incriminates himself or 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 161

exposes his Organization. The interrogator cannot obtain what he 

wants and extract any information unless the brother talks. The 

brother may think that by giving a little information he can avoid 

harm and torture. However, the opposite is true. The torture and 

harm would intensify to obtain additional information, and that 

cycle would repeat. Thus, the brother should be patient, resistant, 

silent, and prayerful to Allah, especially if the security apparatus 

knows little about him. 

5. In prison cells, do not talk to anyone you did not previously know. 

Some [prisoners] may be [enemy] agents or may have different 

orientations. 

6. In cases like these, and as long as the brother indicates no 

connection to the incidents, the interrogation takes place in the 

interrogation center only, not in the prosecution center. In this 

interrogation session, it is important to remember the basic rule: 

Even a little disclosure of information would increase your amount 

of torture and result in additional information for the questioning 

apparatus. 

Investigating Specific Matters Connected to the Brother: 

1. The brother may be captured in a distant location through 

informants, or in a location connected to the incident (apartment, 

the actual incident location). At that time, the brother may possess 

items related to the incident (weapons, documents, blood stains, ...). 

The brother may also be captured while crossing the border. 

2. The brother will be placed in a holding room, then stripped of his 

possessions (watch, money, Koran, ...), blindfolded, and handcuffed. 

The questioning begins, in a friendly manner, by writing reports 

about him (name, address, education, residence, employment, 

family, ...). In this session, the questioning official tries to break 

the resistance of the brother by informing him that confession is 

better for him and that steadfastness is impossible because he 

cannot deny anything. He adds that painful torture will be used if 

he does not talk. He lures the brother by saying that if he 

confesses he will be immediately released and given money, 
162 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

educational scholarships, etc. In the first session, the brother 

would be studied through his statements and manner of dealing 

with the interrogator. Then a plan is devised for dealing with the 

brother. 

3. If the earlier, friendly approach fails and the brother does not 

cooperate with the interrogator, another session is held using 

torture in order to control the brother through fright and orders (sit 

down, don’t sit down, face the wall, don’t talk, don’t raise your 

voice, curses and insults). The brother should not weaken, but 

should try to disobey the interrogator’s orders or take his time in 

executing them. If the interrogators find that the torture technique 

is successful, they would intensify it. However, if they find that 

the brother is dodging them, they would resort to psychological 

torture techniques. 

4. Some interrogators may try to confuse the brother, distort his 

reasoning, and tangle his thoughts by throwing many questions at 

him at the same time and not allowing him the chance to answer 

them. If the brother delays his answers, he would be struck. 

During that torture [session], the brother is given a chance to 

speak, even tell a lie, in return for halting the torture. He is given a 

sheet of paper and asked to write whatever he wants in return for 

his release, for not prosecuting him, etc. They start deceiving the 

brother by saying that his refusal to talk or write means that he is 

afraid of revealing dangerous secrets he possesses. 

5. During the interrogation, or while the brother is in the holding 

room, he may be made to listen to another brother’s cries from a 

nearby cell. This is done in order to break the brother’s resistance. 

They may even resort to having the brother hear some of his 

brothers’ confessions and bringing papers and documents that 

prove his involvement in the incident. 

6. In all prior situations the brother has three options: 

a. Patience, steadfastness, and silence about any information 

whatsoever. That is very difficult except for those who 

take refuge in Allah. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 163

b. Executing the security plan that was agreed upon prior to 

execution of the operation and not deviating from it. 

c. In case others deviate from the security plan, confirm the 

information given without adding to it. 

d. If the brother is the first subject in the interrogation, he 

should adhere steadfastly to the security plan in order to 

avoid trouble for the brothers that will follow. 

e. The worse case – Allah forbid – is when the brother breaks 

downs totally and tells all he knows, which is due to a poor 

choice in the brother. Thus, it is important to test 

individuals prior to such work in order to ensure their 

steadfastness and minimize the likelihood of their breaking 

down. Testing may be done by accusing him of being an 

enemy agent and lying about the reported information, in 

the event he is supplying detailed information. 

f. Important information should not be discussed with the 

brothers, as they might reveal it during the interrogation. 

