Periodical Review: Summary of Information from Jihadi Forums

Transcription

1 Periodical Review: Summary of Information from Jihadi Forums The First Half of This report summarizes notable events discussed on jihadist Web forums during the first half of. Following are the main points covered in the report: Ayman Al-Zawahiri calls on mujahideen and Muslims to focus their efforts on liberating Palestine through da wa [proselytizing] and jihad. Once Syria has become an Islamic state, he believes, it will serve as a base from which mujahideen can infiltrate Israel. In a video clip, Ayman Al-Zawahiri confirms the death of senior Al-Qaeda leader Abu Yahya Al-Libi, adding that his death will fuel jihad against the US and the West. Al-Qaeda issues a videotaped appeal by Jewish American Warren Weinstein, whom it abducted in Pakistan in August 2011, to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to mitigate for his release, as the US has failed in this. Al-Qaeda issues a video clip on the eleventh anniversary of the attacks of September 11, Following the release of the anti-islamic movie, Innocence of Muslims, global jihad groups threaten Western, especially US, targets. The Islamic State of Iraq takes responsibility for a series of murderous attacks to avenge the execution of Sunni prisoners, in which more than 90 Iraqi soldiers met their deaths. The group promised that this was only the beginning. The Salafi-jihadist Coordinating Councils of Ansar Al-Sharia in Morocco is officially established on September 7, This is one more in a series of Islamist groups that, since the advent of the Arab Spring, have sprouted up in places where they had never before existed. 1

2 New Publications Ideology On the eleventh anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, the jihadist media institution Al-Sahab published a video clip titled, The Sun of Victory Breaks Over the Victorious Muslim Nation and the Vanquished Crusaders. 1 In it, Al-Qaeda leader Sheikh Ayman Al-Zawahiri declares that the Crusader Zionist occupation of Muslim lands, especially Palestine, was the chief impetus for the September 11 th attacks. The video clip also shows, for the first time, the last testaments of two of the terrorists involved in the attacks: Khalid Al-Mihdhar ( ) and Salem Al-Hazmi ( ). Both claim to have sacrificed their lives to avenge the shedding of Palestinian blood and to send a clear warning to the US to leave Muslim lands. Al-Zawahiri also uses the video clip to explain that Israel is trying to Judaize Palestine and destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He claims that Arab governments have no intention of liberating Palestine, and accuses them of turning a blind eye to Palestine s distress and thereby supporting the Israeli occupation: Most of [the Arab regimes] know Israel, in one way or another. All of them know of or openly ratify the UN resolutions that divided Palestine and granted Israel the larger portion. All of them recognize the government of Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), who scurries about trying to procure 10% of Palestine. Al-Zawahiri criticizes Turkey for its military ties and treaties with Israel, for recognizing Israel, and for exchanging ambassadors with Israel. Given this state of affairs, Al-Zawahiri asks the Muslims and mujahideen in Turkey to pressure their government to cease sharing intelligence and holding joint military exercises with Israel, and to put a stop to the Crusaders hostility to the Muslims in Afghanistan. Al-Zawahiri accuses Egypt of committing a sin by insisting on preserving its peace agreement with Israel. He urges the Egyptian military not to protect Israel s borders and not to comply with Israel s blockade of the Gaza Strip. Al-Zawahiri claims that no Muslim state can be trusted to liberate Palestine. Moreover, many Muslim countries collaborate with the West: Pakistan aids the Crusader campaign within its own borders and in Afghanistan; Iran assists the US in its occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and is helping to murder the Syrian people; Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states let the Crusader armies use 1 (Arabic). 2

3 their territory and waters. Most heinous of all, he says, is the participation of certain Islamist movements in secular politics, and their readiness to honor peace agreements with Israel so that they can enter the political arena. In this way, Al-Zawahiri admonishes, the peace agreements with Israel have become a fait accompli, just as did the Sykes-Picot Agreement, which was signed at the end of the First World War and which divided the Middle East into nation-states. This is why all mujahideen must concentrate on freeing Palestine. Al-Qaeda and other jihadist organizations have long since been aware of the sorry state of the Muslim Nation, and of the ineffectuality of Muslim regimes. Therefore, says Al-Zawahiri, the attacks of September 11 th were meant to thwart the Western Crusader conspiracy to control Muslim territories. The attacks strengthened Al-Qaeda which, thanks to them, has expanded, [establishing] four official branches and garnering thousands of supporters everywhere (Although Al-Zawahiri does not name these branches, he is referring as we assume to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the Islamic State of Iraq, and Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen in Somalia.). Thanks to the blows leveled by the mujahideen, the US has been defeated in Afghanistan and Iraq. Moreover, the four regimes that were known to collaborate with the US have collapsed and the Arab peoples have begun a revolution they have no intention of ending until Palestine has been liberated and shari a [Islamic law] imposed. The September 11 th attacks were also meant to prevent the US from arresting Muslims, especially mujahideen. Similarly, adds Al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda abducted the Jewish American Warren Weinstein to bring about [the release of Muslim prisoners]. Al-Zawahiri proposes the following plan to liberate Palestine: 1. Increase awareness in mosques, schools everywhere of the following: a. Only Allah is the victor and commander. Only He can help his frail believers against the powerful Jews. b. Muslim governments cannot free Palestine, because they refuse to. c. The Muslim Nation must prepare for jihad, which is an individual religious obligation. d. Peace treaties with Israel must be annulled. The Zionist entity must not be recognized. 3

4 2. Establish a warring Muslim state, governed by Islamic law, and dedicated to liberating Palestine. This state will acknowledge its ultimate obligation to liberate every last grain of sand of Islamic lands, from eastern Turkistan to Andalusia including, of course, Palestine. 3. Support and join the mujahideen wherever they are, especially in Iraq and Al-Sham [the Levant]. Work to establish a Muslim state in Al-Sham, from which to sally forth against Israel [and regain] Jerusalem. 4. Set common goals and maintain Muslim unity, by following the jihadist leadership, which has amassed experience and established pioneering forces. Use da wa [proselytizing] to enlist Islamic groups in the struggle to do the following: a. Inculcate shari a [Islamic law], and reject all other forms of government. b. Liberate occupied Islamic lands. c. Cease the West s deliberate, systematic plunder of Muslim resources, such as oil. d. Support the revolutions of Muslims against despotic rulers, and arouse awareness of the need to implement shari a. e. Help all those who are oppressed by the arrogant. f. Establish an Islamic caliphate. Al-Zawahiri adds that the Arab and Islamic Nation must exploit the weakness of the US at this time to rid Muslim lands especially Saudi Arabia and the Maghreb [North Africa] of their corrupt rulers. To this end, the popular rebellions must continue. 4

5 A banner advertising a video clip featuring the last testaments of terrorists Salem Al-Hazmi and Khalid Al-Mihdhar, and comments by Ayman Al-Zawahiri The jihadist media institution Al-Sahab published a two-part video clip titled, Truth Has Come and Falsehood Has Perished. Issued on the eleventh anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, the clip was made available in Arabic, English and Urdu. 2 The banner for a video clip issued on the anniversary of the September 11 th attacks 2 (Arabic). 5

6 The jihadist media institution Al-Sahab published a video clip titled, A Message from the Prisoner Warren Weinstein to the Zionist Netanyahu. In it, a Jewish American named Warren Weinstein who has been held by Al-Qaeda since his abduction in Pakistan in August 2011, urges Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure his release, because the US has not been able to do so. 3 Al-Qaeda captive Warren Weinstein seeks the Israeli prime minister s help The jihadist Web forum Al-Fida published another video clip titled, A Selection of Advice from Sheikh Ayman Al-Zawahiri. In this particular clip, Al-Zawahiri asks Muslims in Turkey to help their brethren in Syria in their fight against the Alawite regime. Just as the Ottomans once fought the enemies of Islam, says Al-Zawahiri, so, too must the Turks of today fight jihad against Islam s foes. Once Syria has been freed from the infidel Alawite regime, he says, it will be possible to act with full force to liberate Jerusalem. 4 The banner reads: The Muslim Turks must know the real role of the Muslims in history: to defend Islam, like the Ottoman Turks. This is the responsibility of Muslim Turks, who must renew their days as of old. The jihadist media outlet Al-Masada published an article titled, Prisoners of Guantanamo Who Enchains Whom? Who Judges Whom?. Abu Abdallah Anas, the article s author, addresses the abysmal hatred that the US feels for 3 (Arabic). 4 (Arabic). 6

