Lonely Planet: Jihad Edition

I couldn’t resist posting this when I read it, luckily there’s an English version.

Warning that entering Iraq is a journey fraught with peril, the author of the four-page pamphlet tells his readers, “It’s a long and difficult route. It’s no bed of roses.” But by taking certain precautions, the chances of the dangerous tour ending in success are tremendous. Best of all, by following the author’s tips, martyrdom, honor and paradise await.

Found recently on the Internet, the brochure is a travel guide for the jihad, a how-to for the mujahedeen. Entitled “This is the Way to Iraq: To All Who Want to Join the Mujahedeen in the Land of Two Rivers,” the pamphlet was written by “The Islam Doctor.” It’s goal: to help would-be terrorists overcome the difficult task of sneaking into the country. It was posted on a Web site affiliated with al-Qaida.

At this point, experts and analysts have little reason to dispute its authenticity, especially since it confirms many of the assumptions about how foreign terrorists sneak into Iraq. In other words, it is another piece in the puzzle of the strategy followed by terrorists in their mission to turn the country into a living hell for the United States military, its allies and, above all, for Iraqi civilians. Indeed, dozens of the suicide bombers have been identified as having come from foreign countries — most of them from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria — and the number of foreign fighters in Iraq may number in the thousands. How they got there, despite all the attempts to prevent their entry, is at least partially explained by the new “travel guide.”

Read the rest!