The following is a complimentary edition of the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Weekly Digest. It includes exclusive reports and items from the past week on Jihadist websites.
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THE WEEK IN JIHAD
A new audio recording has been released from Ayman Al-Zawahiri, his second in as many weeks. He mentioned the attempted Times Square bombing, the first time a senior Al-Qaeda commander has done so (though a different, documentary-style Al-Qaeda video released a few days earlier had likewise mentioned Faisal Shahzad). Al-Zawahiri's point in mentioning Times Square was to say that because the U.S. and the West had rejected Al-Qaeda's offer of a truce, it has been hit by repeated attacks, and would face more attacks in the future. The video was ostensibly a eulogy for his fellow commander Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid, but much of it was devoted to other issues: Iraq, Afghanistan, the Gaza flotilla, Yemen, and France's recent ban on the niqab (the full face veil).
Al-Zawahiri did not directly threaten France over this issue; he seemed more interested in exploiting the issue to turn European Muslims away from identification with the societies in which they live. But tensions between Al-Qaeda and France increased sharply this week for quite another reason. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) announced that it executed the elderly French hostage, Michel Germaneau, shortly after a joint French-Mauritanian raid against the organization failed to rescue him. The episode has greatly escalated the level of confrontation between France and AQIM, though it is not clear yet if this will translate into a more active military role for France in the Sahel, which would represent a significant change in the regional dynamic.
There have also been major developments in Somalia, where the fighting has now spread to the autonomous region of Puntland. Puntland is a major pirate base, but until now it has mostly been spared the fighting that is endemic to much of the rest of the country. The various accounts of what actually happened differ widely, but it is clear that the Galgala-based guerilla force led by Mohammad Sa'id Atam clashed with the forces of the regional government near the port city of Bosaso. Some reports claim that Atam is in essence part of Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen, while others view the recent clashes as more related to clan rivalries. Meanwhile the African Union is pouring thousands of additional troops into the country, and equally significantly, is considering whether to expand AMISOM's mission statement to allow it to undertake offensive actions against Al-Shabab. In related news, Al-Shabab has announced that it is founding a "news channel"; it is yet to be seen exactly what exactly is meant by this.
Al-Fajr Media Center, which is Al-Qaeda's distributor but also produces its own material, is releasing a new lecture series called "The Terror Industry." The lecturer is 'Abdallah Al-'Adm, about whom not much information is available, but who seems to be an Arab jihadist in the Waziristan region or thereabouts. The first installment was based on writings by the Al-Qaeda military commander Saif Al-'Adel and dealt primarily with operational security; we will be reporting on the following installments shortly.
There has been an additional appointment in the senior command of the Caucasus Emirate: Dokka Umarov, the head of the organization, announced that Aslambek Vadalov is to be his deputy and his successor in the event that he is killed. It was Umarov who expanded the Chechen insurgency into a purely Islamist pan-Caucasian organization, and this appointment should be considered an attempt to make sure that this unified framework will remain when he is gone. The life expectancy of Caucasus commanders is rather short, so Umarov's move in this regard was the better part of prudence. A new "governor" has also been appointed for Chechnya, which the Emirate refers to as "Nokchicho province."
EXCLUSIVE REPORTS
Jihadists Threaten Bloodshed in Response to Florida Church's Planned "International Burn a Quran Day"
July 29, 2010
Members of the Al-Falluja jihadist forum are threatening to shed "rivers" of American blood in response to a Florida church's plan to hold an "International Burn a Quran Day" on the upcoming anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The Dove World Outreach Center of Gainseville, FL, announced its plans to hold the event in a posting on its Facebook page earlier this month. In response, a member of the Al-Falluja forum, the premier global jihadist forum on the internet, threatened "a war the likes of which you have never seen before." The moderators of the forum promoted his post, which also garnered a large number of responses in which other forum members incited to violence. The post, written on July 29 by "Abu Sulayman Al-Nasir," reads: "In the name of Allah the Merciful and the Compassionate, from Abu Sulayman Al-Nasir to the Americans: peace be upon those who follow the guidance. We have heard that one of your churches is planning to hold a gathering to burn the noble Quran on the anniversary of September 11. Oh Americans: I swear by Allah who raised the heavens without any pillars, if you do this action then expect from us a war the likes of which you have never seen before. This will be a war that will decimate you and will spill rivers of your blood. You will see us with drawn swords that will make you taste death by land, by sea, and by air, and we will not rest until we have killed dozens of you for every letter of Allah's book, if you dare to do injury to it." A number of the forum members who responded to the message called on the "students of Anwar Al-Awlaki" to carry out the threats, and urged American Muslims to implement what they read in Inspire, Al-Qaeda's new English-language magazine.