7 Muslims and Islam. The American judicial system has exploited the recent trials of Muslims imprisoned at Guantanamo for involvement in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 to systematically obscure US losses in jihad arenas and to present the US as the victor in the so-called war on terrorism. According to Anas, this attempt is not succeeding. Moreover, failure of the US to appoint lawyers to represent the prisoners, and other ill-treatment, exposes its hypocrisy and proves that it is losing the battle. 5 The jihadist media institution Al-Sahab published an audio statement in Pashto by a shahid [martyr] named Saeedullah, formerly an ideologue of the Afghan Taliban, titled, The Virtues of Ramadan. 6 The jihadist media outlet Al-Bayyan, which functions under the auspices of the Salafi-jihadist movement in Egypt, published an article by Sheikh Muhammad Karam Ali titled, Political Islam and the Continued Crusader Program in Islamic Lands. The article criticizes the West s plan to convert the Middle East to democracy. According to Karam Ali, this is a Western conspiracy headed by the US, which wishes to promote democratization so as to thwart the implementation of Islamic law in the region. 7 The jihadist media outlet Al-Malahem, which functions under the auspices of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), published a 108-page book titled, Essential Rulings on Muslim Prisoners, by Sheikh Harith bin Ghazi Al- Nadhari Al-Murshidi. 8 Among the issues addressed by the book are whether Islamic law allows the wife of a prisoner to divorce him because he is not supporting her, and whether a prisoner may eat foods given him by Polytheists and the like. Sheikh Abu Obeidah Abdallah Al-Adam, a senior strategist for Al-Qaeda, explained that he had seen fit to publish a clarification to correct the mistaken impression given by an article he had originally published in August 2012, in which he called on Sunni Muslims to wage jihad against Alawites and massacre them. In the clarification, Al-Adam claimed he had been referring only to Alawite fighters, and Alawites who assisted the Syrian regime in word or deed. He insisted that he was not sanctioning the killing of Alawite 5 (Arabic). 6 (Arabic). 7 (Arabic). 8 (Arabic). 7

8 children, women and the elderly, but rather only those Alawites who had a hand in the murder of Syrian Muslims. 9 A prominent contributor to the jihadist Web forum Ansar Al-Mujahideen who calls himself Naser Al-Qaeda published an article titled, You Are a Soldier in the Propaganda War: Do You Know Your Duty?!!. In it, Naser Al-Qaeda asks Muslims to contribute to the mujahideen s propaganda war, especially as enemy media distort the image of the mujahideen and do not represent reality completely and accurately. He advises Muslims who wish to help the mujahideen, whether on jihadist Web forums or elsewhere, to re-publish items by mujahideen via their media outlets. 10 Strategy The jihadist media outlet Al-Qabidun 'ala al-jamr (Grippers of Embers) disseminated a 282-page book titled, Spotlight on the Security of the Organizations Hawks by a mujahid named Abdallah Saqr. The book was published under the auspices of a Salafi-jihadist group active in Lebanon, which calls itself Fath Al-Islam: Pioneering Warrior in the Lands of Al-Sham [Greater Syria]. The book provides information about the structure and infrastructure, goals and leadership of jihadist organizations; how to treat the members of such an organization; how to maintain security and guard intelligence in the field; the relationship between theory and practice; and the proper attitude toward other Islamist organizations See pp (Arabic) (Arabic). 8

9 The cover of a lengthy book on the theory and practice of organized jihad In honor of the anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, the jihadist media outlet Ahfad Uqbah [The Descendents of Uqbah], which is affiliated with the Salafi-jihadist movement in Tunisia and is active primarily on Facebook, re-published links to a comprehensive (310-page) book titled, The Jihadist Invasion of Manhattan, Minute by Minute. 12 A blow-by-blow recap of the events of September 11, 2001, from the jihadists perspective 12 (Arabic). 9

10 A prominent contributor to the jihadist Web forum Al-Fida named Abu Al-Fadl Madi initiated a thread which he called, Toward a new Strategy of Jihad. According to Madi, the attacks of September 11, 2001 changed the status of the US in the global order, leading to the advent of other regional and international forces. While the US did not lose its material or military ascendancy, it did lose its will to fight: The US considers this defeat [to be comparable to its defeat in] Vietnam, and perhaps even worse! Madi claimed that while Al-Qaeda did not directly cause the popular revolutions in the Arab world, it should be credited it with preparing the ground for them. The war on terrorism orchestrated by President Bush, Jr. pressured corrupt Muslim regimes to increase the oppression of their peoples. As a result, President Obama has accepted the alternative that has emerged that is, political Islamism which is also an alternative to Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda must thus confront a reality it did not foresee, and be poised for a change in the political climate. Madi drew attention to the following questions, which he feels should be considered in light of the changing reality: 1. Is there any feasible meaning in striking the far enemy, now that the Arab revolutions have created a golden opportunity to fight the near enemy? Even if Al-Qaeda wants to continue as planned, can it attend to the suffering of the people who want to attain freedom? 2. If priorities do change to favor fighting the near enemy, will the tactics used for fighting the far enemy be effective in fighting in Islamic territory? 3. The Arab revolutions have subsumed vast swaths of the population, and the oppressed masses have joined the mujahideen in fighting corrupt regimes. How should this be addressed? How can Islamist and non- Islamist groups and factions cooperate? 4. The mujahideen are fighting the US and its allies because they support Israel and corrupt [Arab] regimes. They aspire to establish an Islamic state in territories they liberate, but at present, the struggle is between the regimes and the oppressed people, such that the establishment of an Islamic state does not appear to be on the horizon. How should the mujahideen treat this? Should they promote [the establishment of an Islamic state] or wait expectantly? 5. How should the mujahideen respond to the transition, in liberated Arab countries, from dictatorship to democracy, where Islamists especially 10

11 the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists participate in elections? Should the mujahideen wait expectantly or forcibly impose Islamic law? 6. If the mujahideen choose to bide their time and practice da wa [missionary work], how should they behave in countries where Islamist movements have come to power, and have broad public support? Should they rebel against [the Islamists]? Madi noted that these and other questions must be answered, but first it is necessary to take all existing circumstances and consider what is and is not feasible, especially since the jihadist movement will ultimately have to translate its military might into political achievements albeit as it sees fit, and not as is usual for political parties. 13 Guidebooks and Instruction Pamphlets A member of the jihadist Web forum Ansar Al-Mujahideen posted a guidebook containing a detailed, illustrated explanation of how to construct electric detonators. 14 A detailed guide to making electric detonators A member of the jihadist Web forum Ansar Al-Mujahideen wrote to ask how he could conceal a knife on his person. In response, forum contributors 13 (Arabic) (Arabic). 11

12 suggested a number of possibilities, and one contributor posted a link to an illustrated English-language guide on the topic. 15 The cover of an FBI Guide to Concealable Weapons (left), and instructions for concealing a sharp object in a folding umbrella (right) A member of the jihadist Web forum Shumukh Al-Islam posted an Englishlanguage guidebook titled, How to Make Acetone Peroxide: A Primary High Explosive. 16 Acetone, acid and peroxide: together, they can be used to make an explosive Cyber-jihad A visitor to the jihadist Web forum Hanein warned against jihadist Web forums that had recently cropped up, especially in the Iraqi arena. According to this contributor, these forums were the handiwork of the Shiite government in Iraq, one of whose aims was to entrap supporters of jihad. He recommended that surfers visit well-known forums such as Hanein. Another 15 (Arabic) (Arabic). 12

13 Web surfer expressed disappointment that Web surfers from Iraq failed to disguise themselves and their IP using the computer program TOR. 17 Hackers in Morocco have reportedly avenged the insult and dishonor of a recently-disseminated anti-muslim film titled, "Innocence of Muslims" by hacking into American Web sites such as and 18 Hacking into American Web sites as revenge against Innocence of Muslims Promoting the Myth of Martyrdom On the eleventh anniversary of 9/11, Sheikh Ismail Jad Ismail published a biography of the martyr [shahid] Hani Hanjour ( ), a Saudi member of Al-Qaeda who had headed the four-man terrorist cell that hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 and flew it into the Pentagon in Washington, DC on September 11, Sheikh Jad (b. 1989), a Salafi-jihadist, was arrested by Egyptian security forces in 2009 and indicted for preaching jihad and attempting to join a jihadist front. On January 25, 2011, following the outbreak of a popular revolution against the regime of then-president Hosni Mubarak, he was released from prison. Jihadist Web forums describe him as an historian of the mujahideen (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 13

