Alan Johnson 'kidnapper' interview

Last Modified: 21 Jun 2007
By: Nima Elbagir

An interview published today in the online Jihadi magazine "Sada al Jihad" claims to be with a commander involved with Alan Johnston's kidnapping.

Mumtaz Dagmoush - of the infamous Gazan Dagmoush clan suspected of hostage taking as part of a vendetta with Hamas - acknowledges his involvement in the BBC man's kidnapping, in his capacity as a field commander for the Army of Islam.

He used the interview to launch a call to Jihad and asked Muslims around the world to support the Army of Islam's action, while paying tribute to Osama Bin Ladin and Musab Al Zarqawi.

Dagmoush reiterated the Army of Islam's demands that Muslim prisoners in British jails be released in exchange for Johnston and in a statement addressed to the global Jihad community repeated the group's clam that the hostage taking was religiously sound "in keeping with the legacy of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him)".

Blog: "The PR campaign continues"

Nima Elbagir has been following the Army of Islam's media campaign around Alan Johnston's kidnapping online.
Read her blog.

And in what appears to be a bid to stir controversy over Hamas's attempts to secure his release, the Army of Islam also posted today on Jihadi forums a piece titled "The truth about Alan Johnston provokes questions about those who seek his release"

It features links to Johnston stories that the posters claimed proved he was on "the side of the enemy" in one instance accusing him of "adopting the Israeli army statement on the killing of innocents".