The following are some of this week's reports from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project, which translates and analyzes content from sources monitored around the clock, among them the most important jihadi websites and blogs. (To view these reports in full, you must be a paying member of the JTTM; for membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org with "Membership" in the subject line.)
Note to media and government: For a full copy of these reports, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to media@memri.org. Please include your name, title, and organization in your email.
On October 15, 2014, the Islamic State (IS), via its Al-Hayat Media, released a video featuring several foreign fighters, including a British national named Abu Abdullah, a French national named Abdul Wadoud, and a German national named Abu Dauoud. The men make various statements regarding the ongoing coalition attack against the IS, saying, inter alia, that the coalition airstrikes will fail to bring it victory, and that it is part of the unbelievers' war against Islam. The men echo as well the notion that the airstrikes are considered cowardly, for they were meant to avoid a face-to-face confrontation with the IS. In that regard, the men challenge coalition countries to send ground troops to fight the IS, while threatening that the fate of anyone sent will be death.
A Houston, Texas resident who is a self-declared supporter of the Islamic State (ISIS) has posted numerous images on his Twitter account, which he opened on October 5, 2014, from Las Vegas, St. Louis, and other locations in the U.S. In these tweets, he promotes ISIS – including by tweeting photos of ISIS stickers he claims to have pasted on vehicles and so on. He also has a YouTube channel, opened September 14, 2014, and a Google+ account.
Australian ISIS Fighter Threatens West: We Will Conquer White House, Buckingham Palace
Following are excerpts from a video featuring ISIS foreign fighter Abu Khaled from Australia, which was posted on the Internet on October 21, 2014:
Click here to view this clip on MEMRI TV
Abu Khaled: "This message I deliver to you, the people of America. I deliver this message to you, the people of Britain, and I deliver this message to you, especially, the people of Australia, and I say this about your coalition: You threaten us with this coalition of countries. Bring every nation that you wish to us. Bring every nation that you want to come and fight us. It means nothing to us. Whether it is 50 nations, or 50,000 nations – it means nothing to us. Bring your planes, bring everything you want to us, because it will not harm us. Why? Because we have Allah [on our side], and this is something that you do not have."
On October 17, 2014, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) issued a communique titled "Communique On The Crusader Alliance." It should be noted that although AQAP remains loyal to the Al-Qaeda leadership, which is the rival of the Islamic State (IS/ISIS), this communique calls openly to all Muslims to set aside their differences and support "our brothers in the Islamic State."
On October 19, 2014, an 11-minute YouTube video was released on the jihadi forum Al-Shumukh and on social networks, titled "Abu Bakr Al-Afghani and 5,000 of His Soldiers Swear Loyalty to the Islamic State". In the first part of the video, a masked individual speaking in Afghan-accented Arabic introduces himself as Abu Bakr Al-Balkhi, and reads out a written declaration. He says that he is the leader of an Islamic emirate in Afghanistan and commands 5,000 mujahideen, and that, following disputes within the Taliban movement, he and his men have decided to swear loyalty "to the death" to the Islamic State and its leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. Abu Bakr then threatens Iran that, unless it stops its attacks "on our caliph [Al-Baghdadi]," he and his men will cause it severe problems. He also threatens "the Americans and the rest of the Crusaders" that, unless they stop bombing the IS from the air, the mujahideen will step up terror attacks against them in Afghanistan.
Islamic State Releases Fourth Installment In Series Featuring British Hostage John Cantlie
On October 16, 2014, the Islamic State (IS) released the fourth part in the series titled "Lend Me Your Ears" featuring British hostage John Cantlie. In it, Cantlie discusses the "meteoric rise" of the IS and explains how it has been used by Western media to support a U.S.-led military action against it. That intervention, Cantlie says, will be nothing but "another unwinnable war." The 7:48-long video message was released on the Jihadi Media Platform forum (alplatformmedia.com).
In Mumbai, the Maharashtra State Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a city-based software engineer, who admired the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and allegedly conspired to blow up American establishments in Mumbai, including a school.
Video Allegedly Shows MiG Jet Flown By IS Pilot In Aleppo Area
The Islamic State (IS) attributes great importance – both on the military and on the propaganda level – to its war on the Syrian regime's air force, and invests considerable efforts in capturing jets and air bases, as well as advanced anti-aircraft weapons, which currently constitute the regime's main military advantage over its enemies. The IS seems to be closer than its rival organizations to attaining real air capabilities in Syria and Iraq. To date, it has done no more than circulate photos of its fighters sitting in old and dysfunctional aircraft, but a video recently circulated may indicate that it has flown a MiG jet in the skies of Aleppo.