14 Hani Hanjour The jihadist media outlet Ahfadh Uqbah [The Descendents of Uqbah], which is affiliated with the Salafi-jihadist movement in Tunisia and is active primarily on Facebook, announced the death of Wafa Al-Yahya in Iraq. According to Ahfadh Uqbah, Wafa Al-Yahya, a Saudi Arabian teacher of Islamic law, was imprisoned seven years ago with her three children in Saudi Arabia, but succeeded in escaping and fleeing to Iraq, where she was subsequently killed in an American bombing raid. No information was provided about her children. 20 According to additional sources, Wafa Al-Yahya disappeared together with her children in August 2005; various, conflicting reasons were cited for her disappearance. Her relatives contended that she had been abducted by the Saudi authorities because she had praised Al-Qaeda on the Internet. This was denied by official Saudi sources, which claimed that she had fled to Yemen. Khalid Al-Matrafi, director of the Al-Arabiya News Network, shed additional light on the incident when he tweeted on July 29, 2012 that Wafa Al-Yahya had married Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the former leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. After Abu Musab s death, Wafa Al-Yahya reportedly married Suleiman Al-Otaibi, a Saudi who served as a senior leader of the Islamic State of Iraq. Al-Otaibi subsequently left Wafa Al-Yahya and traveled to Afghanistan, where he was killed along with another of his wives, an Iraqi woman. Reports added that Wafa Al-Yahya s eldest daughter had married a leader of the insurgency in Iraq (Arabic) (Arabic). 14

15 A banner announcing the death in Iraq of Wafa Al-Yahya, which was posted on Facebook by Ahfad Uqbah A member of the jihadist Web forum Shumukh Al-Islam published a biography of Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Shami Al-Abasi ( ), one of the founders of the Shura Council of the Mujahideen in Al-Sham [Greater Syria], a Salafi-jihadist group established after the outbreak of the popular revolution against the Syrian regime. Al-Abasi was abducted in August 2012 by the Farouq Al-Shami Brigades of the Free Syrian Army and, following clashes between the two factions, was killed by the Free Syrian Army on September 3, According to the forum contributor, Alawite members of the regime who had infiltrated the Free Syrian Army were responsible for killing Al- Abasi. 22 Abu Muhammad Al-Shami Al-Abasi The Salafi-jihadist movement in Egypt eulogized the shahid [martyr] Anas Al- Masri, an Egyptian who had gone to fight jihad with Ansar Al-Sharia in Yemen, and later joined the rebels in Syria. He was killed toward the end of Ramadan by missiles fired by Syrian security forces. 23 The Salafi-jihadist movement in Egypt reported that another Egyptian, from Al-Fayoum, was 22 (Arabic) (Arabic). 15

16 killed in clashes with Syrian security forces in a neighborhood of Aleppo. Previously, he had fought in Libya against Qaddafi s forces. 24 Anas Al-Masri in a poster headed by the words, Al-Qaeda Group The jihadist media outlet Ahfadh Uqbah [The Descendents of Uqbah], which is affiliated with the Salafi-jihadist movement in Tunisia and is active primarily on Facebook, eulogized Adnan Al-Sharabi, a Yemenite who died while imprisoned at Guantanamo. 25 Commemorating a martyr of Guantanamo Fath Al-Islam in the Lands of Al-Sham [The Levant] eulogized its emir, Abu Hussam Al-Shami (aka Abd Al-Aziz Al-Korkali). According to the death announcement, published on September 4, 2012, Al-Shami was age 40 at his death. He worked secretly and fought covertly his voice was never recorded and his photograph never taken. He was very cautious about his safety, said the announcement. Prior to his death, Al-Shami had been active in various arenas inside Syria, and had even been arrested by the Syrian security forces 24 (Arabic) (Arabic). 16

17 a number of times. He was killed in an ambush laid by Syrian regime forces on the Damascus-Deraa highway; no further details were given. 26 He was also eulogized by the leadership of Ansar Al-Islam, a Salafi-jihadist group in Iraq. 27 A member of the jihadist Web forum Ansar Al-Mujahideen reported the death of Ahmed Daradish, a field commander of Ansar Al-Sharia, in an American bombing raid in Hadramawt, Yemen in early September. According to Yemeni and American security sources, the raid also eliminated Said Al-Shihri, the second most important member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).To date, jihadists have yet to confirm this information. 28 A banner in memory of Ahmed Daradish, produced by a frequenter of the jihadist Web forum Al-Fida The jihadist Web forum Ibn Taymiyyah published a video clip titled, Defenders of the Site of Muhammad s Ascendance to Heaven Part I. the video clip focuses on three Salafist martyrs from the Gaza Strip, who were killed in clashes with Israeli security forces. The clip also shows part of a speech by Sheikh Salah Shehada, commander of the Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades the military wing of Hamas praising jihad to liberate Palestine (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 17

18 In praise of three martyrs for the cause of Palestine Promoting the Myth of the Martyr Abu Yahya Al-Libi On June 4, 2012, American sources reported that Sheikh Abu Yahya Al-Libi, a pillar of Al-Qaeda, had been killed in a drone strike in North Waziristan. 30 However, this information did not initially receive official confirmation, and was even denied by jihadist sources. Al-Libi s death was only confirmed on September 11, 2012 in a new video clip by Al-Qaeda leader Sheikh Ayman Al- Zawahiri, which was made available by the Al-Sahab Media Center; Al- Zawahiri does not say how Al-Libi had met his death. He does eulogize Al-Libi, praising his years of effort for the Muslim Nation. Later in the video clip, Al- Zawahiri states that Al-Qaeda has no intention of freeing the captive Warren Weinstein, unless the US releases Muslim prisoners, including Omar Abdel Rahman and Aafia Siddiqui. Al-Zawahiri claims that Al-Libi s death will only increase public interest in his writings and legacy, and adds that the US insists on ignoring Al-Qaeda s role as the emissary of the Muslim Nation in its fight against Crusader-Zionist injustice and internal corruption. The death of Al-Qaeda s warriors and leaders in this holy war lends validity to this mission. Al-Zawahiri taunts the US, saying that the elimination of one or another individual will not end the threat [to the US]. He also points out what 30 For a comprehensive biography of Abu Yahya Al-Libi, see Jihadi Website Monitoring Group, Abu Yahya Al-Libi: Profile of an Al-Qaeda Leader, , 18

19 he calls President Obama s paradoxical remarks: on one hand, Obama said that Al-Qaeda was on the verge of collapse; while on the other hand, he claimed it posed the greatest danger to the US. Al-Zawahir laces into the US president, calling him a power-hungry liar who refuses to admit that Al-Qaeda has achieved its real aim: inciting the Muslim Nation. In summary, Al- Zawahiri says that the death of Al-Qaeda s leaders will only deepen jihad, and asks Muslims and Libyans to fight the Crusaders. 31 From the video clip in which Ayman Al-Zawahiri announced the death of Abu Yahya Al-Libi, whom the text here calls, lion of wisdom and jihad The following were among the responses of jihadist groups and individuals to the official confirmation of Abu Yahya Al-Libi s death: o Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) promised appropriate reprisals for the death of Al-Libi, which it claimed would only increase the Libyan people s determination and thirst for vengeance against those who had dishonored the Prophet Muhammad, as evidenced by the murder of the US ambassador to Libya in Benghazi. The uprising of the residents of Libya, Egypt and Yemen against the US and its embassies proves that the US is not fighting certain factions, as Obama tells his people, but rather the entire Muslim Nation, which continues to vigorously protest persecution, break the bonds of oppression, and follow the path of the martyrs and mujahideen. 32 o The Abdallah Azzam Brigades, a Salafi-jihadist group active in Lebanon and Syria, highlighted the legacy of Abu Yahya Al-Libi. It praised his 31 (Arabic) (Arabic). 19

