Al-Qa'ida Operative Reveals Code Words

February 18, 2003
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington

Western intelligence officials say they have obtained a glossary of al-Qa'ida code words following the capture of an associate of one of the network's senior operatives.

Words such as "honey", "toy" and "little girl" – overheard by electronic eavesdropping of conversations between suspected terrorists – have been revealed to have a sinister meaning.

The breakthrough has come as result of the interrogation of Shadi Abdullah, who was arrested last April by police in Germany. The 26-year-old was seized after officials intercepted a phone conversation between him and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the man accused by the US of being the link between al-Qa'ida and the Iraqi regime. The two men were allegedly discussing a terror attack.

While Mr Zarqawi is still at large, Mr Abdullah has apparently become one of the most useful and credible al-Qa'ida informers.

"There are few al-Qa'ida members in Europe or anywhere who have been as useful as he has been to us," a Bush administration official told The New York Times.

Officials said that much of Mr Abdullah's value has been in providing a glossary.

According to documents released by the German authorities in association with the trial of another alleged al-Qa'ida operative, Mr Abdullah has told police that "seven seas" referred to a forged visa used to gain entrance to European Union countries. "Honey" was a CD-Rom containing recipes for making explosives, a "toy" was a pistol while a "little girl" was a forged driver's licence.

Officials said Mr Abdullah, a Jordanian, has provided information about al-Qa'ida's efforts to reform following the US-led military operation in Afghanistan.

While he is not considered to be a senior operative, it appears he has information about a wide range of topics relating to al-Qa'ida. He has provided information about training camps in Afghanistan and told how al-Qa'ida fighters were taught to break attacks into stages, with separate small groups responsible for distinct tasks.

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