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News, documents and analysis on violent extremismFriday, March 1, 2013
Inspire 10: Still sucksI guess I'm never going to get to write a self-congratulatory post about how I got a shout-out in Inspire, because I still don't have anything much good to say about it.Issue No. 10 of the English-language vehicle for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula just came out, and while it's crawled back from the precipice of copy-editing collapse hinted at in its last issue, it's still a sad little effort that gets taken awfully seriously. The "hit list" of targets named by Al Qaeda and friends repeatedly over the years is neither fresh nor surprising. The recycled content remains recycled, the original content remains uninspired. The flashy graphics remain flashy. The part of the publication that most concerns U.S. counterterrorism officials is, of course, "Open-Source Jihad," AQAP's how-to guide for "lone wolf" terrorists. Regular readers will recall that this feature was self-parody from the beginning, and it's descended further into absurdity with this issue's advice that Western mujahideen should try to cause traffic accidents and carry out ninja-style assassinations. And no, I'm not joking, that's really their advice. Certainly, one can kill people even using absurd methods, but Inspire's readers have so far been distinguished by a lack of competence using tactics of more reliable lethality than lubricating highways so cars will slide and crash (again, not joking). Look, lone wolf terrorism is a legitimate concern, even if it's generally far less common and less effective than people would have you think. And sure, it would be better if there wasn't this magazine goading idiots into attempting violence. I'm in favor of talking about these things, and I have specific concerns about them. But let's also keep it real. Inspire is ridiculous, and hyping its potency (about halfway into the clip) only elevates its status. Inspire remains unoriginal and largely ineffective. By all means, let's talk about it, but let's not forget to keep it in context. For more about American jihadists, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Labels: Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, AQAP, Inspire-Magazine Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Saturday, November 10, 2012
Review: The Last Refuge
The history of Al Qaeda has a prismatic quality, taking on a
different color depending on the angle from which you examine it.
Gregory Johnsen's TheLast Refuge: Yemen, al-Qaeda, and America's War in Arabia brings a shockingly
fresh perspective to the story, examining the terrorist organization through its
tortured relationship with Yemen.
Starting with the jihad against the Soviets in Afghanistan,
Johnsen puts on a masterful show of storytelling as he unravels the twin
stories of Yemeni involvement in Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda's impact on Yemen.
Johnsen is a former Fulbright fellow and current doctoral
candidate at Princeton, but this is no dry academic read. From its first pages,
The Last Refuge unfolds like a novel,
effortlessly guiding readers through a thicket of complex situations and unfamiliar
characters, bringing their stories to life.
In this respect, it compares favorably to Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower, and the books also
complement each other in terms of content. Wright offers the broadest picture
of Al Qaeda's early history and formation, while Johnsen tells the story as it
was seen by Yemenis. The perspectives are so different that you could easily read
the books back to back without fear of repetition.
Much of this story will be new to readers, even those with a
previous interest in Al Qaeda. Johnsen draws extensively on Arabic language sources,
including media reports and jihadi writings, as well as his own field work in
Yemen. His time on the ground shows in an abundance of rich and evocative
detail rarely associated with books on terrorism.
The author breathes life into key figures such as Tarik al-Fadli,
who fought alongside Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, and Nasir al-Wihayshi, bin
Laden's former personal secretary and the leader of Al Qaeda's current incarnation in
Yemen, as well as a host of supporting characters.
The result is a rich narrative and a
compelling portrait not only of the jihadist current in Yemen, but of the rise
and the beginning of the fall of Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose challenging and
contradictory personality jumps off the page at times.
But unlike the fiction genre from which Johnsen clearly draws
literary inspiration, The Last Refuge
begins to lose steam just as events build toward a climax. There are obvious challenges
in writing a history of events as they happen, but The Last Refuge hits the fast-forward button in the late 2000s and
doesn't release it until the book concludes.
This is particularly disappointing for those who follow
Johnsen's work. The author is well known for his vocal and substantive critiques
of conventional wisdom regarding U.S. policies toward Yemen, including the
counterterrorism focus on Yemeni-American cleric Anwar Awlaki and the potentially
counterproductive tactic of aggressive missile and drone strikes inside the
country. But these subjects get the shortest of shrift in the book's penultimate
chapters.
The author offers little color on Awlaki, especially in
comparison to the lavish characterizations and backstories he provides for other
AQAP figures. This may be informed by his belief that Awlaki's importance in
AQAP has been overstated, but he doesn't make that case or attempt to clarify
what Awlaki's actual role might have been.
While this topic is plagued by conflicting and incomplete
information, there's ample source material to paint a compelling portrait of
Awlaki's personality and at least sketch a qualified outline of his significance,
or lack thereof.