20 o o o o perseverance on the path of jihad even after serving in, and escaping from, prison. 33 The jihadist media outlet Al-Bayyan, which represents the Salafijihadist movement in Egypt, published a eulogy of Al-Libi by Sheikh Ahmad Ashush, a prominent Egyptian Salafi-jihadist. 34 The Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF) praised the legacy of Al-Libi and his path of jihad. According to the GIMF, Al-Libi was never afraid of the drones that hovered overhead. 35 Sheikh Abu Saad Al-Amili eulogized Sheikh Abu Yahya Al-Libi and other Al-Qaeda leaders. He claimed that the Muslims jihad for Allah was meant to preserve Islam and spread Islamic law, and not only to defend themselves, their honor and their property. Jihad is commanded to the entire Muslim Nation, including its leaders, who are the enemy s first target. The death of leaders for the glory of Allah strengthens jihad. Al-Amili called on all Muslims to imitate Al-Libi s path of jihad. 36 The Al-Fajr Media Center embarked on a media campaign in memory of Abu Yahya Al-Libi, calling him the lion of wisdom and jihad. Al- Fajr claimed to have assimilated the lessons and guidelines of Al-Libi through jihadist propaganda. Al-Fajr asked that all visitors to Islamic and jihadist Web forums and sites follow Al-Libi s path of patience and moderation, not extremism. It urged young Muslims to expose the lies of Western and Arab media, and stressed that its future publications would prove that jihad was continuing, despite Al-Libi s death. Al-Fajr further urged participation in the campaign in memory of Al-Libi and against the West s denigration of the Prophet, and to spread the Islamic message far and wide. 37 A banner announcing Al-Fajr s media campaign in memory of Al-Libi 33 (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 20

21 o The administration of the jihadist Web forum Ansar Al-Mujahideen produced a special video clip in memory of Abu Yahya Al-Libi. 38 Magazines The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan published new issues of the magazines it sponsors in English, Arabic and Urdu, all of which cover the Afghan arena: Issue No. 76 for of the Arabic-language magazine Al- Somood (56 pp.); 39 Issue No. 44 for of the English-language magazine In Fight; 40 Issue No. 44 for of the Urdu-language magazine Nawai Afghan Jihad (71 pp.); 41 and Issue No. 6, in Urdu, of the magazine Shariat (56 pp.). 42 Left to right, the latest issues of the magazines Nawai Afghan Jihad, Al-Somood, and In Fight, respectively 38 (Arabic)/ 39 (Arabic) (English) (Urdu) (Web site is in English). 21

22 Issue No. 6 of Shariat, an Urdu-language publication of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan The fourth issue has been published of the jihadist magazine İslam Dünyası, in Turkish. 43 A relatively new jihadist publication, in Turkish Reports from the Field Afghanistan-Pakistan The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan published a 19-page statistical report for the month of August 2012 summarizing all of its activities for that month, 43 (Turkish). 22

23 including the number of losses of life and property among its members and those of the enemy, a map of the areas where it had perpetrated attacks, and the types of attack. The Emirate also published an additional, four-page report on the alleged war crimes of the US, NATO, and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. 44 The August 2012 alleged war crimes and statistical reports of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan The jihadist media outlet Fursan Al-Balagh published an interview with the official spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Muhammad Yosef. In the interview, Yosef addressed the US occupation of Afghanistan, claiming that America s economic and military strength and its morale were flagging. He also discussed the Arab Spring in Syria, noting that it unfortunately lacked one leadership to unite the popular forces fighting the Syrian regime. This, he said, created a danger of splintering which would serve the West. 45 The Afghan Taliban promised to eliminate the grandson of the Queen of England, Prince Harry, if the latter joined British Army forces in Afghanistan: Prince Harry is coming to Afghanistan and he is a very valuable target for us. We will try to capture him. Because he is an Apache helicopter pilot, he will try to hurt us. If we cannot capture him, we will target him. 46 The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan criticized the US decision, on September 9, 2012, to blacklist the group Jalal Al-Din Haqqani, which is closely 44 (English) (Arabic) (Arabic). 23

24 affiliated with Mullah Omar, the emir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. This group, also known as the Haqqani Network, continues to wage jihad against the invaders. According to the Emirate, by blacklisting the group, the US wishes to create the impression that the Haqqani Network is a separate entity, which is not loyal to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The Emirate also stressed that such a step would only increase Muslim hatred of the US. At the same time, the Emirate does not believe this step is important; in fact, it thinks such lists are useless. The Emirate added that its mujahideen have no financial assets in the US that could be frozen a step that would not affect the mujahideen and would only prove that the US was collapsing. 47 A visitor to the jihadist Web forum Hanein quoted reports from the Arab media that 17 Afghan citizens had been beheaded by the Taliban. The contributor wondered why this catastrophe had visited itself upon the Muslims in Afghanistan. Other Web surfers asked him not to rely on such reports, which constitute a psychological warfare more powerful than warfare with weapons. They claimed that the West and its collaborators were trying to misrepresent the mujahideen, so that the Muslim Nation would not cooperate with them. A propaganda battle must therefore be waged against the enemy s lies. Others noted that the US had fled Afghanistan, while waging a propaganda war to distort Islam and distract world opinion from its defeat. 48 The Pakistan Taliban responded to the election of Mohammad Morsi as president of Egypt. It protested against the satisfaction that Egyptians, and some Pakistanis, had expressed at his victory. The Pakistan Taliban do not see [Morsi s election] as a victory for Islam, because Morsi was not elected Islamically and will not implement Islamic law in full. Rather, it is a victory for secular people: in the Taliban s eyes, the Muslim Brotherhood has become secular and joined the democratic process. A visitor to the jihadist Web forum Hanein reminded readers that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan had praised Morsi s victory. Another visitor to the site wondered why the Pakistan Taliban were ignoring the secular regime in Pakistan but condemning the election of Morsi, who believes in the Qur an a positive sign, compared to the situation in Pakistan (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 24

25 Iraq During the first half of, the Islamic State of Iraq published the following: o An announcement of a new incursion, to aid Sunni Muslim prisoners. In retaliation for the torture of Sunni Muslims in Iraqi prisons administered by the Shiite government, the Islamic State of Iraq has begun a new wave of attacks on government agents, security centers, and militias. The mujahideen have succeeded in attacking most of the targets they set for themselves, despite the security emergency declared by the government. 50 o An announcement describing a battle between six mujahideen and Iraqi security forces on July 25, 2012 in Al-Hadid, Iraq. At the end of the fighting, the mujahideen had succeeded in killing 26 security personnel and wounding tens of them, downing two helicopters, and plundering a large quantity of weapons and supplies. The Islamic State of Iraq also published a report detailing all (66) of its military activities in Diyala Province between July 20 and August 16, o An announcement on September 10, 2012, taking responsibility for a series of attacks the previous day, which killed more than 90 Iraqi soldiers and policemen in retaliation for the execution of 26 Sunni prisoners by the Iraqi government. The Islamic State of Iraq warned the government not to keep executing Sunni prisoners, unless it was ready to pay a high price (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 25

26 Among the attacks perpetrated by the Islamic State of Iraq o A report documenting its (66) military activities in the southern province during Ramadan. 53 The Free Iraqi Army announced that the Shiite government s decision to execute hundreds of Sunnis was based not on their alleged involvement in terrorism, but rather on their opposition to a government led by a Shiite cleric. Some Sunnis had already been executed and some were awaiting execution. The Free Iraqi Army promised to avenge their deaths. 54 A member of the jihadist Web forum Al-Fida published a list of 586 Muslims employed at the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior. He offered this list as a bank of targets for assassination to the Islamic State of Iraq and other Iraqi jihadist groups. 55 A visitor to the jihadist Web forum Hanein reported that, after reading multiple Facebook pages, he had noticed a trend toward a large Sunni revolution in Iraq. Other visitors to the forum called for such a revolution to liberate Iraq from the Shiites. This revolution could not wait, they said, since if the situation in Syria were to stabilize, it would become very difficult to get help to the Shiites in Iraq. For this reason, the Shiites in southern Iraq were stockpiling weapons, and there was a security onslaught in Al-Anbar Province near the Syrian border, even though the situation in Diyala Province was more dire. The Shiites were also reinforcing their hold on the Iraqi-Jordanian 53 (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 26

27 and Iraqi-Syrian borders, for fear of revolution. Hanein s secretary reassured readers that the Sunnis in Iraq were experienced in using weapons, adding that no worthwhile solution could be obtained in Iraq without the Islamic State of Iraq. 56 A visitor to the jihadist Web forum Hanein wondered where Abu Hassan Al- Hosny, the official spokesman of the Islamic State of Iraq s Propaganda Ministry, had gone, and why he seemed absent from recent publications. Additional Web surfers asked Al-Furqan [the media outlet of the Islamic State of Iraq] whether Al-Hosny was well. Some wrote that Al-Hosny had been killed. 57 A visitor to the jihadist Web forum Hanein warned the mujahideen of diminished communications services in one Iraqi city, following the exposure of roadside explosive devices planted by the mujahideen. In effect, the mujahideen were being prevented from using cell phones to detonate explosive devices. He recommended using Motorola or Kenwood calling cards and, if the explosive device in question was large, establishing a cellular network just for the mujahideen. 58 The Arabian Peninsula The jihadist media outlet Madad, which functions under the auspices of Al- Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), published its eponymous News Bulletin No. 24 covering recent developments in the Yemeni arena (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 27

