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.
EXCLUSIVE: Slain AQAP Leader Revealed Untold Stories About 9/11
On January 31, 2016, Al-Masraa, a jihadi newspaper affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), published an article attributed to the group's late leader, Nasser Al-Wuhaishi, titled "The Untold Stories about 9/11 - Part One."
On February 2, 2016, the Aleppo province of the Islamic State (ISIS) released a video featuring Belgian fighter Abu Shaheed Al-Baljiki. Primarily aiming to recruit new foreign fighters for ISIS, the video focuses on the good and relaxing life that awaits those who immigrate to the Islamic State. Al-Baljiki, who is seen enjoying various leisurely activities, notes the support and equal treatment that foreign fighters receive from the locals. He also calls upon all Muslims to immigrate to the Islamic State. The video also shows the other aspect awaiting those newcomers - that of jihad. Al-Baljiki is seen using various weapons and threatening the West. He especially addresses the U.S., France, and Russia, telling them to stop bombing Muslims or face the consequences. The video was published in Dutch with Arabic subtitles through ISIS distribution channels on the Shoumukh Al-Islam forum, Telegram and Twitter, and hosted on Archive.org, Sendvid and Youtube.
On January 30, 2016, the media company of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq's Ninawa Province released an 8-minute video showing the confessions and executions of five Muslims whom ISIS convicted of conspiring and acting against the Islamic State.
EXCLUSIVE: Netherlands Involvement In Syria - Discussed By Jihadis On Twitter
Recently, both Islamic State (ISIS) and Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN) supporters have been discussing the Netherlands' imminent involvement in Syria and its upcoming decision to start bombing ISIS territory. The news was reported by numerous Twitter accounts, and there was general agreement on jihadi Twitter accounts that this country is now a legitimate target for reprisal attacks.
Periscope, the Twitter-owned live-video streaming app for smartphones, appears to have gained some traction among jihadi fighters in Syria, as well as among jihadi supporters in the West - further demonstrating the adaptability of tech-savvy Islamic State (ISIS) supporters, as social media applications and platforms that they use increasingly suspend jihadi acccounts. While most of the jihadis using Periscope do not say where they are from or where they are located, several fighters, among them the American ISIS fighter and a Dutch Free Syrian Army fighter featured in this report do provide details about themselves. The San Francisco-based Periscope app was founded by Kayvon Beykpour and Joe Bernstein in early 2014; Twitter acquired it in 2015.
On February 2, 2016 an ISIS supporter called Umm Laith Al-Dhahriyia posted on Facebook, "The Periscope app is very cool. I wonder when IS Dawlah will start using it."
Another ISIS supporter called UmHamza on Twitter has advertised the fact that she uses Periscope.
On Facebook, UK ISIS Supporter Says His Brother, Best Friend Are In Islamic State
A Facebook user calling himself Abu Ali Mujahid often writes posts in support of the Islamic State. He appears to be suspended repeatedly by Facebook but returns under new accounts. In one post, Abu Ali Mujahid claims that his brother and his best friend from childhood had emigrated to Syria, to Mosul and to Raqqa, respectively. In addition to pro-ISIS rhetoric, Abu Ali Mujahid has also posted threats to and denigration of Shi'ites.
On February 4, 2016, the Islamic State in Aleppo province released a video directed against Jabha Al-Shamiya - a union of five large Islamic organizations established on December 24, 2014, and operating in the same province.
Al-Sahab Releases Part Five Of Al-Zawahiri's Reminiscences About Bin Laden
On February 2, 2015, Al-Qaeda's media wing, Al-Sahab, released part five of the "Days with the Imam" video series, in which the organization's leader, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, reminisces about Osama bin Laden. The links to the video were posted on the Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadi forum Al-Fida'. For an unspecified reason, this part was skipped after the release of part four, which was followed by parts six and seven, and has only been released now. Al-Zawahiri starts off by reiterating that he would only talk about those who are dead and would not mention those who are alive so as to not compromise their safety.
ISIS Claims It Downed American Drone
In a January 30, 2016 communique issued by the media company of ISIS's "Faluja Province" in Iraq, the organization takes credit for downing an American drone in the Al-Karmah region. The communiqu├®, posted on the jihadi forum Shumoukh Al-Islam and elsewhere, stated that "one of the [ISIS] air-defense units in the Al-Karmah region succeeded in downing an American drone using surface-to-air missiles." A forum member commented that the craft was a RQ-7 Shadow drone, which costs $750,000.
ISIS Claims Damascus Bombing, Threatens Further Attacks On Shi'ites
In a statement issued January 31, 2016 by its "Damascus Province," the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the double suicide bombing in Damascus' Sayyidah Zaynab suburb. The statement, posted on an ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, read: "Two soldiers of the Caliphate carried out martyrdom-seeking operations in the polytheist Rafida [Shi'ite] den in Damascus' Sayyida Zaynab area, harvesting around fifty dead and nearly 120 wounded from the polytheist [Shi'ites]. Let the [Shi'ites] know that, just as they kill they shall be killed, and just as they bomb they will be bombed. With Allah's permission, they will enjoy no security from the mujahideen's attacks."
ISIS Claims It Intercepted French Missile
On February 1, 2016, the media office of ISIS's "Aleppo Province" released photos of what it claims to be "the remains of a winged French missile" that it brought down over Manbij, northeast of Aleppo, using anti-aircraft weapons. ISIS's Al-A'maq news agency released a video of the debris, titled "Debris of the French Remote-Controlled Combat Aircraft Brought Down by ISIS Fighters West of Manbij in the Aleppo Region."[The photos and video suggest that the object is an unexploded SCALP EG / Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missile.
ISIS Launches Android App For Its Radio Broadcasts
The Islamic State (ISIS) has released an app providing streaming broadcasts by its official radio station, Al-Bayan. The app, which is also named Al-Bayan, is designed for Android devices.
Filipina ISIS Member Blogs, Tweets About Life As A Wife In The Islamic State
A Filipina ISIS member calling herself Lady Ghuraba ("stranger") and Umm Asma offers tips and advice via her Wordpress blog and Twitter account. While she does not reveal a great deal of personal information, she mentions that she is married to a Somali fighter, and she claims to reside in the Islamic State. The titles of some of her blog posts include "Being a Wife of Mujahid," and "Obeying Husband (A Key to Paradise)." She also discusses polygamy in great detail. The following report will feature selected blog posts and tweets from her accounts.
Following are excerpts from an Indian media report revealing that 14 youths recently arrested by Indian security agencies have revealed that the Pakistani military's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is helping recruit militants for the Islamic State (ISIS) in India.
Indian Media Report: 'Over 30,000 People In India Are In Contact With ISIS'
An Indian media report warns that thousands of Indian nationals are in contact with the Islamic State (ISIS). The report noted that "over 30,000 people in India are in contact with ISIS. Also, these 30,000 are ready to work for ISIS to wage war against their own country i.e. India."