Pakistani NGO Organizes Courses in "Jihadist Verses" of the Holy Koran in 18 Cities of Pakistan
July 29, 2010
Al-Rehmat Trust, a non-governmental organization, which works as a front for the Pakistani jihadist organization Jaish-e-Muhammad, has organized a series of teaching lessons in the "jihadist verses" of the holy Koran in several Pakistani cities. According to a report in the Urdu-language weekly magazine Haftroza Al-Qalam, which belongs to the Jaish-e-Muhammad, the teaching lessons were organized by the Majlis-e-Dawat-ul-Quran Pakistan. Jaish-e-Muhammad is an Al-Qaeda-linked militant group headed by Maulana Masood Azhar, who was among three militants released by India in exchange for the passengers of the Indian plane hijacked to Kandahar in 1999. The Haftroza Al-Qalam report notes that the Majlis-e-Dawat-ul-Quran Pakistan is an institution working under the Al-Rehmat Trust. The report, titled "2,060 Students, 13,105 People Took Lessons in Jihad," has been published in the latest issue of Haftroza Al-Qalam. According to the report, 150 people participated in one of the sessions held in Wah Cantonment, a military city near Islamabad.
"Irish" Jihadist Posts Advice on How to Enlist in a Jihad Front
July 26, 2010
A member of the Al-Falluja jihadist forum, "'Abd Al-Hamid Al-Irlandi" (i.e. "the Irish"), recently posted tips for those wishing to join up with a jihadist organization on one of the battle fronts. The author writes as though he has personal experience fighting in the jihad, though obviously this cannot be independently confirmed. 'Abd Al-Hamid Al-Irlandi posts fairly regularly on a number of jihadist forums; he is clearly fluent in Arabic, and it is not know whether he lives in Ireland, or why he refers to himself as "the Irish."
Jihadist Forum Member Warns of Imminent Attack on One of the U.S. Embassies in the Arab Countries
July 25, 2010
A July 25, 2010 post to the Al-Fallujah jihadist web forum threatened an imminent attack against Americans, in retaliation for U.S. President Obama's determination to continue the war in Afghanistan. In his post titled (in English) "We Will Destroy [the] U.S.A.," forum member Sayf Al-Jihad Al-Hadd wrote that much American blood would be spilled in the streets of one of the following countries: Syria, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, or Morocco. He also listed the addresses of the U.S. embassies in these countries.
ALERTS, PLANNING AND TRAINING
In Audio Eulogy for Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid, Ayman Al-Zawahiri Mentions Times Square Attack and Promises More to Come
July 27, 2010
On July 27, 2010, Al-Qaeda's media wing Al-Sahab released a new 47-minute audio message from Ayman Al-Zawahiri, in which he eulogized his longtime companion and fellow Al-Qaeda commander Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid (Sa'id Al-Masri). Al-Zawahiri also addressed a broad range of other issues in the course of his message: he promised that victory was near in Iraq and Afghanistan; threatened further attacks in the U.S. and the West; belittled the Gaza flotilla and urged the Turks to reassume the role of the Ottoman Empire as the defender of Muslim lands; and decried France's ban on the niqab, among other topics. The video bears the date of Rajab 1431 [June-July 2010]. The following are excerpts:
"Our Dead Are in Paradise, and Your Dead Are in Hellfire"
"The Crusader spy planes, guided by the traitorous, collaborator Pakistani military intelligence apparatus, rained nine missiles on the house of the sheikh [Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid], may Allah have mercy on him, and killed him, and his family, and seven of the ansar [i.e. the Taliban], who loved the sheikh and assisted him, may Allah have mercy on them all. The killed the sheikh, his family, and his helpers, and we will kill them all day, by Allah's grace. But this is not the same [for us and for you]:
"At the battle of Uhud [in which the Muslims lost], Abu Sufyan [then a leader of the Meccan polytheists] stood up and said: 'This battle evens out the battle of Badr' [which the Muslims won]… The Prophet of Allah, Allah's prayer and peace be upon him, replied: 'This is not the same [for us and for you]. Our dead live on, and receive sustenance [from their Lord; cf. Quran 3:169], while your dead are being tormented in Hellfire.' 'Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said to [Abu Sufyan]: 'This is not the same. Our dead are in Paradise, and your dead are in Hellfire'.
