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New Messages from AQ Leader Al-Zawahiri: In Third Message In A Week, Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri Urges Saudis To Rise Up Against Saudi Ruling Family, Follow Footsteps Of Bin Laden, Anwar Al-'Awlaki; In New Audio Message, Al-Qaeda Commander Ayman Al-Zawahiri Urges Yemeni People to Follow Anwar Al-'Awlaki's "Heroic" Example, to Oppose Attempts by U.S., Gulf States, Iran to Direct Yemen's Affairs
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Taliban Updates: Taliban Website: 'The Coward Father of the Crusaders and Zionists 'Obama' Came to Afghanistan in the Dark of the Night to Sign a Shameful Pact with His Local Servant [Afghan President Karzai]'; Taliban Accuse U.S.-Funded NGOs In Pakistan Of 'Hurting Islam In Association With America,' Bar Them From Working In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
In Third Message In A Week, Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri Urges Saudis To Rise Up Against Saudi Ruling Family, Follow Footsteps Of Bin Laden, Anwar Al-'Awlaki
On May 17, 2012, the Al-Qaeda media company Al-Sahab released an audio message from Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri in which he urged the Saudis to follow in the footsteps of their brethren in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen and rise up against their government. It should be noted that the message, 6:19 in duration, is the third message by Al-Zawahiri to be released on jihadi forums in the past week. His previous two messages where addressed to the Somali and Yemeni people, respectively. It is also worth noting that in the message, Al-Zawahiri refers to 'Ali 'Abdallah Saleh as being in power, suggesting that it was recorded at least prior to Saleh's formal step-down in February 27, 2012, and prior to Al-Zawahiri's recent message to Yemeni people, in which he refers to Yemen's new president, 'Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6028¶m=APT.
In New Audio Message, Al-Qaeda Commander Ayman Al-Zawahiri Urges Yemeni People to Follow Anwar Al-'Awlaki's "Heroic" Example, to Oppose Attempts by U.S., Gulf States, Iran to Direct Yemen's Affairs
On May 15, 2012, the Al-Qaeda media company Al-Sahab released an audio message from Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri to the Yemeni people. In the message, Al-Zawahiri calls upon the Yemenis not to be fooled by Yemeni President 'Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and cautions them against U.S. led attempts to dominate the region, alongside Iran's spreading influence in the Arabian Peninsula in general and Yemen in particular. The audio clip, 16:59 in duration, also contains previously released messages by Anwar Al-'Awlaki about Yemeni, U.S. and Iranian agendas in the region.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6021¶m=APT.
AQAP Releases New English-Language Nasheed by Abu Shiddah
On May 17, 2012, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's (AQAP) Al-Malahim Media company released an English-language nasheed, an Islamic, religiously-themed a cappella song. The song is titled "The Dust Will Never Settle Down," after Anwar Al-'Awlaki's popular lecture by the same name, and is attributed to "Abu Shiddah." Alongside the lyrics is a picture of a mujahid sniper, which appeared earlier in the Al-Malahim production In Remembrance of Osama. The picture is accompanied by a short text, titled "Forgotten Already?," which discusses the publication of cartoons in the U.S. and Europe insulting to the Muhammad and urges the ummah to react with "actions [that will] speak louder than words."
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6029¶m=GJN.
Reports of Schism in Al-Qaeda in Southeast Yemen
On May 10, 2012, the UAE daily Dar Al-Khaleej reported that there was schism within Ansar Al-Shari'a in southeast Yemen's Abyan and Shabwah governorates and an ongoing dwindling of its ranks in these regions. The report attributed this to massive aerial attacks against Ansar Al-Shari'a's strongholds over the past two weeks, alongside intensive operations by Yemeni government forces, which had forced them to retreat to rear posts.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6004¶m=GJN.