Torture Methods: 

Secret agents use two methods of torture: 

A. Physical torture. 

B. Psychological torture 

A. Method of Physical Torture: 

1. Blindfolding and stripping of clothes. 

2. Hanging by the hands. 

3. Hanging by the feet [upside down]. 

4. Beating with sticks and electrical wires. 

5. Whipping and beating with sticks and twisted rubber belts. 

6. Forcing the brother to stand naked for long periods of time. 

7. Pouring cold water on the brother’s head. 
164 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

8. Putting out lighted cigarettes on the brother’s skin. 

9. Shocking with an electrical current. 

10. Kicking and punching. 

11. Attacking the brother with vicious dogs. 

12. Making the brother sit on a stake. 

13. Throwing in a septic tank. 

14. Pulling out the nails and hair. 

15. Dragging. 

16. Tying the hands and feet from behind. 

17. Utilizing sharp objects, such as a pocketknife or piece of glass. 

18. Burning with fire. 

19. Sleeping on a bare marble floor without a cover and flooding the 

cell with sewer water. 

20. Standing on toes and against a wall pressing with the fingers for 

long hours. The brother may be denied sleep, food, drink, and 

medicine. 

21. Beating on cuts and sore parts of the body. 

22. Giving the brother a lot of water or very watery fruits, such as 

watermelon, after denying him food and drink. After the brother 

drinks or eats the fruit, his hands and penis will be tied so the 

brother will not be able to urinate. 

23. Placing drugs and narcotics in the brother’s food to weaken his 

will power. 

24. Placing the brother in solitary confinement where the cells are 

made of a special kind of cement that gets extremely hot in the 

summer and cold in winter. 

25. Hitting the brother’s genitals with a stick or squeezing them by hand. 

26. Dragging the brother over barbed wires and fragments of glass and 

metal. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 165

B. Methods of Psychological Torture: 

1. Isolating the brother socially, cutting him off from public life, 

placing him in solitary confinement, and denying him news and 

information in order to make him feel lonely. 

2. Forbidding calling him by name, giving the brother a number, and 

calling him by that number in order to defeat his morale. 

3. Threatening to summon his sister, mother, wife, or daughter and 

rape her. 

4. Threatening to rape the brother himself. 

5. Threatening to confiscate his possessions and to have him fired 

from his employment. 

6. Threatening to cause a permanent physical disability or life 

imprisonment. 

7. Offer the brother certain enticements (apartment, car, passport, 

scholarship, etc.) 

8. Using harsh treatment, insults, and curses to defeat his morale. 

9. Controlling everything the brother does, even in private, whether 

he is awake or asleep, to convince him that they are in charge. 

They would force him to bow his head and look down while 

talking with the guards. 

Further, let no one think that the aforementioned techniques are 

fabrications of our imagination, or that we copied them from spy stories. 

On the contrary, these are factual incidents in the prisons of Egypt, Syria, 

Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and all other Arab countries. Those who follow 

daily events and read the newspapers and journals would be amazed to 

learn that: 

• security personnel totally undressed veiled women in public. The 

security personnel arrested a brother’s mother, a brother’s sister, 

and a brother’s wife and raped them. 

• the wife of brother Saffout Abdul Ghani – may Allah have him 

released – had a miscarriage when the government’s dogs (i.e. 

cronies) beat and tortured her in front of her husband. 
166 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

• the security personnel captured brother Hassan Al-Gharbawi’s 

mother, who is older than 60 years, and hanged her by her feet 

[upside down]. The security personnel shaved the head of the wife 

of a brother who participated in the murder of Rif’at Al-Mahjoub 

[Egypt’s former parliament speaker]. 

The stories are numerous and there is intense torture while Muslems are in 

deep sleep. 

O young men waging a holy war for the sake of Allah, there is still hope in 

you. Your country awaits you, your brothers await you, your wives wait 

you, the Muslim hostages await you. 

Editor’s Comment: The level of detail is impressive in this 

description of techniques of interrogation and torture, with reference to 

personal experiences that Al-Qaeda personnel and their wives, mothers 

and sisters have undergone. To be so informed and be able to anticipate 

and recognize these techniques is designed to be of assistance in resisting 

them. 

