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.
Jaysh Al-Fath (JAF), coalition of Islamist groups fighting in Syria, recently issued a statement calling upon Muslims worldwide to join the jihad in Syria, as well as a fatwa that mandated this. In an interview with U.S.-born media activist Bilal 'Abdul Kareem, 'Abdallah Al-Muhaysini, a prominent cleric affiliated with the coalition, explained the reasoning behind the call to arms and the fatwa. The interview, in Arabic with English subtitles, was posted to YouTube in two parts, on January 8 and January 12, respectively. It was also advertised on the Facebook page of the JAF-affiliated media group Al-Muhajirun, which on January 11, 2016 released a video of its own emphasizing the dire need for men in Syria.
EXCLUSIVE: AQAP Commander Khaled Batarfi Urges Mujahideen, Muslims To Concentrate On Attacking U.S.
On January 7, 2016, Al-Malahem, the official media foundation of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), released an audio recording featuring the group's senior commander Khaled Batarfi urging the mujahideen and Muslims living in the U.S. to concentrate on attacking and defeating it.
In the 43-minute recording, the link to which was posted on Al-Malahem's official twitter account, Batarfi emphasized to the mujahideen the importance of being passionate and steadfast in order to achieve their goals. After he recounted multiple stories about the Prophet Muhammad and the hardships he endured for the sake of Islam, he compared the U.S to the tribe of Quraysh, the main enemy which the prophet had focused on, rather than wasting time with minor conflicts against the Jews and the hypocrites.
On January 14, 2016, Al-Qaeda's Al-Sahab media wing published a seven-minute audio recording by the organization's leader, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, titled "Aal Sa'ud, the Murderers of the Mujahideen." In the recording, which was distributed via the jihadi forum Al-Fida' and elsewhere, Al-Zawahiri responds to the recent mass execution in Saudi Arabia of over 40 mujahideen, and urges the mujahideen in the Arabian Peninsula to damage the interests of "the American-Zionist coalition" and do their utmost to mar the Saudi royal family's status in the eyes of their American masters. He also urges Muslims in the Arabian Peninsula, primarily the "faithful" clerics, to rise up against the corrupt Saudi regime, and directs the attention of jihadis fighting in Syria to the Saudi crimes while suggesting that they resist the temptation to become agents of the U.S.
Al-Zawahiri Urges Jihadis In Syria To Repudiate Saudi Arabia And ISIS
On January 13, 2016, Al-Qaeda published a letter from leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri to the jihad fighters in Syria, in the Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Al-Nusra as well as in other Islamist and jihadi groups, titled "Syria Has Been Deposited in Your Trust." In the letter, he warned them of Saudi efforts to usurp the jihad in Syria by holding the Riyadh conference, and urged them not to allow the Islamic State (ISIS) to have its way and monopolize the jihad in Syria.
Following is a summary of the letter:
Al-Zawahiri begins his message by congratulating Jabhat Al-Nusra for conducting a prisoner exchange with Lebanon, praising it for setting an example. He encouraged the group to continue custom, and to strive for "unifying the jihadi rank" and to accept members of ISIS who want to mend their ways.
EXCLUSIVE: ISIS Post Images From Its Assault On Libya's 'Oil Crescent'
On January 11, 2015, ISIS posted pictures from its recent assault on Libya's "oil crescent," an area in the eastern part of the country that contains vast oil and gas reserves. ISIS had launched a string of attacks in the last two weeks against oil regions and facilities to the east of its stronghold of Sirte.
EXCLUSIVE: The New AMEF Forum: 'Ansar Alkhelafa Europe'
By: M. Khayat*
Introduction
Ansar Alkhelafa Europe (AKE), an online jihadi forum that publishes Islamic State (ISIS) content, is a reincarnation of the Ansar Al-Mujahideen English Forum (AMEF), which for years was a top jihadi forum that catered to English-speaking audiences. In June 2015, AMEF announced that it was closing, naming as reasons for doing so "current developments" and its desire to provide "the best media platform" for the mujahideen in Syria. Later, however, it announced that it was launching AKE, and invited those wishing to join it to contact the AKE administrators.
AKE banner
Prior to its shutdown, AMEF was unaffiliated with any jihad group; it operated on the Clearnet, the visible and indexed part of the Internet, via the domain ansar1.info. In contrast, AKE was created for the sole purpose of supporting ISIS, and to appeal specifically to European Muslims to do the same. AKE operates on the Clearnet via the domain alkhelafa.eu. AMEF functioned as a tightly knit community, rarely opening its doors to outsiders and enforcing strict security measures to sift through and ban any lurkers; AKE appears to take the same approach. For example, in order to join, applicants must be vouched for by other members who are already trusted. It also appears that some of AMEF's admins and long-standing members have migrated to AKE's, and are possibly members of its "shura council."