Al-Malahim Media Releases English-Language Publication "In Remembrance of Osama"
On May 11, 2012, the Al-Fida' Forum published a 14-page English-language document, produced by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's (AQAP) Al-Malahim Media company, titled "In Remembrance of Osama [bin Laden] – A Collection of His Methodological Instructions, Words and Poetry." The document's foreword, dated Spring 2012, states: "It is almost a year since the world witnessed the heroic battle of Abbottabad. It was that fierce fight which painted the last beautiful chapters of the life of the honorable and brave sheikh, the Mujahid, the Imam, Osama bin Laden, may Allah have mercy on his soul. The last chapter of all was the greatest, as the sheikh [was] killed while pulling the trigger. His enemies thought they disparaged him, but were eluded by the fact that they had given him [just] what he wished for: martyrdom..."
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6011¶m=GJN.
AQAP Promises to Wreak Vengeance against Americans and Their Allies for Killing Al-Quso', Mourns His Loss
The prominent jihadi forums Al-Fida and Shumoukh Al-Islam published a communique from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) mourning the loss of Sheikh Fahd Al-Quso' Al-'Awlaki, who was killed May 6, 2012, in a U.S. aerial strike in the Shabwah governorate, and promising to exact vengeance for his death against the Americans and their allies. The communique was produced by Al-Qaeda's media company Al-Fajr. The organization claimed that Al-Quso' had escaped death in numerous American air strikes "until Allah honored him with shahada in the second bombing of his farm." It stressed that his death would only serve to encourage the mujahideen to follow in his footsteps "and die for the sake of that for which he died," and to spur the mujahideen to harm and kill Americans and their allies in vengeance for his killing.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6003¶m=GJN.
Jabhat Al-Nusra, Ibn Taymiyya Media Center Deny Issuing Video Claiming Responsibility for Damascus Bombing
On May 12, 2012, a video was posted on YouTube in the name of the jihad group Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN), in which the group purportedly claimed responsibility for the May 9 bombings in Damascus. The video claimed to be produced by the Ibn Taymiyya Media Center, which usually covers jihadi news from Gaza. After several news channels picked up the video, the Ibn Taymiyya Media Center issued an announcement denying any connection to it and accusing the Assad regime of forging it. Later, JN itself issued a statement pronouncing the video a forgery.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6014¶m=GJN.
American Al-Shabab Commander 'Omar Hammami (Abu Mansour Al-Amriki) Publishes Part One Of Autobiographical Book
In May 2012, American Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen commander 'Omar Hammami (aka Abu Mansour Al-Amriki) published an autobiographical book titled The Story of an American Jihaadi – Part One. The 127-page book was published on Hammami's YouTube page, following an announcement of its forthcoming release, posted there on May 14. It is worth noting that Hammami used the same YouTube page to publish his March 2012 message claiming that his life was in endangered by Al-Shabab. The latest YouTube post included a link to download Hammami's book from the online publishing website Scribd.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6027¶m=GJN.
Egyptian Al-Faruq Media Company Opens Twitter Account
The Al-Faruq media company, established in early 2012, is an online entity that disseminates various sermons, books and rallies featuring prominent Egyptian Salafi-jihadi clerics. Its establishment coincided with the establishment of additional "media companies," namely, Al-Qayrawan, Ibn Taymiyya Center (ITC) and Al-Ibda'. The establishment of these companies appears to be part of Al-Qaeda's strategy of shifting its propaganda to locally oriented media companies. Al-Faruq's first tweet was posted February 18, 2012. As of this writing, its Twitter account, "@alfaroqmedia," has 213 followers and 43 tweets. It also provides a link to Al-Faruq's Facebook page, which was opened on January 1, 2012.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6016¶m=GJN.
Ansar Al-Mujahideen Arabic Forum Opens Twitter Account, Gives Advice on How to Effectively Disseminate Its Message
On May 7, 2012, the Ansar Al-Mujahideen Arabic Forum (AMAF) published "important instructions" regarding its Twitter account, which it opened several weeks earlier, on April 13. The announcement said that, having understood the crucial role jihadi media plays in the battle between Islam and its enemies, the AMAF is using all legitimate means to support Islam. Among the steps it took in this regard, it said, was the recent opening of the AMAF's Twitter account, "as_ansar@" As for its instructions to jihadis, the announcement asked them to follow AMAF's Twitter account and to disseminate its content via "retweeting" and the use of hashtags.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6015¶m=GJN.