Al-Shabab Releases Video Testimony Of Alleged Spy For Western Intelligence
On October 20, 2014, the Al-Kataib Foundation for Media Production, the media company of the Somali group Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen, released the third installment of the video series titled "Beware, They Are The Enemies, So Beware Of Them." The series claims to presents the confessions of individuals who spied for Western governments (USA, France and Britain) and were captured and executed by the group. They purport to expose the deceitful and unjust methods used by Western intelligence agencies to spy on the group and assassinate its leaders, and aim to justify the group's actions and intimidate potential informants.
Banner announcing the release of the third installment of the series
The third installment in the series, like the first one, features the testimony of an alleged spy named Mohamed Gele Abdulle. According to Al-Shabab, Abdulle provided the French intelligence agency (DGSE) with information on the whereabouts of one of its agents, Denis Allex, who had been captured by the group, and also helped the enemies track down Al-Shabab senior commander Ibrahim Ali Abdi, aka Adeer Ali, leading to his death in a US drone strike on October 28, 2013.
On October 13, 2014, Ansar Al-Shari'a in Libya (ASL) released a video featuring several of the group's attacks against Libyan army headquarters, namely those associated with General Khalifa Haftar, in and around the city of Benghazi. Gen. Haftar's offensive, which began in May of this year, aimed to crack down against Islamists. Since then, ASL has denounced Haftar's attacks, which targeted the city of Benghazi in particular, calling Haftar a tyrant, and accusing him of fulfilling the orders of his "masters" (i.e. Western countries).
The video recalls Haftar's decision to attack Islamists, and notes ASL's, and other rebels' groups', decision to stand up to him. The video focuses in particular on the military offensives led by the rebels, and the rapid victories they achieved in that regard. The rebels operated under the umbrella of the Majlis Shura Thuwwar Benghazi (Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council).
Dr. Tariq Ali, former Pakistan Army doctor (left), sits with Taliban commander Ehsanullah Ehsan.
According to a new jihadi video, a former Pakistan Army doctor recently left his life of luxury in Britain to join Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaatul Ahrar (TTPJA), a faction of Pakistani Taliban expelled recently by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The three on the left are the freed commanders; Maulana Fazlullah is on far right.
A new video released by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) features three terrorist commanders who were released by the government of Pakistan recently in exchange for kidnapped Pakistani Vice Chancellor Professor Ajmal Khan.
Pakistani Army Doctor Who Defected To Pakistani Taliban Urges Officers To Follow Suit
Click here to view this clip on MEMRI TV
Afghan Daily Newspaper Report: 'Mullah Omar – Dead Or Alive?'
An Afghan media report examines the possibility that Mullah Mohammad Omar, who is considered as Emir-ul-Momineen (Leader of the Faithful Muslims) by the Taliban and all Al-Qaeda affiliates, might have died or been sidelined in the Taliban leadership, possibly by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan, which controls various Taliban groups.
A report the Pashtu-Dari bilingual newspaper Mehwar – titled "Mullah Omar: Dead Or Alive?" - notes that there have been recent leadership clashes in the Taliban that led to killing of a senior Taliban leader in Peshawar, Pakistan, while another report indicated that Mullah Omar might have been killed in Waziristan.
Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir
On a recent trip to New Delhi for a conference, senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir was interviewed by an Indian newspaper about a number of issues, including Pakistan-India relations, as well as his past interviews with Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Hamid Mir also answered a series of questions which were put forth by a panel of editors of The Indian Express newspaper, regarding Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), which was established by Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri in September 2014. In the interview, Hamid Mir warned that the AQIS could pose a large threat to India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban Shadow government in the country) has issued a statement rejecting media reports that Anas Haqqani, the son of Haqqani Network founder Jalaluddin Haqqani, was captured during fighting in Afghanistan.
Haqqani Network is a dominant faction in the Islamic Emirate led by Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.
Following is the text of the statement:
"Anas Haqqani is the youngest son of the respected Al-Haj Mawlawi Jalaluddin Haqqani and is a Talib-ul-ilm (student) in his last year of studies who does not have an affiliation with any current political movements. Utilizing the holidays from his studies following Eid-ul-Adha, he embarked on his first foreign visit [to Qatar] to meet the freed Guantanamo detainees after an invitation by the family of Mawlawi Muhammad Nabi Umari (former Guantanamo detainee). Qari Abdul Rasheed Umari, the son of Muhammad Umar and the younger brother of Mawlawi Muhammad Nabi Umari was also on a visit to meet his freed brother."
