NBC News reporter Jim Popkin had an interesting look Monday at Al Qaeda's emphasis on controlling the message in the martyrdom videos of its terrorists.
Popkin shows never-seen-before raw footage from 9/11 hijacker Ziad Jarrah's martyr video. Jarrah appears uncomfortable acting the part his handlers want, and they scold him to be more dramatic.
Jarrah hijacked United Flight 93, sending it into a nosedive over a Pennsylvania field as passengers, aware of the fate that awaited them, fought back.
Popkin also interviewed 9/11 Commission member Tim Roemer and former IPT analyst Evan Kohlmann, an authority on terrorist web sites. They explained the recruitment value Al Qaeda places on such martyrdom tapes.
"Every word has to be right," Kohlmann says. "Every phrase has to be right. Everything is being carefully monitored."