"Our dead are paving the way for the victory of Islam, and your dead are bringing you closer to the abyss of defeat. Our dead are vying with one another for Paradise, and your dead flee from their end. The closer victory gets, the more martyrs we offer up; this is how we bring victory…"
In Iraq the Americans Are Leaving, but the Mujahideen Are Staying
"… General John [sic] Odierno went to the White House to tell Obama what he likes to hear: that the situation in Iraq permits the reduction of the troop force starting next August, from 80,000 to 50,000, and to give him the good news that jihad operations had dropped in Iraq to their lowest level – as he claimed – and that the American troops and their Iraqi collaborators had succeeded in killing and arresting 34 out of a total of 42 wanted Al-Qaeda commanders.
In New Video, Al-Qaeda Holds up Faisal Shahzad as Proof that Poverty and Desperation Are Not the Causes of Terrorism
July 25, 2010
On July 25, 2010, Al-Qaeda's media wing Al-Sahab released a 43-minute 35-second documentary-style video about a "martyrdom" attack on a military base in Urgun district of Paktika province, near the Pakistani border. The attack documented is apparently one that took place on May 21, 2010. According to the video, the four "martyrdom" attackers were Luqman Al-Makki from one of the Gulf states; Naimullah, a Pakistani from Swat; Mus'ab from Turkey; and Musa from Afghanistan. The attack was dubbed "The Raid of the Two Martyred Sheikhs," in honor of the slain commanders of the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi and Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir. In addition to documentation of the attack in Urgun, the video broaches the subject of the motivation for martyrdom attacks; it is in this segment that the video mentions Faisal Shahzad, which marks the first time that he has been mentioned in an official Al-Qaeda video. The segment criticizes the Western media, and the BBC in particular, for portraying suicide/martyrdom attacks as a product of ignorance and desperation.
Jihadist Audio Lecture on OPSEC, First in New "Terror Industry" Series
July 23, 2010
Al-Fajr Media Center has released the first installment of a new jihadist audio lecture series titled "The Terror Industry" (sina'at al-irhab). Al-Fajr is the most important global jihadist media network in operation: it has the exclusive franchise to distribute Al-Qaeda productions, and also releases productions of its own. While Al-Fajr is not "officially" part of Al-Qaeda, it is closely affiliated with it. The first audio lecture in the series is on jihadist strategy and tactics, and focuses primarily on the topic of operational security. The lecture is based on an essay by senior Al-Qaeda military commander Saif Al-'Adel. The lecturer is Abu 'Ubayda 'Abdallah Al-'Adm, about whom not much is known. Al-'Adm emphasizes the role of operational security as a condition for achieving the element of surprise, which he characterizes as "half of victory." On this point he references a number of military strategists, apparently J.F.C. Fuller, B.H. Liddel Hart, and Stalin (though his pronunciation of the names is not especially clear). Here too Al-'Adm cites the 9/11 attacks as exemplary: though "Sheikh Osama" had been publicly hinting at forthcoming attacks, the U.S. was expecting that Al-Qaeda would attack overseas, and not in America and with its own airplanes.
GLOBAL JIHAD NEWS
Fighting in South and Central Somalia Spreading to Puntland
July 27, 2010
In follow up to recent reports about clashes between Puntland government troops and an armed Islamist group headed by Mohammad Sa'id Atam, the jihadi website Al-Falluja posted, on July 26, 2010, a report by "Abu Zubayr Al-Somali," who frequently writes from the field. The report states that tribes in eastern Somalia cooperated with the mujahideen in launching a large-scale attack on the U.S.-trained "apostate" forces near the town of Bosaso on the Gulf of Aden, and captured a large quantity of loot that will "suffice for months, if not years." According to the Somali website Garowonline.com, 13 mujahideen were killed in these clashes, and the president of Puntland has called on the world, and especially on the neighboring countries, to help his government defeat the terrorists.