Advice taken from the book “Mothakkarat Fida’i Asir17” [Memoirs of 

a Captured Commando]: Concerning interrogation and questioning, 

paraphrased. 

1. While being taken to the interrogation and torture areas, one 

should concentrate heavily on the route and try to memorize any 

signs in order to benefit operations and plan development. 

2. In the beginning of the interrogation, a security officer 

(interrogator) would come to you with fatherly advice, deceitful 

phrases, and “crocodile tears” so you might confess and tell them 

everything. 

3. It is necessary to secretly discard any document related to the work 

or anything else considered criminal evidence against you. Better, 

do not carry any documents concerning the work. 

4. From the first moment in captivity, the brother should proudly take 

a firm and opposing position against the enemy and not obey the 

orders. The more firm and opposing the reaction, the more 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 167

beneficial it is. These reactions will not lead to harsher treatment. 

Do not give the enemy an opportunity or an opening. 

5. During the torture process, pretend that the pain is severe by 

bending over and crying loudly. 

6. As the torture intensifies, its end nears. 

7. Between torture sessions, the officers bargain with the brother and 

entice him with ending the torture if he supplies them with any 

information. 

8. During the torture session, the counseling preacher may become a 

vicious beast. 

9. The one who gives one piece of information to avoid the lashes of 

whips is deluding himself because the torture would intensify. 

10. It is necessary that each brother plan for his interrogation and 

discuss it with his commander. He may be captured one day. 

11. When I talk while under torture, I do not mention unknown dates 

and places to the security personnel, but well known ones. 

12. When I mention dates or names, it is important to memorize them 

because they will ask about them again to know if I was truthful. 

13. Pretending to be naive and ignorant during the questioning may 

lead to diverging from the plan, because all factors are against the 

brother: The place, the people, the situation. That leads to some or 

all the outcomes desired by the enemy. That is, it is important to 

remain psychologically and mentally calm and to maintain 

alertness and foresight. 

14. Detailing events during the questioning, whether verbally or in 

writing, directly increases the crime. That person’s situation is just 

like someone who falls in a swamp [quick sand]: the more he tries 

to save himself, the deeper he sinks. 

15. The less information supplied during the torture, the lighter the 

judgment will be. 

16. A devastating mistake that results in harsh judgment is that of a 

brother revealing information to others in his cell not revealed 
168 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

during the torture. This is especially true when the interrogation is 

still going on, his fate has not been determined, and the case has 

not been closed. 

17. Relating experiences should not take place prior to the judgment, 

but after it. 

18. The interrogators may resort to planting suspicion and mistrust 

among the brothers. They may pretend that they have a friendly 

relationship with one of the brothers. It is necessary to think well 

of one another. 

19. Do not accept humiliation and disgrace. Disobey orders and 

oppose them. 

20. It is important to coordinate with your brothers before executing 

any operation (security plan). 

21. The security personnel may leave you for long periods of time 

without asking you any questions in order to break your will and 

determination. 

22. During the interrogation, say only the things that you agreed upon 

with your commander. Do not be concerned about other brothers. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 169

Eighteenth Lesson: 

Prisons and Detention Centers 

If an Indictment is Issued and the Trial Begins, the Brother 

has to Pay Attention to the Following: 

1. At the beginning of the trial, once more the brothers must insist on 

proving that torture was inflicted on them by State Security 

[investigators] before the judge. 

2. Complain [to the court] of mistreatment while in prison. 

3. Make arrangements for the brother’s defense with the attorney, 

whether he was retained by the brother’s family or courtappointed. 

4. The brother has to do his best to know the names of the state 

security officers, who participated in his torture and mention their 

names to the judge. [These names may be obtained from brothers 

who had to deal with those officers in previous cases.] 

5. Some brothers may tell and may be lured by the state security 

investigators to testify against the brothers [i.e. affirmation 

witness], either by not keeping them together in the same prison 

during the trials, or by letting them talk to the media. In this case, 

they have to be treated gently, and should be offered good advice, 

good treatment, and pray that God may guide them. 

