The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On May 17, 2017, the media office of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Ninawa province, Iraq released a video titled "We Will Surely Guide Them To Our Ways." The video featured fighters from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Russia, and Belgium repeatedly calling on Muslims living in the West to carry out attacks there. The video features footage and still images of U.S. cities, landmarks and institutions, including Times Square, Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore), Washington D.C., and Las Vegas, as well as financial institutions like Bank of America and PNC Bank. Also in the video, the fighters commended the perpetrators of attacks carried out in the West, including Omar Mateen and Anis Amri, of the Orlando night club shooting and the Berlin Christmas market attacks, respectively.
In addition, the video, which was posted on multiple ISIS-affiliated Telegram channels and Twitter accounts as well as on the ISIS-affiliated online jihadi forum Shumoukh Al-Islam, highlighted ISIS's weapons manufacturing capabilities, and revealed several technological developments in that regard, including an explosive-laden drone and a high-yield RPG.
Two of the fighters featured in the video, Abu Maliha Al-Kanadi ("the Canadian") and Abu Zakaria Al-Britani, carried out martyrdom operations against Iraqi military vehicles.
Abu Maliha Al-Kanadi
Before carrying out his martyrdom operation, Al-Kanadi addressed "the brothers who believe in Allah," saying: "I am too much excited. I don't know what to say but I am going to meet my master who ordered me to do what I am supposed to do. We all must wake up to fight for the cause of Allah. Without jihad, without jihad, without jihad, there is no Islam."
Abu Zakaria Al-Britani sitting in his suicide vehicle en route to target
Another fighter, an American named Abu Hamza Al-Amriki, lashed out at the U.S., accusing it of "carrying the banner of the cross in waging war against Muslims," of supporting Iran in spreading its religion (the Shi'a) in Muslim countries, and of destroying cities and killing Muslim women and children. Addressing "the monotheists" living in the U.S., Al-Amriki urges them to attack non-Muslims there, saying: "Are you incapable of stabbing a Kafir [infidel] with a knife, throwing him off a building, or running him over with a car? Liberate yourself from hellfire by killing a kafir [infidel]... So show resolve and place your trust in Allah and He will pave the way for you."
Abu Hamza Al-Amriki
Al-Amriki also highlights ISIS's weapons manufacturing capabilities, introducing an anti-tank rocket launcher that ISIS manufactured from scratch, and mocks the Iraqi soldiers for their inability to distinguish ISIS-made from U.S.-made rocket launchers when encountering them in the field. Pointing to an ISIS-made rocket launcher, Al-Amriki says: "What we have here the rafidah say is projectile launchers are weapons which America provided to the Islamic State. This demonstrates their stupidity, foolishness of the Rafidah. This weapon is a pride of the Islamic State. To Allah belongs all praise. And this weapon, here, is ghamina [booty], which was taken from the rafidah’s personnel, to whom America gave support and weapons... for the soldiers of the Islamic State [were able] to produce weapons with which they can fight the enemies of Allah, including this anti-tank rocket launcher. It was made and completed from scratch, and to Allah belongs all praise. And this is due to the need for weapons in battle that can destroy the armor of the rafidah and the Americans." He added that ISIS produces anti-tank rocket launchers and thermobaric launchers, as well as "other types," whose effect, he said, will be left "for the enemy of Allah to discover for themselves."
ISIS RPG manufacturing facility
Abu Jihad Al-Rusi
Another fighter featured in the video, a Russian named Abu Jihad, also emphasized ISIS's weapons manufacturing capabilities, saying that the group produces SPG-9 anti-Russian armored tanks and RPG-7 for U.S Humvees. He addresses Muslims living among the "polytheists" and urges them to "turn their security into terror."
A fighter from Belgium named Abu Dujanah Al-Bajiki stresses that ISIS has managed to develop an anti-aircraft weapon that can be controlled remotely in order to target American and French aircraft, as well as IEDs delivered to their targets via remote-controlled robots.
Abu Dujanah Al-Baljiki highlighting ISIS's remote-control anti-aircraft weapon
Abu Dujanah also praises the perpetrators of attacks in Paris and Brussels, and calls upon Muslims to carry out more attacks. Below are excerpts from Abu Dujanah's message:
"The Iraqi forces, with their American Abrams tanks and their Russian tanks, are attempting to advance, under cover of Crusader air support, on the areas controlled by the mujahideen. One of the coalition members is France, which violently supports them with artillery. Yet Allah has provided the mujahideen with the means to counter this. By the grace of Allah, the mujahideen have acquired many Strela anti-aircraft missiles. They have also developed a remote-controlled anti-aircraft system, in order to target American and French aircraft with precision. They have also developed a remote-controlled bomb carrier, which advances toward its targets, in order to blow them up along with their crews, who are trying to advance on Muslim territory.
"Allah be praised, these weapons were manufactured despite the violence of the battle, and the throttling siege laid by these Crusaders and their minions, who will enter the ground battle, which will be fierce. Just as Allah has provided the mujahideen with these weapons, He has provided the operations that have made these states of disbelief tremble – like the Paris operation on November 13, the operation carried out by our brother Coulibaly, the operation of our brother in Brussels, Abballa Larossi, and the others, may Allah accept them. They have exported the war into the heart of France and Belgium, and have avenged the blood spilled by France and Belgium in Iraq and Syria."
The video features several other calls for attacks in the West by non-Western suicide bombers. One of them, Abu Youssof Al-Masalawi, addresses Muslims living in the West, saying: "Oh brothers, if you couldn't manage to come to the land of the Caliphate, the heads of unbelief are in front of you in your countries. I call on you by the name of Allah to have your swords dripping [with the] blood of the infidel before night time. Rest assured that any drop of blood spilled there would ease the pressure on us here." Another suicide bomber, Abu Omar, addresses "the brothers" who couldn't make it to the Caliphate and urges them to kill the infidel everywhere, saying that jihad is a religious obligation.
Other technological advancements shown in the video include a remote-controlled airplane packed with explosives, and a newly developed high-yield explosive that ISIS is seen using in one suicide mission.
An Explosive-laden remote-controlled drone used by ISIS
The video ends with scenes pf Western cities and institutions, including New York, Las Vegas, Baltimore, and Washington D.C., and Bank of America and PNC bank, coupled with segments from a previously released speech by ISIS spokesman Abu Al-Hassan Al-Muhajir in which he urged "truthful" Muslims in the U.S., Russia, and Europe to carry out attacks against Western interests using large double-wheeled load-bearing trucks to target festivals, parades, outdoor markets, and rallies.
The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas
Times Square
An unidentified church, presumably in the U.S.
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore
Bank of America building in Washington, DC
PNC Bank on Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here.
