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: A Review Of Ansar Al-Shari'a In Tunisia's Facebook Page
By: M. Khayat
Introduction
Since its establishment in post-revolution Tunisia, Ansar Al-Shari'a in Tunisia (AST), the leading Salafi-jihadi organization in the country, has relied heavily on Facebook to promote its agenda. AST's use of Facebook peaked in 2012-2013, in which period the organization operated a main Facebook page as well as numerous "regional"[1] pages that spread its message inside and outside Tunisia. In terms of their content, the pages promoted two main messages simultaneously. On the one hand, they emphasized AST's activities of da'wa (propagating Islam), which were the focus of the organization's activity inside Tunisia since its inception, as well AST's humanitarian activities for the benefit of the Tunisian population. At the same time, they propagated a jihadi message, expressing support for the global jihad movement in its struggle against "the Crusader-Zionist enemy," glorifying "martyrs," and rejoicing over mujahideen's victories over the "unbelievers." These two messages were aimed at two different audiences: the message of da'wa was aimed at the general Tunisian population whereas the jihadi message was directed at more extremist, jihadi elements.
Jihadi Media Outlet Promotes Upcoming Video About American Fighter In Syria
On May 15, 2014, the Global Islamic Media Front, a jihadi media outlet, released a promo video for its upcoming release titled "The Story of an American Muhajir [Foreign Fighter] in Sham [Syria]". In the promo, a fighter whose face is blurred, wearing a vest bearing the Jabhat Al-Nusra logo, says in English, "Jihad is protecting Islam, it is [a] haqq [right] on you to protect your brothers and [the] oppressed, it is [a] haqq on you to fight." Another short scene shows a burning U.S. passport.
On May 13, 2014, the Al-Kataib Foundation, the media wing of the Somalia-based Al-Qaeda affiliate jihadi group Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen, released part 5 in the group's propaganda video series titled "Mujahideen Moments." The video features a masked jihadi delivering a brief message in English. In it, the man speaks to Muslims living in the West, and asks them to choose from three options: to "take your Istishhadi [i.e. suicide] vest" on a lone-wolf mission; to leave everything behind and make hijra to join Al-Shabab's ranks; or to stay in the West and be "deceived by the devil," while living amongst "them" (i.e. non-Muslims).
Two British ISIS Fighters Reportedly Killed By Jabhat Al-Nusra
On May 8, 2014, Qa'qa Al-Biritani, a British jihadi and member of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), who arrived to Syria in October 2013, tweeted that two other Britons, Abu Jibril Al-Biritani and Abu Abdullah Al-Biritani (or Al-Pakistani), were killed in Syria.
Abu Jibril, Qa'qa tweeted, was "killed by Jabhatun-Nusrah in suicide bomb attack." However, no details were provided as to the exact circumstances behind his death. One person responding to Qa'qa's tweet claimed that Abu Jibril was in fact on his way to "commit mass slaughter upon the leaders of Nussra and their fighters," contrary to Qa'qa's claim that he was killed by a JN suicide bomber. Another person, also responding to the same tweet, questioned if the alleged JN suicide bomber even knew that he was attacking ISIS men to begin with.
Australian Fighter In Syria Shares His Experiences On Facebook
In a Facebook page titled "The Irhabi" (The Terrorist), an English-speaking jihad fighter calling himself "Iron Clad" and Abu Sufyaan, apparently an Australian who recently arrived in Syria, recounts some of his experiences in this country. The page, opened in 2008, contains a single post from that year, whereas the rest of the content was posted recently, starting in March 2014, and deals with Syria. The following are details.
In New Message, Al-Shabab Leader Abu Al-Zubair Incites Against France, Shows Support For Al-Zawahiri
On May 14, 2014, the Somali Al-Qaeda-affiliate Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen released a new audio by its leader, Mukhtar Abu Al-Zubair, titled "The Muslims of Bangui and Mombasa: A Tragedy". In the recording, Abu Al-Zubair discusses the situation of Muslims in the Central African Republic (CAR) and in Kenya, and accuses the French forces stationed in the CAR of responsibility for massacres perpetrated against the country's Muslims.
Addressing the topic of the infighting among the jihadi groups in Syria, Abu Al-Zubair urges them to put their disputes aside and focus on the real enemies. However, he is careful to demonstrate his respect and loyalty to Al-Qaeda and to its leader, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, whom he calls "our sheikh.and emir."
In a May 11, 2014 audio message by its spokesman, Abu Muhammad Al-'Adnani, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) responds to a May 2 message by Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri in which the latter proclaimed his authority over the ISIS and accused it of insubordination.[1] Al-'Adnani continues to rebut Al-Zawahiri's claim, presenting various arguments to show that the ISIS is, and always had been, an independent organization, though it was always careful to show respect for Al-Qaeda. He blames Al-Zawahiri himself for causing the rift among the mujahideen in Syria, and does not hesitate to accuse him of being lax in his religious views and even suggest he has become senile.
Islamic Front Detonates Tunnel Bomb Near Idlib, Syria
On May 14, 2014, the Islamic Front released a video showing the detonation of a tunnel bomb at a military site near Idlib, Syria.