6. During the trial, the court has to be notified of any mistreatment of 

the brothers inside the prison. 

7. It is possible to resort to a hunger strike, but it is a tactic that can 

either succeed or fail. 

8. Take advantage of visits to communicate with brothers outside 

prison and exchange information that may be helpful to them in 

their work outside prison [according to what occurred during the 

investigations]. The importance of mastering the art of hiding 

messages is self evident here. 

• When the brothers are transported from and to the prison [on 
170 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

their way to the court] they should shout Islamic slogans out 

loud from inside the prison cars to impress upon the people and 

their family the need to support Islam. 

• Inside the prison, the brother should not accept any work that 

may belittle or demean him or his brothers, such as the 

cleaning of the prison bathrooms or hallways. 

• The brothers should create an Islamic program for themselves 

inside the prison, as well as recreational and educational ones, 

etc. 

• The brother in prison should be a role model in selflessness. 

Brothers should also pay attention to each others needs and 

should help each other and unite vis a vis the prison officers. 

• The brothers must take advantage of their presence in prison 

for obeying and worshiping [God] and memorizing the Koran, 

etc. This is in addition to all guidelines and procedures that 

were contained in the lesson on interrogation and investigation. 

Lastly, each of us has to understand that we don’t achieve 

victory against our enemies through these actions and security 

procedures. Rather, victory is achieved by obeying Almighty 

and Glorious God and because of their many sins. Every 

brother has to be careful so as not to commit sins and everyone 

of us has to do his best in obeying Almighty God, Who said in 

his Holy Book: “We will, without doubt, help Our messengers 

and those who believe (both) in this world’s life and the one 

Day when the Witnesses will stand forth.” May God guide us. 

[Dedication] 

To this pure Muslem youth, the believer, the mujahid (fighter) for God’s 

sake, I present this modest effort as a contribution from me to pave the 

way that will lead to Almighty God and to establish a caliphate along the 

lines of the prophet. 

The prophet, peace be upon him, said according to what was related by 

Imam Ahmed: “Let the prophecy that God wants be in you, yet God may 

remove it if He so wills, and then there will be a Caliphate according to 

the prophet’s path [instruction], if God so wills it. He will also remove 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 171

that [the Caliphate] if He so wills, and you will have a disobedient king if 

God so wills it. Once again, if God so wills, He will remove him [the 

disobedient king], and you will have an oppressive king. [Finally], if God 

so wills, He will remove him [the oppressive king], and you will have a 

Caliphate according to the prophet’s path [instruction]. He then became 

silent.” 

The Importance of Team Work: 

1. Team work is the only translation of God’s command, as well as 

that of the prophet, to unite and not to disunite. Almighty God 

says, “And hold fast, all together, by the Rope which Allah 

(stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves.” In 

“Sahih Muslim,” it was reported by Abu Horairah, may Allah look 

kindly upon him, that the prophet, may Allah’s peace and greetings 

be upon him, said: “Allah approves three [things] for you and 

disapproves three [things]: He approves that you worship him, that 

you do not disbelieve in Him, and that you hold fast, all together, 

by the Rope which Allah, and be not divided among yourselves. 

He disapproves of three: gossip, asking too much [for help], and 

squandering money.” 

2. Abandoning “team work” for individual and haphazard work 

means disobeying that orders of God and the prophet and falling 

victim to disunity. 

3. Team work is conducive to cooperation in righteousness and piety. 

4. Upholding religion, which God has ordered us by His saying, 

“Uphold religion,” will necessarily require an all out confrontation 

against all our enemies, who want to recreate darkness. In 

addition, it is imperative to stand against darkness in all arenas: the 

media, education, [religious] guidance, and counseling, as well as 

others. This will make it necessary for us to move on numerous 

fields so as to enable the Islamic movement to confront ignorance 

and achieve victory against it in the battle to uphold religion. All 

these vital goals cannot be adequately achieved without organized 

team work. Therefore, team work becomes a necessity, in 

accordance with the fundamental rule, “Duty cannot be 
172 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

accomplished without it, and it is a requirement.” This way, team 

work is achieved through mustering and organizing the ranks, 

while putting the Amir (the Prince) before them, and the right man 

in the right place, making plans for action, organizing work, and 

obtaining facets of power...... 

