A forum connected to al Qaeda has announced the death of 'Juba, the Baghdad sniper'. Several videos produced by The Islamic Army in Iraq purporting to be of 'Juba' began to appear online 2005. A 'Top 10' video went viral and 'Juba' became a pop phenomenon.

It also caused outrage when CNN aired clips from the video showing an American being shot and killed.

The announcement of Juba's death claimed that the sniper had left the Islamic Army in Iraq to join al Qaeda when the latter group formed 'The Islamic State of Iraq'. Juba, the announcement claimed, had been betrayed by an informant and 'was killed like a hero'.

On hearing the announcement, the popular Canadian based pro-terror website Jihad Unspun, released a poem lauding 'Juba':

My targets were many
Crusaders and traitors
All on my hit list
For a bullet through their chest
Or mortal wound
As a warning to others

Of course, the problems with the announcement of 'Juba's' death are many.

First, the claim that he left the IAI to join al Qaeda. Possible, but not likely.

Second, the claim that he was killed just a few days ago during Ramadan. In November of last year the Iraqis claimed they had captured a man named Ali Nazar al Jubori and that he was the original Baghdad sniper.

Third, it seems clear that even if there was a Baghdad sniper who called himself 'Juba' (there is a popular myth that the Americans named him that, but it's not true) that the vast majority of sniping videos were not of the same man.

How do we know that 'Juba' could not have been one man? Because the very first Islamic Army in Iraq produced "Juba Top 10 video" included footage of an American soldier being hit near his Humvee. What is not shown in the Juba footage is the fact that the American survived, the sniper was killed, and this "Juba's" sidekick who filmed the incident was captured down the road, videotape in hand.

The survivor's name is Lance Cpl. John McClellan, and his story is here.

Juba was a myth created for propaganda purposes by The Islamic Army in Iraq. The same group that murdered American hostage Ronald Schulz and Italian Red Cross worker Enzo Baldoni.

This is also the same group that produced the Lee Tucker: Lee's Life for Lies video, which was also a complete fabrication.

So it's not surprising that a group which glorifies the murder of civilian hostages and makes propaganda films showing a 'dead anti-war' soldier would also lie and create a sniper 'hero' named Juba. It's also not surprising that the Islamic State of Iraq would lie about this 'hero' joining al Qaeda before being 'martyred' during Ramadan. After all, al Qaeda in Iraq is the same group that paid an actor to play the part of the leader of The Islamic State of Iraq.

So, we welcome the news that another Baghdad sniper has been killed. But he's not the Juba. If there ever really was a Juba, he was either killed in 2005 or captured in 2006. And if it just so happens that this Juba is the Juba, then all the better.

Howie has more at our sister website Juba Sucks.

Hat tip: Thalja

UPDATE: Blackfive weighs in. He doesn't think Juba was real either.

Just to clarify, it wasn't Jihad Unspun--the Canadian website--that announced Juba's death. They just reacted to it by praising.. The actual announcement came on one of al Qaeda's favorite forums, al Hesbah.

Posted by: Rusty at 11:18 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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