Egyptian Jihad Group Ansar Bait Al-Maqdis Explains Its Creed
In a audio recording issued by the Egyptian Salafi-jihadi group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, titled "This Is Our Creed and Our Mode of Operation," group member Abu Osama Al-Masri details the group's religious creed and the methods by which it operates, backing his claims with numerous quotations from the Koran and its commentaries. It should be noted that the U.S. designated Ansar Bait Al-Maqdis as a terrorist group on April 9, 2014.
The Islamic Front (IF), an umbrella organization of a number of Islamist opposition groups in Syria, recently launched the "Electronic Islam Company," the IF's cyber warfare arm, which is tasked with hacking Syrian regime's websites and any pro-Bashar Al-Assad webpages.
IF's logo and the "Electronic Islam Company" on the back of computer
Tweets about the activity of the Electronic Islam Company first appeared on Twitter on May 2. Those tweets included links to a number of YouTube videos, which allegedly showed compromised webpages following the attacks. The videos, it is noteworthy, were all posted on the YouTube channel of Fursan Al-Islam ("Islam Knights").
Map courtesy: nation.com.pk
A leading Pakistani research institute warns that militants belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its local affiliates are moving into South Punjab, which has been a safe haven for several jihadi groups.
In a research paper written by Farhan Humayun, the Islamabad-Jinnah Institute warned that South Punjab, a sanctuary for criminal groups, already hosts a mix of jihadi organizations such as Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), the latter being engaged in the systematic killing of Shi'ite Muslims. Currently, the bulk of TTP and Al-Qaeda jihadi fighters are based in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATAs) and the adjacent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. In recent years, they have however migrated to Karachi and Punjab.
The author also noted that the inclusion of LeJ commander Asmatullah Muawiya in the Shura (executive council) of the TTP could build the TTP's links to South Punjab. "Muawiya, once considered a rival by former Taliban commander Hakimullah Mehsud, is the TTP's passport to sanctuary in Punjab where Pashtun and Uzbek militants with passable Urdu language skills can benefit from target reconnaissance support and access to training sites," he warned.
The following are excerpts from the report:
"There Are Presently 18 Security Checkpoints Manning The Roads, Bridges, And Some 68 Indus River Crossings That Connect [Militancy-Affected] Khyber Pakhtunkhwa To South Punjab"
"For militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the simplest entry-point into Punjab is Dera Ghazi Khan, a district made especially vulnerable to penetration by virtue of its geography: a vertical, semi-mountainous strip that borders three other provinces. By road, the N55 of the Indus Highway from Bannu connects to Dera Ismael Khan. From there, it feeds into northern Dera Ghazi Khan. There are presently 18 security checkpoints manning the roads, bridges, and some 68 Indus river crossings that connect Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to South Punjab, but most of these decades-old pickets employ random methods of checking travelers and vehicles."
In Baluchistan province, where Baluchi rebels are fighting for independence from Pakistan, militant groups have declared the teaching of English forbidden by Islam and has also called to stop girls' education.
According to a Pakistani media report, militants based in Panjgur, Baluchistan's western district, threatened 23 English-language learning centers to shut down and stop providing co-education in English, which they say is "Haram [prohibited] in Islam."
One such militant group that has come to the notice of Pakistani security agencies calls itself "Tanzeem-ul-Islami-ul-Furqan" – a new group whose background is not known.
Following are excerpts from the report:
"Masked armed men barged into one language center on Wednesday [May 7] and threatened the teachers and the young male and female students. 'Co-education and learning [the] English language is Haram (forbidden in Islam),' they told the teachers, according to one instructor who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The armed men destroyed the school's furniture and tore textbooks during the incident."
A madrassa student
Lahskar-e-Islam (LI), a jihadi group based in the Pakistani tribal district of Khyber Agency, has ordered local tribesmen to enroll at least one of their sons at an LI-controlled madrassa or pay 400,000 Pakistani rupees as compensation.
According to a report on the website of the Dawn newspaper, tribesmen in the district's Bara region said: "The militant outfit has displayed wall posters in streets and bazaars in Nala Malikdin Khel area asking the locals to get at least one of their sons to the madrassa (Islamic seminary)."
In a new video, Sheikh Khalid Haqqani, the deputy emir of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), delivers a lecture for Taliban (literally: students) of Islamic seminaries, telling them that it was their practice of jihad in Afghanistan which brought them global honor and calls to free jihadis imprisoned in different parts of the world, including Dr. Aafia Siddiqui who is jailed in the U.S.
The video, which is 19:29 long and was released through a jihadi internet forum and YouTube, is produced by Umar Media, the TTP's broadcasting arm.
Speaking in Urdu, Haqqani says: "The way of obtaining knowledge is based on study, in the same way the result of knowledge is based on practice. And what is practice? The practice is an action. To give that knowledge an external existence; that knowledge without practice is barren and action without knowledge is ill. Together, both of them become Sirat-e-Mustaqeem [the path of steadfastness or right path]."