Shabab Al-Mujahideen Announces Launching of News Channel
July 27, 2010
In a recent communique, the Somali jihad group Shabab Al-Mujahideen announced that its recently established media company, Al-Kataib, will soon launch a news channel by the same name. The message, posted July 24, 2010 on the jihadi forum Al-Falluja, states that the media war against the infidels necessitates the development of mechanisms to bring the truth, and the voice of the mujahideen, to the entire world.
AQAP Video Commemorates Five of the Organization's Shahids
July 27, 2010
A jihadi website has posted a 55-minute video issued by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), commemorating five of the organization's fighters who have been killed in Yemen. The video, posted July 21 on the website Ansar Al-Mujahideen, was produced by AQAP's media company Al-Malahim and dated Rajab 1431 (June-July 2010). It states that four of the fighters were Saudis, named Muhammad 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashid, Fahd Saleh Al-Jutayli, Sultan Radi Al-'Utaybi and Yousuf Hadyan Al-Hadyan, and the fifth was a Yemeni named Ahmad Yousuf Al-Waqidi. The Saudis had fought in other jihad arenas, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, before coming to Yemen. One of them had spent time in Guantanamo, and two had participated in the kidnapping and killing of Bassam Al-Sharjabi, head of investigations in Marib province. The Yemeni fighter had participated in the 2008 attack on the US embassy in San'a. All five were killed on September 25, 2009 in an accidental explosion that occurred during the manufacture of explosives.
AQIM: We Have Executed French Hostage in Revenge for Death of Six Fighters
July 26, 2010
Al-Jazeera has aired a short segment of a new video issued by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). In it, the emir of the organization, Abu Mus'ab 'Abd Al-Wudoud, announces that AQIM has executed French hostage Michel Germano, who had been held by the organization in Mali since April 22, 2009. Abu Mus'ab states that Germano was executed in retaliation for the killing of six AQIM fighters during a failed French attempt to free the hostage.
Somali Minister: Interim Government on Verge of Collapse under Jihadi Attacks
July 26, 2010
According to an Internet report, Somali Information Minister Abdirahman Osman has called on the international community to act promptly in order to "save Somalia," because its interim government is on the verge of collapse due to the ongoing attacks by the armed jihadi opposition, headed by Shabab Al-Mujahideen. The minister said that "the security situation in the country is completely out of hand," and that "the citizens' lives are hell." He called to reinforce the African forces in Mogadishu, warning that the crisis in Somalia could endanger all of East Africa, or even Africa at large.
Emir of Caucasus Emirate Names Aslambek Vadalov as His Deputy and Successor
July 25, 2010
The Emir of the Islamic Emirate of the Caucasus, Dokka Umarov, has named a new deputy and successor. Following is the text of the report from KavkazCenter: "Emir of the Caucasus Emirate Dokku Abu Usman has officially announced the appointment as his deputy (naib) and future successor, [in] case of his death, the commander of the Eastern Front of the Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate Emir Aslambek (Aslambek Vadalov). In a special message sent to commanders and governors of the provinces of the Caucasus Emirate, Dokku Abu Usman indicated that he took this decision after careful consideration, in connection with the importance of succession of power and the need to be ready for any situation."
Jihadist Forum Member Claims 9 French Commandos Killed in Anti-AQIM Operation in Mali
July 25, 2010
A member of the Al-Falluja jihadist forum has posted what he claims are the names of nine French DGSE commandos who were killed in an operation against Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. There is no independent confirmation of his claim, nor does he explain how he knows the names of the commandos. France has acknowledged that French soldiers participated in a Mauritanian army operation against an AQIM camp in Mali on July 22, but it has not announced any French casualties in the raid. Various media outlets have reported that the true aim of the operation was to liberate the French hostage Michel Germaneau, who turned out not to be held at the locale where the raid took place. The jihadist forum member who posted the claim of French fatalities goes by the username "Karim Al-Maghribi" (i.e. "the Moroccan"). He is a frequent writer on Al-Falluja, which is the premier global jihadist web forum; one of his main activities is the translation of reports from the Spanish and French media into Arabic, thanks to which he has even been recognized by the forum as an "official" translator.
