In an essay detailing his conversion to Islam, Yahiye Adam Gadahn relates how, surfing the Internet at his grandmother’s house, he encountered Islam in discussion folders on AOL and in Usenet Newsgroups. Prior to his eventual absorption into Islam, Gadahn had been “obsessed with demonic heavy metal music,” “eschewed personal cleanliness,” and “let my room reach an unbelievable state of disarray.” He moved in with his grandparents, looking without success for a job. Eventually, he converted to Islam. This does not sound like a likely description of al-Qaeda’s ideal recruit into their upper echelon of power. Gadahn lacked drive; he had no military experience, no known fighting experience, and little education. However, al-Qaeda made him useful both as a spokesman and a symbol.
Al-Qaeda has demonstrated a conscious effort to address Americans and other westerners in their own language. The first sign of this effort was a speech directed at Americans by Osama Bin Laden before the 2004 elections. Linguistically, the address was notable for its lack of Islamic references and Koranic phrases, both of which were replaced by secular proverbs present in both Arabic and English (“An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”) and simple, easily translated language. Next, the al-Sahab Institute for Media Production, which produces the videotaped speeches of al-Qaeda leaders, began issuing its videos with subtitles in English. The latest stage in the al-Qaeda effort is to use westerners themselves to communicate with western audiences. The speeches by London bombers Mohammed Siddiq Khan and Shahzad Tanweer are a part of this (Terror Web Watch) and so is Adam Gadahn, reborn as “Azzam the American” in al-Qaeda video propaganda.
Gadahn sends another message: that radical Islam can entice Americans. Lonely, listless children can get caught up in this movement as far away from radical Islam’s traditional power centers in the Middle East and Central Asia as Orange County, California. They can grow into angry, violent adults who screech for blood to run in the streets of the America, as Gadahn has done in a previous video appearance. In the latest video, Gadahn removed the cover from his face so that an American audience see exactly who he is: Adam, a young American from southern California of Jewish and Catholic descent. The underlying message is that if Adam can be recruited, so can other Americans.
Al-Qaeda may hope that Gadahn can provide an appealing example to other young Americans. He is pictured in a position of authority and respect, appearing in the same video as the leadership of al-Qaeda, wearing the black turban favored by Taliban authorities, seated at a desk next to a computer. By showcasing him as an important member of the organization, al-Qaeda may hope that he is an example to other American youth harboring anti-American feelings and looking for direction and purpose in their lives.