28 Madad s eponymous news bulletin, Issue No. 24 A visitor to the global jihad Web forum posted a link to a video on YouTube, which was originally uploaded on August 14, It was the first video to show a Sunni jihadist brigade in Saudi Arabia, whose aim was the overthrow of the Saudi regime and the execution of infidels in the Arabian Peninsula. The brigade was named after Yousef Al-Ayyeri, a soldier who was killed in action. Al-Ayyeri had been active in Al-Qaeda and was wanted in Saudi Arabia; he was killed in 2003 in clashes with Saudi security forces. The video clip shows the brigade spraying anti-regime slogans in Riyadh and leaving Salafist publications on car windshields. 60 Salafist propaganda being left under car windshield wipers Al-Sham [Greater Syria] During the first half of, the Al-Nusrah Front published the following: 60 (Arabic). 28

29 o o o o o o Announcement No. 57, taking responsibility for eight attacks in Idlib and environs during the first half of July Announcement No. 58, taking responsibility for four attacks in Idlib and environs between July 1 and July 5, Announcement No. 59, taking responsibility for seven attacks in Aleppo and environs between July 26 and August 4, Announcement No. 60, taking responsibility for four attacks in Aleppo and environs on August 5, Announcement No. 61, in which the Air Defense Company took responsibility for three actions, during which it succeeded in destroying three Syrian aircraft. 65 Announcement No. 62, in which Air Defense Company 1099 took responsibility for the attack on August 9, 2012 of a military supply convoy near Aleppo, in which 22 soldiers were killed and the contents of the convoy, including gas masks, was plundered. 66 An attack on a Syrian military supply convoy near Aleppo, by the Al-Nusrah Front s Air Defense Company 1099 o Announcement No. 63, taking responsibility for a suicide attack on August 29, 2012 in Hamat against a Syrian Army outpost occupied by over 500 Syrian security personnel, and armored vehicles (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 29

30 o Announcement No. 64, taking responsibility for five attacks in Damascus and environs. 68 o Announcement No. 65, taking responsibility for a suicide attack against the Ibn Wardan Checkpost in Hamat. 69 o Announcements Nos. 66, 67, 68 and 70, taking responsibility for 16 military actions against Syrian security forces in the eastern theater. 70 o Announcement No. 69, taking responsibility for infiltrating a Syrian military outpost in Dayr Al-Zawr in the vicinity of Al-Salahiyya. 71 o Announcement No. 71, taking responsibility for a suicide attack perpetrated by Abu Al-Farouq Al-Shimali at the second Al-Barid Checkpost in the Al-Jawra neighborhood. 72 o Announcement No. 72, taking responsibility for the detonation by a suicide attacker of a booby-trapped car laden with seven tons of explosives at the Al-Bukmal Airfield in the eastern theater. After the car exploded, Al-Nusrah Front fighters began pounding the Airfield with mortar fire and machine guns, leading to many losses among the Syrian security forces. 73 o Announcements Nos. 73 and 74, taking responsibility for 16 military actions in Damascus and environs against Syrian security forces. 74 A visitor to the global jihad Web forum pondered the activity of the mujahideen in the Syrian arena. His monitoring of video clips and YouTube indicated that most of their activities were not planned, and lacked a strategy or tactic for reaching a particular goal. Most of the actions were defensive, and seemed to have no benefit. Moreover, a great deal of ammunition was being wasted. For example, Kalashnikov bullets were being fired at armored vehicles. The contributor suggested saving such ammunition for ambushes against regime soldiers, and deploying explosives and I.E.D.s against armored vehicles. Some brigades claimed to be part of the Free Syrian Army, but were really passing intelligence to the regime about the mujahideen s military movements. The jihadists offensive tactics were ineffective. Why weren t 68 (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 30

31 attacks being made on supply lines, electrical grids (especially in Damascus), and gas stations? These would damage the regime s intelligence and logistics. Also, there were too few attacks on police stations and military and state targets, and practically no ambushes even though these are a hallmark of guerilla warfare. The jihadist Al-Nusrah Front, wrote the contributor, should join ranks with the mujahideen, establish a Shura Council of jihadist brigades, generate communication and coordination tools, establish a logistics and intelligence center and a unified command center, and appoint one leader for all of the mujahideen in Syria. The Al-Nusrah Front should immediately begin assaulting meaningful targets. Every group fighting the regime should declare its organizational, administrative and military allegiance to the Al-Nusrah Front, and take a bay ah [oath of loyalty] to its emir. This will make it possible to neutralize secular elements. The contributor suggested taking an example from the mujahideen in Somalia, Mali and Afghanistan, who have been boldly facing down the infidels for some time. Uniting the mujaideen under one flag and emir is a religious-legal obligation, and the Al-Nusrah Front should soon anoint an emir of the mujahideen in Syria. 75 The Jordanian Salafi-jihadist Web portal Minbar Al-Tawhid wal-jihad published the sixth part of a biography of Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi, a senior Salafi-jihadist in Jordan who is currently serving time in a Jordanian prison for aiding Chechen terrorists. 76 A member of the jihadist Web forum Al-Fida published the impressions of a Jordanian who was imprisoned with Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi, a senior Jordanian Salafi-jihadist who is serving time for abetting terrorism. According to the former prisoner, Al-Maqdisi told him about his special relationship with his little daughter, and how much he missed her. 77 Similarly, a member of the Web forum Ansar Al-Mujahideen published a letter written on September 7, 2012, which Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi had had smuggled out of prison. In it, Al-Maqdisi complains about the harsh prison conditions, and says he is discriminated against, relative to the other prisoners. For example, he may not have relatives visit him in prison, or 75 (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 31

32 contact anyone outside prison, or read books or daily newspapers, or get food or medical treatment. 78 A member of the jihadist Web forum Ansar Al-Mujahideen posted photographs of Salafi-jihadist demonstrations in Jordan calling for the release from Jordan s prisons of Salafi-jihadists, chief among them Abu Muhammad Al- Maqdisi, who is serving time for abetting terrorism. 79 A demonstration in Jordan calling for the release of Salafi-jihadists from prison The jihadist media institution Ibn Taymiyyah noted that Muhammad Rashwan, a Salafi-jihadist injured by Israeli fire and thrown into a Hamas prison after receiving medical treatment, was being severely tortured. Ibn Taymiyyah called on the Hamas government to release him at once, to cease the unbridled assault on Salafi-jihadists in the Gaza Strip, and to support jihad against Israel. 80 The Ibn Taymiyyah Media Center published an audio statement featuring the engineer Abu Al-Muhtasab Al-Maqdisi (aka Abdullah Al-Ashqar), a Palestinian whom Israeli sources claim heads the Shura Council of the Mujahideen. 81 Al- Maqdisi addresses his remarks to Palestinian organizations. After reviewing the situation since 2000, he has concluded that the Second Intifada had 78 (Arabic) (both in Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 32

33 restored the honor of Islam and the Muslims, who had given their lives for all that was dear to them. Nevertheless, and despite the establishment of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip which both Western and Arab countries ignore the Jews have again begun assaulting the Palestinians and their holy places, and executing Salafists. Israel is daily desecrating the Al- Aqsa Mosque, yet the Palestinian resistance and its media turn a blind eye. The Palestinian Authority is on a witch hunt for activists of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, yet they themselves oppose Salafi-jihadists in the Gaza Strip, and spin a web of lies [about Salafi-jihadists]. He urges Hamas to take an example from the successful blows that the mujahideen have leveled against Israel, and to join jihad. 82 The engineer Abu Al-Muhtasab Al-Maqdisi An unknown, apparently Palestinian Salafi-jihadist group calling itself The Faith Brigades in Jerusalem, took responsibility for launching two Ibn Taymiyyah missiles at Sderot on September 7, Following recent rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel, two visitors to the jihadist Web forum Hanein argued about the actions of Hamas. One visitor, whose membership [in the forum] had been temporarily suspended but who had resumed contributing, praised Hamas for its jihad against Israel, and refuted the mujahideen s accusation that Hamas was guarding Israel s border so that they could not act. In response, the other visitor called him a liar, adding that everyone knew Hamas had abandoned the fight against Israel and had turned on the mujahideen instead, throwing them into jail. The first 82 (Arabic) (Arabic). 33

