Al-Qaida producing cartoon to recruit kids

LONDON, July 21 (UPI) -- Al-Qaida is developing an animated cartoon showing killings to recruit children into the terrorist organization, a London-based anti-terrorism think tank says.

News of the cartoon was announced on the Arabic-language al-Shamouk jihadist Web site, said London-based Quilliam, which calls itself a counter-extremism think tank.

"The cartoon movie 'Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula' is a very exciting story that tells the facts about who let down the Islamic religion and the prophet, and how the Arab leaders are agents of the West and other Islamic issues," said Abu al-Laith al-Yemeni, a cartoon official. "It aims to catalyze the youth and the children to follow the steps of Islamic jihadist figures. It includes real incidents and features heroic actions by the mujaheddin in the prophet's peninsula."

"These incidents include raids, armed engagements and assassinations. This movie is a religious effort to educate our sons and youth about how to live a noble life under the shade of the Sharia. It's an alternative to the poison that is broadcast by other TV channels broadcast to our children and youth," al-Yemeni said.

Makers of the cartoon published four images from the planned movie on the Internet, asking for feedback. Most online users supported the cartoon in concept, but some complained the images make jihadists look bad.

"Whether or not this movie actually appears, this shows a significant development in al-Qaida's attitude to the media and to recruitment," said Noman Benotman, a senior analyst at Quilliam -- and a former leader of the jihadist Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.

"They are trying out new methods to make terrorism exciting to young people and even to children. This underlines that they now see the Internet and new media as being crucial to their cause," Benotman said. "However, al-Qaida's plan may backfire. Many Muslim parents will see this as a direct attempt by al-Qaida to create divisions within families and to undermine the authority of parents."