'Gaddafi is a lunatic; his theories are just stupid'

The terror outfit Al Qaeda's English-language magazine Inspire has described Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi as a "lunatic" and "false leader".

The spring issue of the magazine, extracts of which are available online, has a cover story called "The Tsunami of Change" written by firebrand Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

"The unfolding revolution has brought with it a wave of change," says the cover.

Muammar Gaddafi will certainly go down in history as the most "lunatic of the tawaghit (false leaders)" due to his repeated contradictions, beating around the bush, hilarious conspiracy theories and pure stupidity.

The thick magazine also features, Al Qaeda number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who explains the "short and long term plans after protests".

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"We don't know what's funnier. His (Gaddafi) contradiction quoting himself from his green book or how he opened the BBC interview with an arrogant laugh and then asked 'What is the question?' We have thus dedicated a place to laugh at this enemy of Allah," the article said.

Inspire is believed to be a magazine aimed at recruiting isolated English-speaking Muslims in the West.

The table of contents in the latest edition lists two articles by Ayman Al-Zawahiri; the first is 'The Short and Long-Term Plans After Protests', and appears to be taken from a previous Al Qaeda publication from 2007 titled 'The Advice of One Concerned'.

The second, titled 'The Overlooked Backdrop', was taken from Al-Zawahiri's third 'Message of Hope and Glad Tidings to Our People in Egypt', which was released in early March 2011.

Inspire No V includes further articles in series begun in previous Inspire issues, including 'What to Expect in Jihad' by Mukhtar Hassan, 'Individual Terrorism Jihad' by Abu Mus'ab Al-Suri, 'Open Source Jihad', 'Jihad Stories', and an article by US citizen Samir Khan, who is thought to be the force behind Inspire, as well as an interview with AQAP military commander Sheikh Abu Hurairah and an article by 'Abu Suhail', which is an alias used in the past by American Al Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn.

There is no message or article, attributed to Osama bin Laden, and this is the first issue of Inspire to include an article by Al-Zarqawi's mentor Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi.

Several observers have noted that Al Qaeda has lost its relevance as the Middle East erupts in pro-democracy uprising. Others have warned that Al Qaeda could find spaces to operate in the power-vacuums that these revolts create.

The uprising in Libya against Gaddafi, who has been in power for more than 40 years, has, so far, been the most protracted and violent.

The past weeks have seen clashes between rebels and Gaddafi's forces as well as international military intervention on the side of rebels and to protect civilians.

Al Qaeda has not been aired its opinion in the ongoing changes in the Middle East, but this article provided a peek into its thinking.

"The apostate enemy of Allah who pretends to be like a rock-star have proven to the world the reality of his tyranny, lies and deception," a note in the magazine said.

"Brothers in Libya have been fighting against this taghut (false leader) for all the right reasons. All the tyrants in Muslim lands already do what Gaddafi does but just aren't as ridiculous," it said.

"We ask our brothers and sisters in Libya to continue standing up against the regime and show patience in the face of tyranny until he falls."

The magazine also said after the fall of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak and Tunisia's Ben Ali, the false leadership of the Arab world had stared to return to Muslims, the wealth they been hoarding.

In Jordan, the magazine suggested, Al Qaeda supported the Salafi Jihadis who called for the establishment of Shariah law.

It said the story of Raymond A Davis, the suspected CIA officer, who killed two Pakistanis, is "a story that exposed famous US media outlets as propaganda pawns rather than honest journalists".

In the wake of criticism in February that American publications withheld the connection of Davis with the CIA, the New York Times said that it needed to balance providing information with responsible journalism so as not to endanger Davis.

The magazine also congratulated a "21-year-old courageous Kosovan mujahid" for killing two American servicemen on a bus in Germany.