34 contributor retorted that he was fed up with the attacks on the Izz Al-Din Al- Qassam Brigades the spearhead of jihad and resistance to Israel, protectors of the Muslim Nation. Other forum visitors sided with the second contributor and accused Hamas of leaving the firing of rockets at Israel to the Shura Council of the Mujahideen. The contributor responded that he had not claimed that Hamas was firing the rockets, but that the fact of their being fired proved that Hamas was not guarding Israel s borders. 84 A visitor to the jihadist Web forum Hanein reported that Jordanian Salafijihadists, among them Sheikh Amer Al-Damour Abu Harity, had joined the Al- Nusrah Front in Syria. Another visitor stated that this was a slap in the face to Jarir Al-Husni, the self-styled the leader of the Salafi-jihadist movement in Jordan. Many of those who have joined jihad in Syria also participated in demonstrations in Jordan. 85 Africa The Maghreb [North Africa] On September 7, 2012, the Mauritanian Press Agency Sahara News published a video clip that it had received, containing an appeal to the government and president of France by four French citizens who had been kidnapped by Al- Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The captives said they were in good health, but asked the French authorities to secure their freedom. The video clip was filmed on August 29, (Arabic) (Arabic) %D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%86- %D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86- %D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86- %D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%B3- %D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%B3%D9%8A- %D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%AE%D9%84- %D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%87%D9%85_a16366.htm l (Arabic). 34

35 One of four French citizens being held by AQIM appeals to the French government In coordination with the Al-Fajr Media Center, the jihadist Web forum Shumukh Al-Islam published a 92-page booklet containing the responses of Sheikh Abu Abd Al-Ilah Ahmad to visitors questions about jihad. Ahmad heads the Politics and Foreign Relations council of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). 87 Sheikh Abu Abd Al-Ilah Ahmad answers queries about jihad On September 7, 2012, the establishment was announced of the Coordinating Committee of Ansar Al-Sharia in Morocco. The Committee presented a draft of its ideological treatise for religious scholars, preachers, researchers, interested parties, and Muslims at large, so that they can voice their opinions, 87 (Arabic). 35

36 advice, suggestions and criticisms before adopting the ideological treatise as final. According to the treatise, Ansar Al-Sharia [Supporters of Islamic Law] is a framework for cultured that is, non-violent da wa [proselytizing]. Ansar Al-Sharia believes in [spreading] Islam through Islam, and calls for the inculcation of Islam by implementing Islamic law. Muslims, the treatise claims, have been forced by the pressures of the day to abandon this goal, if not to reject it outright. Ansar Al-Sharia in Morocco believes that current injustices, political tyranny, corruption and backwardness are the result of failure to implement shari a [Islamic law]. Ansar Al-Sharia in Morocco appeals to all those who desire to restore shari a in all areas of life. It is Ansar Al- Sharia in Morocco s goal to explain the right path and the errant path, to preach wisely and pleasingly, to follow Islam without deviation, and to awaken [people] to aid the Islamic Nation through philanthropy. Ansar Al- Sharia in Morocco cautions against secularism and laws that contravene shari a, and aspires to induce the public to hew to Islam and Islamic law and not to capitulate to Western ideas. It aspires to establish an Islamic front with one purpose: to implement Islamic law by means anchored in Islamic law, and to renew the caliphate as a collective political framework for the unity of the Muslim Nation. It will realize this purpose using means permitted by Islamic law that is, non-violent means, through the mosques, religious schools, conclaves, books and pamphlets, with the help of the media, and while taking advantage of the new freedoms available since the revolutions of the Arab Spring, including in Morocco. The treatise concludes by saying that Ansar Al-Sharia in Morocco is an educational, political framework for nonviolent advocacy. It has no ties to organizations outside Morocco. It is nothing like Ansar Al-Sharia in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Tunisia, which also differ among themselves: Ansar Al-Sharia in Yemen opposes the ruler; the group in Libya has joined the rebels; the group in Tunisia focuses on da wa; the group in Saudi Arabia is a charitable association. Each of these groups promotes shari a from its chosen vantage point. For Ansar Al-Sharia in Morocco, the point of departure is shari a, the goal is shari a, the tools are shari a, and the aim is shari a; that is why it has chosen this name. Ansar Al- Sharia in Morocco has launched a Facebook page: (Arabic). 36

37 The logo of Ansar Al-Sharia in Morocco Mali On August 26, 2012, the Mauritanian press agency Sahara News published a videotape that it received, featuring Taher Tawati, the military attaché of the Algerian consulate in Gao, northern Mali, who was abducted along with three other diplomats by the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA) [aka Al-Tawhid wal-jihad in West Africa] in April of this year. Tawati asks the Algerian people to help obtain his release, saying that the Mauritanian, French, Spanish and Italian governments have intervened to save their citizens who were abducted by armed Islamic groups, once by ransoming the captives and once by exchanging prisoners and captives. In exchange for the release of Tawati and the other Algerian diplomats, MOJWA is demanding the release of the mufti of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), who was captured by the Algerian authorities %D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A- %D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1%D9%8A- %D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%B7%D9%81-%D9%81%D9%8A- %D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%B7%D9%84%D9%82- %D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1- %D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A9_a16341.html (Arabic). 37

38 Captured Algerian diplomat Taher Tawati The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA) [aka Al-Tawhid wal-jihad in West Africa] and Ansar Al-Din condemned the murder of 16 sheikhs, eight Mauritanians and eight Malians, who were members of Al-Dawa wal-tabligh; the 16 were killed at a Malian Army checkpoint. MOJWA vowed that it would avenge their deaths at the appropriate time and place. The 16 sheikhs were unarmed and were en route to a meeting in the capital, Timbuktu. 90 Egypt Ansar Bet Al-Maqdes, a Salafi-jihadist group active in the Sinai Peninsula, eulogized one of its members, Ibrahim Bereikat, who was killed when the Israel Defense Forces planted an explosive device near his home on August 26, Ansar Bet Al-Maqdes implicated three Bedouin, one of whom is named Manazil Muhammad Sulayman Salama, for spying for Israel s Mossad and betraying Bereikat. Ansar Bet Al-Maqdes claimed to have captured and beheaded the spy Salama, as a warning to others (Arabic) %D8%A3%D9%86%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AA- %D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B3- %D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B5- %D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AF- %D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF- %D8%A5%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%8A%D9%85- %D8%B9%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B6%D8%A9-%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9- %D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%B3-38

39 During the latter half of August, 2012, the Shura Council of the Mujahideen in the Environs of Jerusalem, a Salafi-jihadist group active in the Sinai Peninsula, published the following: o Announcement No. 11, taking responsibility for firing a missile at Migdal on September 1, and a missile at Netivot and three missiles at Kissufim on September 2, The announcement also accused Hamas security forces in the Gaza Strip of hunting mujahideen who were firing missiles at Israel. Hamas should remember, it said, that it was elected to defend jihad and resistance, and not to persecute the mujahideen. 92 o Announcement No. 12, taking responsibility for firing missiles at Kissufim on September 2, o Announcement No. 13, taking responsibility for firing two Grad missiles at Netivot on September 7, 2012, in response to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) having shot at Palestinians in the northern and central Gaza Strip, killing six mujahideen; in response to the daily attempts to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque; in response to the cruelty of the settlers (e.g., drinking wine in a mosque in Beer Sheva). The Shura Council of the Mujahideen promised to continue fighting, despite the constant arrests by Hamas s internal security forces. 94 o Announcement No. 14, taking responsibility for firing two Grad missiles at Beer Sheva and Netivot on September 9, The group vowed to continue attacking Israel, and urged all Palestinian organizations to do the same. 95 o Announcement No. 15, taking responsibility for firing a missile at southern Ashqelon on September 10, o Announcement No. 16, taking responsibility for firing three missiles at Sderot on September 11, %D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B3- %D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B0%D9%89-%D8%AA%D9%85- %D8%B0%D8%A8%D8%AD%D8%A9 (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 39