Editor’s Comment: This final section extolling the value of teamwork 

and unity draws upon the famous Surah about the Rope, 3:103, Ali Imran. 

“And hold fast, all together, by the Rope which Allah (stretches out for 

you) and be not divided among yourselves. And remember with gratitude 

Allah’s favour on you: for ye were enemies and he joined your hearts in 

love so that by His grace, ye became brethren: And ye were on the brink 

of the Pit of Fire and he saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make His 

signs clear to you: That ye may be guided.” 

The context of this Surah is the feuding within Al-Yathrib. Once 

Mohammad came to Yathrib, he brought God’s word, and with this, peace 

and brotherhood were promoted among those who were previously 

enemies. Thus the central point of the Surah is not about teamwork, but 

about the power of God’s word to turn enemies unto brothers. The point 

is to promote peace, not to promote solidarity as a prelude to killing as is 

suggested in the manual. 

This final use of the Koran to promote a particular behavior is 

paradigmatic of the manner in which it is used throughout the manual, 

taken out of context, placing a meaning upon the citation that is quite 

different from that intended. But the effect will be powerful and the 

meaning not questioned, for the youth who move into Al-Qaeda have been 

trained from childhood to accept without question the truth as conveyed to 

them by learned religious authorities. 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 173

Notes 

1. The editor wishes to acknowledge his appreciation of the critical review of the 

text by Daniel Blumberg, an expert on radical Islam who is Associate Professor of 

Government and Middle Eastern Affairs at Georgetown University. Commentary on the 

Surahs draws on the analysis of Professor Blumberg. 

2. There are varying reports about Osama bin Laden’s exact location within the family, 

although 17 of 20/25 sons of 52 or 53 children is the most consistent figure available. 

Example sources include: Dickey, Christopher and Daniel McGinn, “Meet the bin Ladens,” 

Newsweek. On-line, Internet, available from http://www.msnbc.com/news/639250.asp. John 

Dorschner, “Osama bin Laden: The Mastermind of Terror,” Knight Ridder Newspapers, 

September 24, 2001. On-line, Internet, available from http://www.freep.com/news/ 

nw/terror2001/osama24_20010924.html. John Miller, “ABC interview with Usama bin 

Laden,” On-line, Internet, available from http://www.terrorism.com/documents/crsreport.shtml.

3. As noted, there is no single agreed upon figure as to the inheritance of Osama bin 

Laden and reports vary. Sources include: Lisa Beyer, “The Most Wanted Man in the World,” 

Time.com, On-line, Internet, available from http://www.time.com/time/covers/ 

1101010924/wosama.html. Robert D. McFadden, “Bin Laden’s Journey from Rich, Pious 

Boy to the Mask of Evil,” New York Times, September 30, 2001. John Dorschner, “A 

Shadowy Empire of Hate was Born of a War in Afghanistan,” Knight Ridder Newspapers, 

September 24, 2001. 

4. Virtually all reports refer to Osama bin Laden as the only son of his mother with 

Muhammed bin Laden. Following her divorce, Osama bin Laden’s mother remarried and 

subsequently started a second family. 

5. Adam Robinson, Bin Laden: Behind the Mask of the Terrorist (Arcade 

Publishing, New York, 2002), 40-41. 

6. A. Hashim, “Usama bin Laden’s Worldview and Grand Strategy.” Paper 

presented to conference at Navy War College, November 19, 2001. 

7. Declaration of War (1). On-line, Internet, available from http://www.msanews. 

mynet.net/MSANEWS/199610/19961013.10.html. 

8. Several contemporary journalistic accounts and accounts of participants in the 

camps provide a view of life in the terrorist training camps run by Osama bin Laden and 

his Al-Qaeda organization in Afghanistan. These camps are often referred to as 

“Terrorist U,” because of the extensive and specific training given to young recruits 

hoping to fight in the jihad. It is a place where the Koran (the Islamic Holy Book) is 
174 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 

melded with the Kalashnikov (the Czech made semi-automatic favored by terrorists.) 