By. A. Agron*
Introduction
Over the course of the Syrian conflict, there has been a shift in the online discourse across social media platforms among jihadi supporters and fighters. In the past, many would brazenly post videos and graphic photographs of their experiences in Syria. For example, a Belgian fighter in an elite combat unit, "Abu Islam Al-Belgiki," frequently shared his combat experiences online, even posing with an alleged spy who was crucified and then beheaded, for all of his Twitter followers to see. Recruiters utilized Twitter, Facebook, and Ask.fm for outreach and for spreading propaganda, openly aided those interesting in immigrating to Syria, and often fielded questions about life in Syria. After Ask.fm started cracking down on Islamic State (ISIS) fighters' accounts, around in mid-2015 some switched to Ask.fm clone Ask-book. As the geopolitical situation has impacted the flow of migration to Syria; namely the tightening of Turkish borders and coalition airstrikes. In light of these developments these discussions appear to have been largely abandoned in public forums - which does not mean they are not taking place, but that interested parties are likely using encrypted communications instead. However, it is important to stress that the conversation has shifted among Westerners online, threats in Arabic continue to flow on social media.
On January 10, 2016 the Al-Muhajirun media group, which is affiliated with the Jaysh Al-Fath coalition of Islamist militias in Syria, published a recruitment video that calls upon Sunni Muslims worldwide to join the jihad in Syria to repel the aggression of the "Shiite enemies" and their allies, i.e. Iran, Hezbollah, Russia, the Assad regime and other allied militias. This video thus repeats the message of the previous call to arms and the fatwa that the coalition issued in late December 2015. These publications all reflect a notable shift in the recruitment strategy of Islamist groups in Syria, which previously refrained from calling for fighters from abroad to come to Syria, but are now doing so emphatically.
On January 8, 2015, British ISIS fighter Omar Hussain posted his final messages on his Telegram account, revealing that he had been asked to close it by the Islamic State Media Center. He also shared a plea from an ISIS fighter in Libya for those interested in jihad to join the battle in Libya. Omar Hussain was previously very active on Twitter and Tumblr, frequently penning advice articles about life in the Islamic State and offering glimpses into Syria with many photographs. At the time of this writing, his channel had 707 members.
ISIS In Al-Furat Claims To Have Downed US Drone
In a communique it issued on January 9, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) in Al-Furat Province claimed to have downed a US drone near the Iraqi town of 'Akasaht in Al-Anbar. The communique, posted on the Nasher Al-Khilafa channel on Telegram, features photos of a wrecked drone (see below), and states: "With Allah's grace, the soldiers of the Caliphate managed to down an American drone over the 'Akasaht area, in the southern Al-Furat Province, using anti-aircraft missiles fired by one of [its] air-defense units."
ISIS Claims Responsibility For Attacks On 'Citizens Of The Crusader Alliance' In Jakarta
On January 14, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) released a statement in which it claimed responsibility for today's attacks in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. According to the statement, which was posted on leading pro-ISIS online jihadi forum Shumoukh Al-Islam, a group of ISIS soldiers attacked "citizens of the crusader alliance countries" with timed bombs, light weapons, and suicide vests.
ISIS Claims Responsibility For Attack On Israeli Tourist Bus Near Cairo
On January 8, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) posted a statement claiming responsibility for previous day's attack on an Israeli tourist bus in Giza, near Cairo. ISIS said that it had managed to kill and wound some Israelis and members of the hotel security team.
Gunmen opened fire on the Israeli tourists as they boarded their bus outside the Three Pyramids Hotel. Egyptian authorities claimed that the attack was carried out by individuals affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), and that their main target was the hotel security team, not the Israeli tourists per se.
On January 8, 2015 the Caliphate Cyber Army (CCA), a group of pro-Islamic State (ISIS) hackers, circulated a link to their latest release, "The Establishment of Caliphate Ghosts," that it had uploaded to the Internet Archive. The 13-minute video showed off some of the CCA's successful hacks, and featured the hacking of the website of the Global Security & Training Services (GSTS), an Israeli company. The video features the usual ISIS rhetoric of threats to the West, the conquering of cities, and the destruction of landmarks such as the White House, Big Ben, and the Eiffel Tower. This group of hackers also promoted the name "Caliphate Ghost" in the video; this refers to Pro-Palestinian hackers AnonGhost with whom the CCA have joined forces.
Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) Launches Telegram Channel
On November 24, 2015, the Syrian branch of the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), an Al-Qaeda affiliate consisting mainly of Uyghur fighters, launched a channel on the encrypted messaging app Telegram. At the time of this writing the channel has 352 members. Official photos and videos, as well as promotions for new productions, are circulated on the channel. The channel is named after TIP's media wing "Sawt Al-Islam."
On January 7, 2015, an Iraqi-born man of Palestinian descent, Aws Mohammed Younis Al-Jayab, was arrested in Sacramento, California, where he was currently residing; he had come to the U.S. from Syria as a refugee in October 2012. His Facebook page appears to be mostly filled with photos of himself and his friends, and shows that he has a keen interest in cars. He also posted occasional anti-Assad political statements regarding Syria.
According to the affidavit, on November 19, 2013, Al-Jayab arrived in Aleppo, Syria; Jayab's records show that he returned to Sacramento on January 23, 2014, via London and Los Angeles. Also on his Facebook page are photos of him en route to the U.S. via London and Istanbul, returning from combat in Syria, shared days after his return.
On January 11, 2016, Al-Malahem, the media wing of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), posted an 8-minute audio recording on YouTube featuring group official Ibrahim Al-'Asiri titled "eulogy for the group of martyrs from the Arabian Peninsula." This is an exceedingly rare appearance by Al-'Asiri, who is known as an explosives expert and military figure rather than an ideologue, and is a highly wanted terrorist. The recording, which was also posted to top jihadi message board Al-Fida', featured Al-'Asiri eulogizing the recently-executed prisoners in Saudi Arabia, specifically those associated with AQAP such as Fares Al-Zahrani and others. Al-'Asiri vows that AQAP will avenge the executed prisoners and that it will continue to carry out attacks in Saudi Arabia. He also says that AQAP's war against the U.S. will not cease.
AQAP And AQIM Denounce Saudi Government's Executions, Vow Revenge
On January 10, 2016, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) issued a joint statement regarding Saudi Arabia's execution, on January 2, 2016, of 43 clerics and operatives associated with Al-Qaeda. The two groups lambasted Saudi Arabia for executing "mujahideen who confronted the modern crusader campaign" in order to please its "crusader allies." The statement concludes with a reiteration of AQAP's previous threat to avenge the execution of jihadi clerics.
AQIM Video Presents Conditions For Release Of Swedish, South African Hostages
On January 9, 2016, Al-Andalus media, the media wing of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), released a video, some 3 minutes long, presenting the organization's conditions for the release of Swedish hostage Johan Gustafsson and South African hostage Stephen McGown.
McGown and Gustafsson, as well as a Dutch national, Sjaak Rijke, were abducted by AQIM in November 25, 2011 from a restaurant in Timbuktu, and were held hostage along with two French nationals, Philippe Verdon and Serge Lazarevic, who were kidnapped one day earlier from a hotel in Hombori, Mali. Verdon has since been executed by AQIM, whereas Lazarevic was exchanged in a prisoner swap and Rijke was released in a raid led by French Special Forces in 2015.
In August 2015, it emerged that Mullah Omar, the Emir-ul-Momineen (leader of the faithful Muslims), had been dead since as early as April 2013, but that news of his death was withheld by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Afghan Taliban's umbrella organization). After the news of his death broke, various factions of the Afghan Taliban began staking their leadership claims.
According to an Urdu-language Pakistani daily, at least 40 youths from Karachi went to Syria and Afghanistan to join the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda, and about a dozen of them were killed in fighting there. A report in Roznama Jahan-e-Pakistan said that the Pakistani security agencies have tracked at least 10 recruitment centers for Al-Qaeda and ISIS in Karachi. Al-Qaeda's centers of recruitment are based in the areas of Orangi Town, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Malir, Buffer Zone, and the Federal B Area.
Pakistani Punjab's Law Minister: 100 Pakistanis Went To Syria And Iraq To Join ISIS
Rana Sanaullah, the Law Minister of Pakistan's Punjab province, has said that about 100 people from Punjab have left the country for Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State (ISIS), according to an Urdu-language newspaper. The minister said that a group of ISIS terrorists arrested from the Pakistani town of Daska previously belonged to Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) - a new name for the banned terror organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The group later switched loyalty to ISIS.