40 The jihadist media outlet Al-Bayyan, which functions under the auspices of the Salafi-jihadist movement in Egypt, published an article by Talha Al- Musayr condemning the Salafists of Alexandria for allegedly giving way on implementing shari a [Islamic law] in Egypt and for founding the Al-Nour Party, thereby participating in politics. 98 Muhammad Al-Zawahiri, the brother of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri and a prominent Salafi-jihadist in Egypt, granted an exclusive interview to the American news channel CNN, in which he recommended that the West enter peace negotiations with the Islamists. 99 Abu Hamza Al-Masri, a contributor to the blog Al-Mujahideen in Egypt, which carries items of concern to the Salafi-jihadists in Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula, addressed media reports of negotiations for a cease-fire between the Salafi-jihadist movement in the Sinai and the Egyptian regime, with the intercession of various agents. Al-Masri stressed that he is not affiliated with any party or group, and does not at present support armed resistance to the Egyptian regime. Al-Masri believes that the Salafi-jihadists in the Sinai will not relinquish their principles or sign any agreement that would rein them in. In Al-Masri s opinion, it would actually be wise for them to agree to a cease-fire at this juncture, and then exploit it for da wa [missionary work] and to gather strength. Al-Masri advised the mujahideen in the Sinai to act wisely; to thwart plans to intercept the jihadi enterprise, they should take a long view, he said. 100 Following Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi s negative comments about the Iranian and Syrian regimes, visitors to the jihadist Web forum Hanein lauded him for visiting Iran. Some, however, tried to tone down the praise of Morsi, claiming that, to date, Morsi had spoken hollow words, while his deeds had been directed against the mujahideen in the Sinai; they saw Morsi s tetea-tete with Iranian President Ahmadinejad in a negative light. They also disapproved of Morsi s having authorized Iranian ships to use the Suez Canal to kill the Syrian people. Any Arab leader including Morsi who does not send weapons and money to the Syrian people is a party to their massacre (Arabic) (English) (Arabic). 40

41 One visitor to the forum noted that Morsi had yet to liberate the blind sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, or the Muslims imprisoned in churches. 101 The supervisor of the jihadist Web forum Hanein, who claims to be Iraqi, raised the issue of hyperbole for discussion. He had noticed, he wrote, that some forum visitors displayed exaggerated enthusiasm for Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi, while others displayed exaggerated hatred. The supervisor said that, either way, this phenomenon was fundamentally flawed. While he could understand the claims of both sides, he asked that Morsi s supporters tone down their rhetoric, lest they be unpleasantly surprised later on. He asked those who feel enmity for the Egyptian president not to fan the flames of hatred, but rather to exploit the freedom of action afforded them by Morsi s government to engage in da wa [proselytizing]; hostility at this time would serve only the enemies of Islam. Albeit, President Morsi would not implement Islamic law, would continue to honor Egypt s peace agreement with Israel and various international treaties, and would cling to the principles of democracy, but he was still preferable to President Mubarak and to his competitors in the presidential election. One should not exaggerate either one s love or hatred for him. Forum visitors responded variously. Some believed it was still too soon to tell whether Morsi would or would not implement Islamic law, such that there was no point in hating him. The president and his family were believers, and only time would tell. Other Web surfers wondered what the parameter was for deciding whether antagonism or sympathy for Morsi was exaggerated, and why the supervisor should be the judge of this. 102 A visitor to the jihadist Web forum Hanein wanted to understand why the Muslim Brotherhood had so many supporters, and asked for information about the movement and its leaders and deeds. Most forum visitors accused the Muslim Brotherhood of causing divisiveness in the Muslim world; they viewed it as a sickness in the Muslim Nation, and the source of its backwardness. The secretary of Hanein provided an historical overview of the Brotherhood, emphasizing its opposition to jihadists in many countries and its lust for power at all costs. One forum visitor dissented, and recalled that Hanein s administrator had insisted that contributors maintain an appropriate style when writing about the Muslim Brotherhood and Mohammad Morsi. Another (Arabic) (Arabic). 41

42 Web surfer countered that the Somali Islamic Party was active in the framework of Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen, and that the Afghan Islamic Party was among the most active in Afghanistan. He claimed that one cannot generalize and call everyone a traitor, especially if their deeds are not often reported in the media. The secretary of the forum responded that he did not know who was behind the Islamic Parties in Somalia and Afghanistan (i.e. the Muslim Brotherhood), adding that he had not blamed everyone of treason. One contributor remained unconvinced, adding that the Muslim Brotherhood had betrayed the Sunnis in many countries, including Chechnya. The first contributor challenged him to name the representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood in Chechnya. 103 Somalia During the first half of, Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen published the following: o An announcement that it had caused Kenyan military forces and their Somali collaborators a crushing defeat in Juba Province on September 1, Al-Shabab had downed four Kenyan helicopters during fighting, destroyed seven military vehicles, plundered the contents of three trucks, one of which had contained anti-tank weapons, and killed 70 Kenyans and collaborators. Al-Shabab added that it had taken two bodies of Kenyan soldiers and two bodies of collaborators to Kismayo, to show the believers its might. 104 The identity card of a Kenyan soldier killed by Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen (Arabic) (Arabic). 42

43 o o A report detailing all of the military activities it had perpetrated on September 13, 2012: a suicide attack at the Al-Jazeera Hotel near the Mogadishu Airport; an attack on Burundian military camps near Mogadishu; throwing hand grenades at Somali soldiers in the market in the center of Mogadishu; blowing up a car bearing Somali soldiers at the entrance to Afgooye. 105 A press release about the newly-elected president of Somalia, Hasan Sheikh. The election in and of itself was despicable, and served the interests of the West and their allies in the region, and not the Somali people. Elections immortalized the sorry state of Somalia: that is, its depressing and oppressive occupation. As proof, more than two-thirds of the representatives in parliament hold foreign passports and do not take any interest in the suffering of the Somali people; all that interests them is the good of their state. One must continue to fight them as in the past. The Somali people should not to capitulate to this conspiracy. They should continue to support jihad and the mujahideen until honor is restored, the land has been liberated, and Islamic law has been implemented throughout Somali territory. 106 The Muslim Youth Center, a Kenyan group with close ties to Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen, harshly criticized the election of Hassan Sheikh to the presidency of Somalia, calling him a collaborator with the West. His election, it claimed, is the West s contemptible attempt to strengthen its hold on Somalia. The Somali people must fight against this, and wrest Somalia from the hands of the infidel through struggle and sacrifice, like Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen. The Muslim Youth Center urged Muslims to help Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen free Somalia from the enemies of God. 107 In this context, a member of the jihadist Web forum Hanein asked whether the new Somali president would lead Somalia to a better future. Forum contributors did not think so; rather, it was Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen that would lead Somalia to a better future. They claimed that Hasan Sheikh was heading a regime that killed Muslims (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 43

44 and mujahideen. He had not withdrawn the army from the cities and had not asked the Crusader forces to leave Somalia. He was not elected in accordance with the will of the people, but rather of various tribes and groups. 108 Southeast Asia The Kuwaiti Salafist Sheikh Nabil Al-Awadhy visited Myanmar (Burma) to express solidarity with the suffering Muslims there. Web surfers praised him for showing the way to perform da wa [missionary work] in word and deed. They hoped the mujahideen would reach Myanmar to help the Muslims and destroy idols of the Buddha. 109 Kuwaiti Sheikh Nabil Al-Awadhy visits Muslims in Myanmar On Spetember 6, 2012, Ansar Al-Islam, a Salafi-jihadist group from Iraq, published an announcement of support for the Muslims in Myanmar (Burma). 110 The Caucasus A report was received that the Chechen Sarah Murtazaliev had been released after seven years in a Russian prison. According to a visitor to the jihadist Web forum Hanein, she was jailed after the Russian authorities planted a bomb in her handbag, and then accused her of planning to detonate it in the center of Moscow (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 44