The training includes religious studies as well as military instruction. The primary camps 

were within Afghanistan; however they were only about 80 miles from the Pakistani 

border. They were simple, isolated camps far from regularly traveled routes. Illegally 

crossing the Kyber Pass and using ancient smuggling routes, recruits, food, weapons and 

other supplies routinely cross from Pakistan into Afghanistan and on to the training 

camps. While most of the attendees at the camps were Afghan and Pakistani, students 

also came from Algeria, Chechnya, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, 

Bosnia and Africa. Reportedly the warriors-to-be rose before dawn for early morning 

prayers from the Koran and a breakfast of dried dates. The next three hours were spent 

learning to use, dismantle and reassemble weapons such as the AK-47 rifle and antiaircraft guns. Lunch consisted of flat bread and chickpeas, followed by two hours of live 

fire training in the empty hillside. Recruits practiced throwing live hand grenades and 

firing AK-47s. The standard day ended with a rowdy game of soccer and dinner. This 

“basic training” reportedly lasted at least 15 days. Some recruits were then “invited 

back” for a more intense level of training including learning how to wire explosives and 

blow up buildings and bridges. These recruits were also often trained to become suicide 

bombers, or shaheed. While at the camp, recruits lived in tents and mud huts on “bases” 

which were surrounded by barbed wire and guards on duty 24 hours a day. The camps 

lacked basic electricity and running water and most of the buildings were made of cinder 

blocks. Students sat on cement floors in large classrooms while Islamic clerics acting as 

instructors used a simple chalkboard. According to reports, much of the curriculum was 

based on the hard-line teachings of Osama Bin Laden. Although he ostensibly ran the 

camps, few students actually met him. Osama Bin Laden’s presence was felt throughout 

the camps, from taped lectures he prepared for the recruits, to his picture being taped to 

doors throughout the camps. There was a strong anti-American message throughout the 

course of studies, portraying all Americans (not just the government) as evil and 

attempting to corrupt Islam. Students were told that Osama, “‘the lion,’ has come out of 

his cage to devour the enemies of Islam.” A student related an often-heard message from 

his courses, “They told us, ‘Osama expects to die in glory, and that’s what Allah expects 

of you too.’” One recent visitor described the ideological training as nothing short of 

“brain-washing.” 

9. The book Tharwat Al-Sinam Fe Al-Ta’at wa Al-Nizam, by Ibrahim Al-Masri, 

copying from Al-Fannawi Ibn Taimi’a collection, 28-380. 

10. This story is found in the book A’n Tarik Al-Khida’ “By Way of Deception 

Methods,” by Victor Ostrovsky [PH]. The author claims that the Mossad wants to kill 

him for writing that book. However, I believe that the book was authorized by the Israeli 

Mossad. 

11. Cell or cluster methods should be adopted by the Organization. It should be 

composed of many cells whose members do not know one another, so that if a cell 
The Al-Qaeda Training Manual . . . 175

member is caught the other cells would not be affected, and work would proceed 

normally. 

This footnote, referring to “cell or cluster methods,” emphasizes the care with 

which Al-Qaeda approaches security. The “need to know” principles is carefully 

adhered to, so that the with the exception of the commander, the lower level members are 

only informed of that which they are required to know in order to carry out their 

operation. Thus should they be apprehended, they cannot reveal information under 

interrogation concerning other cells. As an example, in the coordinated attacks on the 

U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es-Salaam, Tanzania, with the exception of the 

overall operational commander, the members of one cell were not aware of the existence 

of the other. 

12. It is possible to also say “kidnapping an important person.” All security 

measures and arrangements in assassination and kidnapping are the same. 

13. Review in detail the notebook: Lessons in Special Operations. 

14. For details, refer to The Spying Journal: Religious Duty and Human Necessity. 

15. Al-Morabitoun Magazine, Issue No. 6. 

16. Abdullah Ali Al-Salama: Military Espionage in Islam, 253-258. 

17. This book is the memoirs of an Iranian Communist. The handbook states that 

“all brothers should read it.” 
176 . . . The Al-Qaeda Training Manual 
01

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Providing Research and Education on 

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