FROM THE URDU-PASHTU PROJECT
Taliban Vow Jihad to Exterminate the Secular Pashtun Party
July 28, 2010
Yesterday, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP or the Movement of Pakistani Taliban) has warned that it is the duty of the mujahideen to annihilate the Awami National Party (ANP), the secular Pashtun party that rules the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, according to a Pakistani daily. According to the report, TTP spokesman Azam Tariq said that the ANP is "not only the enemy of the Taliban, but Islam as well." Tariq said that Pashtuns cannot tolerate the existence of the ANP in the region, as the party is an enemy of Islam.
Taliban Commander Captured In Kunduz Province
July 28, 2010
At least four Taliban militants, including their commander, were captured and another militant was killed in the northern province of Kunduz on Tuesday, according to an Afghan news website. Provincial police chief Brig Gen. Abdul Razaq Yaqub said that militant commander Abdul Wali was detained along with three militants during an operation in Kunduz city, according to the report.
Taliban Militants Surrender In Herat Province
July 27, 2010
A dozen Taliban militants, including their group leader, laid down their arms in Afghanistan's western Herat province on Monday and pledged to support the government, according to a Dari-language daily. The Taliban commander, Rahimullah, and his supporters had been operating against the provincial government in the restive Shindand district, according to the newspaper's report.
The Taliban In Afghanistan Vow To Defeat General Petraeus's Policy Of Arming Villagers – With Martyrdom Operations
July 26, 2010
In a statement, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban's shadow government) has criticized General David Petraeus' policy of arming villagers against the Taliban, saying that such policies have failed in the past. Noting that a policy of arming villagers during the rule of Dr. Najibullah in the late 1980s had failed, the statement says, "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is certain that the Petraeus plan of forming a new local militia would end in a failure, as our Islam-loving nation's and our Mujahideen's advanced tactical warfare and the heroic martyrdom operations get in the way of their success." The statement, issued in both English and Pashtu, was mailed by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to various media organizations and journalists in Afghanistan.
Government Employees Leave Jobs Due To Taliban Threats
July 26, 2010
Government employees in Afghanistan's Charkh district, where two U.S. soldiers were seized by the Taliban a few days ago, are leaving jobs due to fear of the militants, according to a Pashtu-language daily. The residents of the district in Logar province said that the Taliban threatened two weeks ago that those who did not quit their government jobs would be killed.
Pakistani Taliban Spokesman Says 3,000 Fighters Ready for Attacks in India, Notes: 'For Us, Whether They are Hindus or Jews, They All are the Same'
July 26, 2010
In a recent interview, Azam Tariq, the spokesman of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, or the Movement of Pakistani Taliban), has outlined the Taliban's plans for jihad against India, after taking over Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Taliban spokesman warned that more than 3,000 suicide bombers have been trained for battle in India, according to the exclusive interview published by an Indian website. Without specifically mentioning Israel, Tariq indicated that the jihad's trajectory will move to the Middle East after a "decisive battle" in "Hindustan," i.e. India. It does not appear that his threat is a cause of immediate worry for Indian authorities, but the statement will be taken seriously by Indian security agencies in view of the October Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and next year's multi-nation World Cup Cricket tournament in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
In Peaceful Afghan Province, Taliban Begin Intimidating Villagers
July 23, 2010
Dozens of Taliban militants have begun intimidating villagers to turn against the government in the Dara-i-Sauf district of Afghanistan’s relatively peaceful northern province of Samangan, according to an Afghan news website. As many as 45 militants have been visiting mosques, roaming about villages over the past two weeks and provoking residents against the government, said acting district chief Eng. Muhammad Qurban. According to the report, the Taliban have also blocked the main road connecting the district center to the provincial capital of Aibak and have established checkpoints on the road.
Top Harkat Ul-Jihad Al-Islami Militant Killed In Kashmir
July 23, 2010
A top militant of the multinational militant network Harkat Ul-Jihad Al-Islami has been killed in the Sopore area of India's Jammu & Kashmir state, according to an Urdu-language daily. He was alleged to be the mastermind of a suicide attack at Lal Chowk in the state capital of Srinagar, according to a report in an Urdu-language daily.