45 Riyad Al-Salahin, a group that functions under the auspices of the Dagestan Front, took responsibility for the assassination of Sheikh Said Afandi al- Chirkavi (Atsaev) toward the end of August Riyad Salahin believed that Chirkavi, a venerable 74-year-old Sufi sheikh from Dagestan, had collaborated with the KGB against the mujahideen. 112 According to the Russian Sheikh Atsaev police, Chirkavi and six others were killed when Amina Kurbanova, a suicide attacker, detonated her explosive vest. Kurbanova was a Russian convert to Islam who had been married to two mujahideen. After both of her husbands were killed, she decided to commit a suicide attack. Russian security forces claim that this is a trend: increasingly, women whose husbands have been killed in fighting with Russian security forces are carrying out suicide attacks. 113 The Web site Valiat Dagestan published a letter by a blogger named Abu- Talha Ad-Dagestan under the heading, Where Are We Going and What Are Our Goals?, which was sent to all of the Caucasian jihadist Web sites. Abu- Talha is a renowned Caucasian blogger who frequently publishes his opinions about jihad on a wide variety of Russian sites and forums. In this particular letter, Abu-Talha described the distressing reality of a protracted war on a piece of land, where the lines between truth and lies and between infidels and Muslims had become blurred. According to Abu-Talha, the fight had begun as a lark, with no defined goals other than that the Muslims felt like living on that piece of land. This did not prevent the best of the Muslims from going to war and losing their lives. Paradoxically, wrote Abu-Talha, several overarching goals had emerged for the jihadist struggle in the Caucasus. The first of these is to maintain stability and implement the law of Allah, which for the past 1,400 years has remained constant, unaffected by the secular regime alongside it. The second goal is to defend Muslim men and women who do not have the strength to fight being persecuted simply because they are Muslims. Abu-Talha then addressed young Muslims whose sense of honor, morality, and religion had yet to be corrupted. The greatest enemy of the Muslims today, he wrote, is not the infidel; rather, it is those few who are willing to (Arabic) (Arabic). 45

46 betray Islam for a few simple benefits. One outstanding examples of this, according to Abu-Talha, is the many people in the Caucasus who say, We don t need shari a [Islamic law], we need a constitution!. Statements like this keep the Muslims [as obedient as] sheep and cattle, and unable to break free of the Kremlin. Abu-Talha then detailed the infidel s weaknesses, which should be exploited in waging jihad. First, it is very easy to terrorize the infidels. Second, the Caucasus is not that important to the Russian regime, which finds it hard to control the area. Abu-Talha called Muslims who have yet to join jihad blind people sitting at home and living in sin for not exploiting the flaws of the infidel to help their brethren. In conclusion, Abu-Talha stated that the mujahideen will crush anyone who dares to oppose Islam, regardless of his rank, status or origin. This can happen to the infidel or traitor whenever the opportunity arises, since the infidel s sins are never forgotten or forgiven. 114 Salafi-jihadist Responses to the Movie Innocence of Muslims An American anti-muslim film titled, Innocence of Muslims was issued, which presented the Prophet Muhammad in a contemptuous and despicable light. Following its uploading to YouTube, on September 11, 2012, the movie caused a tidal wave of violent anti-american and anti-western Muslim protest against symbols associated with the West such as a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in Beirut and Western embassies in the Middle East such as the US and German embassies in Sudan, which were stormed by enraged masses. These protests culminated in the murder of J. Christopher Stevens, the US Ambassador to Libya, who was killed by rocket fire on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi on September 12, Al-Qaeda and other Salafi-jihadist groups also responded to the movie, and promised to retaliate for the disgracing of the Prophet Muhammad. Notable responses to this incident were summarized in a publication of the International Institute of Counter-Terrorism (ICT). 115 Following are additional responses to this incident, aside from those reviewed at length in the ICT document: (Russian). 115 See (English). 46

47 o o A member of the jihadist Web forum Al-Fida reported that, in response to the movie s dissemination, an Islamic organization called Discover Islam UK had passed out over 11,000 English translations of the Qur an and of biographies of the Prophet Muhammad, in London. 116 A member of the jihadist Web forum Ansar Al-Mujahideen posted photographs documenting Salafi-jihadist demonstrations in the city of Derna, Libya on September 12, 2012 in protest against the movie and in support of the attack of the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi. 117 Salafi-jihadists decry Innocence of Muslims in Derna, Libya o o o o Visitors to the jihadist Web forum Hanein urged mujahideen in Iraq to attack foreign consulates and embassies. Some asked why the Shiites were being targeted in Iraq, and not the Crusaders. 118 An extensive informative survey of the protests in front of the US embassy in Cairo was available on the jihadist Web forum Hanein. 119 The jihadist Web forum Hanein made available an extensive informative survey of the protests in front of the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi and of the assassination of the US ambassador to Libya. Forum visitors were pleased with the ambassador s assassination, and recalled that the murder in Benghazi had taken place proximate to two significant events: the assassination of Abu Yahya Al-Libi and the anniversary of the September 11 th attacks. 120 Visitors to the jihadist Web forum Hanein protested international and Arab identification with the US over the assassination of its (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 47

48 o o o o ambassador in Libya especially since [the Arabs] ignore Muslim women being held in American prisons, or the events in Syria. One visitor to the forum noted that millions of Muslims in the US and Europe did not have full rights. What would happen if these Muslims were to be killed only because they are Muslims? he asked. The Muslims there have more rights than they did in their countries of origin. As expected, this visitor was roundly criticized. The other visitors to the forum reminded him that anyone who emigrates from his country does so for his own gain, to get rich, not out of concern for the Muslims or a desire to fulfill the commandment of jihad. Others called for the assassination of the pastor Terry Jones, who filmed the movie, while others urged attacks on US embassies worldwide. 121 Visitors to the jihadist Web forum Hanein protested the silence of Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states and Muslim religious scholars. They attacked Arab rulers for remaining mute while Muslims were being slaughtered throughout the world through no fault of their own, for supporting the war on terrorism, and for arresting those who believe in monotheism [tawhid]. 122 Calls went out to assassinate the maker of the movie, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a Coptic Christian living in California, whose family lives in Egypt. 123 Informative reports were posted of the demonstrations in Morocco. Visitors to the jihadist Web forum Hanein wondered why there were no demonstrations against the movie in Algeria. They also noted that the Shiites in Iraq had not batted an eye at the movie. 124 Visitors to the jihadist Web forum Hanein condemned the Muslim Brotherhood for failing to participate in demonstrations against the movie and for condemning the assassination of the American ambassador to Libya. Web surfers remembered that Egypt s President Morsi had said it was forbidden to spill the ambassador s blood, and that Yusuf Al-Qaradawi had urged not to attack US embassies (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 48

49 o A visitor to the jihadist Web forum Hanein asked whether it was permitted to invade embassies, and whether those who served in them were immune from harm. Other site visitors stressed that anyone who harmed the Prophet or anything sacred to Islam was not immune to harm. All American citizens are warmongers who do not deserve immunity, because they participate in US presidential elections, and the US invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. US embassies are but centers for the collection of intelligence and the performance of covert military actions. This was also the case in Libya: two of those killed in Benghazi were members of the special intelligence forces; one of them was even in charge of gathering information about Libyan missiles that had been hidden during the revolution. 126 Miscellaneous The jihadist media outlet Al-Sahab published two additional video clips in a series titled, Ramadan Lessons, by Salafi-jihadist Sheikh Khalid Al- Husaynan Abu Zaid Al-Kuwaiti, formerly a preacher in Kuwait. The lessons are titled, Do You Have Willpower? 127 and Jihad and Da wa [Proselytizing]. 128 A supervisor of the jihadist Web forum Ansar Al-Mujahideen who calls himself Gharib published Lesson No. 4 in a series on virtual photograph design. Lesson 4 deals with embedding photographs inside one another, opening files in PDF, and embedding text in photographs (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic) (Arabic). 49

50 A photograph used to illustrate Lesson No. 4 in virtual photograph design A supervisor of the jihadist Web forum Ansar Al-Mujahideen thanked a list of forum members for helping to promote jihadist propaganda on YouTube. 130 A banner published by the administrators of the jihadist Web forum Ansar Al- Mujahideen listing forum members who had uploaded jihadist video clips to YouTube, followed by the number of times each clip had been viewed Facebook On September 6, 2012, the jihadist media outlet Ahfadh Uqbah, which functions under the auspices of the Salafi-jihadist movement in Tunisia, launched a new Facebook page titled, Meet the Lions of Guantanamo. The (Arabic). 50

51 page was launched to promote the release of prisoners at Guantanamo. Occasionally, it features biographies of prisoners there. To date, the page has received 287 likes. 131 The banner heading the new Facebook page, Meet the Lions of Guantanamo Twitter On August 28, 2012 a new Twitter feed was launched by the jihadist media institution Ahfadh Uqbah, which functions under the auspices of the Salafijihadist movement in Tunisia. 132 The Twitter feed of the Tunisian Salafi-jihadist media outlet (Arabic) (Arabic). 51