Al-Qaeda Launches Cell Phone Videos

Group targets wide audience with dubbed, subtitled clips
By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 5, 2008 4:58 PM CST
Al-Qaeda Launches Cell Phone Videos
This image from video released by IntelCenter on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007 shows a photo of Osama bin Laden as part of an audiotaped speech calling for Iraqi insurgents to unite and avoid divisive "extremism," apparently intended to win over Sunnis opposed to al-Qaida's branch in Iraq. The audio, of which...   (Associated Press)

Al-Qaeda has released videos that can be downloaded and viewed on cell phones, the AP reports. The terrorist group launched eight video messages from Osama bin Laden and No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri, all available thanks to al-Qaeda's media branch, al-Sahab. The videos feature subtitles in English and dubbing in other languages to tap into a wider audience.

Al-Qaeda is trying to ride a wave of cell phone video popularity in the Middle East: Saddam Hussein's execution video was in demand last year, and Egyptians have been sharing videos of police beatings. Al-Qaeda's videos are too big to download and store easily so far, but al-Sahab promises to release clips in smaller sizes. (More al-Qaeda stories.)

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