Similarly, Johnsen skimps on the issue of U.S. airstrikes
against Yemeni targets, some of which are cataloged but not substantially
contextualized. The author's other work makes clear his strong opinions about how
air strikes may be counterproductive, contributing to anti-American sentiment disproportionate
to their strategic advantage. The Last
Refuge does little to convey how passionately Johnsen cares about this
issue, belying the subtitle's focus on "America's War in Arabia."
The breakneck pace of recent developments clearly
collided with the unavoidable time frame for publication. Saleh's departure,
for instance, occurs after the end of the book’s timeline, as do most of Al
Qaeda's interesting attempts at governance. Although publication schedules are understandable from a
writer’s perspective, for readers the final act simply can't live up to the
robust storytelling of earlier chapters, despite the inherent, escalating drama
of events.
Aggravating the lightness of the closing pages is the book's abrupt end. While Johnsen the storyteller shines through most of the book,
Johnsen the analyst never makes an appearance, not even at the conclusion,
where some context and guidance would be very welcome. There are no summations
or recommendations, and the book presents no road map to the complicated
lessons that might be learned.
Despite these shortcomings, The Last Refuge is undoubtedly a definitive history of the
formation and development of Al Qaeda in Yemen. As such, its value is
indisputable, and as a work of literature, it's a startlingly elegant debut. I highly recommend it on both counts.
Readers may find themselves wanting more -- especially those who work in terrorism-related
fields. But the quality and importance of this first book make it clear we'll
hear more from the author in the future. If The
Last Refuge is any indication, it will be worth the wait.
Check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Labels: Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, Anwar-Awlaki, AQAP, Yemen Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Thursday, July 19, 2012
Anwar Awlaki E-Mail Exchange With Fort Hood Shooter Nidal HasanThe following e-mails between Maj. Nidal Hasan and Anwar Awlaki were released today as part of the FBI's investigation into the handling of intelligence in the Fort Hood shooting spree that left 13 people dead in November 2009. They are reprinted here with Hasan's spelling errors intact. 01, email from Nidal Hasan to Anwar Awlaki, 12/17/2008 Assalum Alaikum Wa Rhahmutallahi Wa Barakatu, There are many soldiers in the us armed forces that have converted to Islam while in the service. There are also many Muslims who join the armed forces for a myriad of different reasons. Some appear to have internal conflicts and have even killed or tried to kill other us soldiers in the name of Islam i.e. Hasan Akbar, etc. Others feel that there is no conflict. Previous Fatwas seem vague and not very definitive. Can you make some general comments about Muslims in the u.s. military. Would you consider someone like Hasan Akbar or other soldiers that have committed such acts with the goal of helping Muslims/Islam (Lets just assume this for now) fighting Jihad and if they did die would you consider them shaheeds. I realize that these are difficult questions but you seem to be one of the only ones that has lived in the u.s. has a good understadning of the the Qur'an and Sunna and is not afraid of being direct. Jazaka'Allah Khair. 02, email from Nidal Hasan to Anwar Awlaki, 1/7/2009 Assalum Alaikum Wa-RhamatuAllahi Wa-Barakatu, Imam, It seems as though Iran is the only government that is not afraid to openly voice its discontent in a straight forward and firm way. I am curious about your opinion in regards to Israeli catalzing unitiy [sic] among all Muslims regardless of specific religious difference. Additionally, is it better for Muslims to say I am just Muslim and not Sunni or shia which seems to divide us. Jazak-Allah Khair. 03, email from Nidal Hasan to Anwar Awlaki, 1/16/2009 Asalaum Alaikum, Please comment if my flow of logic is correct. JazakAllah Khair, Is it Permissible to Fire Unguided Rockets into Israel There is no question that firing unguided rockets into Israel has the potential of indiscriminately killing civilians. The real question is why Hamas would do such a thing. Can one envision a scenario where it would be acceptable to so. Well, what if Israel was and continues to indiscriminately kill and hurt civilians and commit other atrocities in the Gaza territory to serve their expansionary ambitions. One can then begin to at least understand why the Palestinians would do such a thing. In fact it is probably one of the only things they can do to in an attempt to avenge themselves and repulse the enemy. Realistically it's akin to a mosquito attacking a man i.e. it's uncomfortable and annoying but not a real threat. One may consider the firing of missiles' into Israel a transgression in the eye of Allah (SWT) because of its indiscriminate nature. However, it one recalls the verse about the permissibility of transgressing albeit a different scenario I believe it still applies. Verse 2:194 states "The sacred month is for the sacred month, and for the prohibited things, there is the Law of Equality (Qisas). Then whoever transgresses the prohibition against you, you transgress likewise against him. And fear Allah (SWT), and know that Allah (SWT) is with Al-Muttaqun. Other verses that seem to apply include the following. 