Urdu Daily Report Examines Intra-Taliban Conflicts In North Waziristan, Notes: 'After Occurrence of the Bannu Jailbreak Incident [on April 15, 2012] ... All Escaped Militants have Gathered in Mir Ali [Town of North Waziristan]'
An Urdu-language Pakistani newspaper report explains the intra-Taliban conflicts and the reasons behind recent Taliban attacks on the Pakistani security forces in North Waziristan, the main jihadist stronghold along the Afghan border. In North Waziristan, the Taliban militants commanded by Hafiz Gul Bahadur have avoided attacks on the Pakistani security forces due to an existing peace accord with the Pakistani military. However, recently Taliban fighters loyal to Hakimullah Mehsud, the Emir of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and those moving in from South Waziristan have launched attacks on the security forces. The Urdu daily alleges, citing the Gul Bahadur group, that the Hakimullah Mehsud-led Taliban are working at the behest of the U.S. to ensure that the peace accord between Gul Bahadur and the Pakistani security forces is broken.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6019¶m=UPP.
Taliban Website: 'The Coward Father of the Crusaders and Zionists 'Obama' Came to Afghanistan in the Dark of the Night to Sign a Shameful Pact with His Local Servant [Afghan President Karzai]'
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban's shadow government) has issued a statement, claiming that the Taliban militants have infiltrated the Afghan army and police and are waiting to launch attacks. It read: "As we all know the occupying enemy is facing a disastrous defeat. This year's 'Al-Farooq Military Operation' has been launched to counter all of their conspiracies; and so far we have inflicted considerable damage to these enemies across the country, especially in the capital Kabul. Now, the enemy is trying all its tricks to bring a rift between the mujahideen and the general public... Inshallah [Allah willing], we will soon see the scattering of this Jewish alliance and soon the occupying forces will withdraw from our country. As the name 'Al-Farooq' literally suggests, it is the operation that will show the world the difference (or farq) between 'Haq' (truth) and 'Batil' (Lie)..."
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6017¶m=UPP.
TTP Releases Video On Pakistan Jailbreak: 'The Mujahideen Of Islam Have Vowed To Free All Prisoners, Including Aafia Siddiqui [Imprisoned In The U.S.]'
In a new video released by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), it emerges that the Taliban commanders meticulously planned the April 15, 2012 Bannu jailbreak in northwestern Pakistan, training in an unidentified area and going through a detailed map of the jail prior to the attack. Nearly 400 Taliban militants and prisoners escaped during the jailbreak. The most notable among those who escaped was Adnan Rashid, the Taliban/Al-Qaeda militant who had been jailed for his role in a failed 2003 assassination attempt on the then Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf. A Taliban commander, whose face is not visible, is shown in the video explaining the inside map of the Bannu jail to the militants who carried out the attack. The video was released by the Umer Studio, the TTP's media arm.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6023¶m=UPP.
Taliban Accuse U.S.-Funded NGOs In Pakistan Of 'Hurting Islam In Association With America', Bar Them From Working In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has barred U.S.-funded non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from working in the southern districts of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to an Urdu-language daily. The offices of U.S.-funded NGOs in the districts of Dera Ismail Khan and Tank have received threatening letters from the Taliban, warning that "they are hurting Islam in association with America." Therefore, they will be targeted, say the letters. According to a report in the Urdu-language daily Roznama Express, the administrators of the U.S.-funded NGOs held a meeting with the police chief of Dera Ismail Khan. The officials of the NGOs were advised to inform police prior to leaving the city. Meanwhile, officials of other foreign-funded NGOs have also limited their work in the area.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=6024¶m=UPP.