1. And those who when an oppressive wrong is inflicted on them (are not cowed but)help and defend themselves. (42:39) 2. The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree): but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation his reward is due from Allah: for (Allah) loveth not those who do wrong. (42:40). 3. But indeed if any do help and defend themselves after a wrong (done) to them against such there is no cause of blame (42:41). 4. The blame is only against those who oppress men with wrongdoing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land defying right and justice: for such there will be a Penalty grievous. (42:42) 04, email from Nidal Hasan to Anwar Awlaki Assalum Alaikum Sheikh Awlaki, I know your busy but please comment if the logic of this piece is accurate, am a novice at this and would like reassurance. May Allah (SWT) reward you. Hamas is a democratically elected Islamic organization that is trying to establish the law of God in their land. That is why they, as well as other Islamic countries are hated by the West. The Muslims should know that Hamas and other sprouting Islamic states will make mistakes and is not going to be perfect in the implementation of Shariah. The west will be sure to point these deficiencies out. However, the believers have mercy on the believers and are firm against the non-believers. Not the other way around. How is it that Israel and the U.S. can get away with so much in the way of the mischief that they create on the earth but if any Islamic group makes an error, they are ripped apart by the enemies of Islam, some of which call themselves Muslim, with that said, Hamas should be given the benefit of the doubt if any doubt exists in regards to their strategy of rocket firings in an attempt to repel the enemy. To the rest of the Muslim world the believers ask, how is it that while the weak and the oppressed men, women and children in Gaza are pleading: "Our Lord, rescue us from the people of this tyrannous country, and appoint for us a protector from you, and appoint to us, a helper from you, that no one comes to help. Where are the Muslims? So unlike those Islamic states that seem to be choked up when an oppressive wrong is inflicted on the Muslims, Hamas helps and defends its own Muslim people. The Palestinians have sanction to fight because they have been wronged and have been driven from their homes unjustly just because they are endeavoring to be a God abiding state and won"t submit to the enemy. And although they have full right to implement the concept of an ""eye for an eye"" or “injury for injury” and punish the Israelis with the like of that wherewith they are being punished, in reality Hamas seems to be more similar to mosquitoes bothering a camper on a hot summer day. More of a nuisance than an actual threat as measured by the number of causalities and damage those rockets have produced. Even if the Palestinians did forgive and forget the atrocities of the unjust killings of innocent men, women, and children, Israel would continue its transgressing oppression. Hamas and other Islamic countries believe death is better then oppression and do not to fear the blame of the blamers. The blame is only against those Zionists who oppress men with wrong-doing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land defying truth and justice and will be held accountable. Hamas, after mutual consultation among their fellow Muslims, seeks to make ready against the Israelis what ever force and war mounts they can muster, so that they may strike terror into the hearts of their enemies and the enemy of God. Even if all that amounts to is annoying rockets that render no real damage. Their goal is to be left alone, which can only be done by ridding themselves of Israeli aggression, blockades, and oppression. Again, the Palestinians could forgive the Zionist regimen but that wouldn’t stop the oppression and is thus a mute point. On top of that, the Western world makes clear that it does not want Islamic rule to prevail. Again- they make that quite clear; not only in their own lands but in the lands of the Muslims as witnessed by their mighty plotting around the world. So in the case of Israelis reckless aggression that costs the lives of innocent women, children, and men, the law of retribution applies. It's a matter of survival. If a country used a nuclear weapons on a country with the intent of destroying it, it would reciprocate in a similar manner hoping it would survive. Hamas and the Muslims hate to hurt the innocent but they have no choice if their going to have a chance to survive, flourish, and deter the Zionist enemy. The recompense for an evil is an evil. So, to claim that these rocket attacks go against the spirit of Islam is false. The blame is only against those who oppress men wrongly and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land defying truth and justice. When the enemies of Allah (SWT) tried to use the Islamic teachings against prophet Muhammad (SAWS) he uprooted those palms trees and defeated them. Even if Hamas and other budding Islamic nations do not make sound decisions at times one would expect Allah (SWT) to forgive them based on their intentions to please him by establishing and defending a country that envisions obedience to Allah (SWT). A good example of this is when an expedition to attack the Meccan caravan during a holy month was made by mistake, Allah (SWT) revealed that is was a grave sin but he not only forgave them but rewarded them further stating that disbelieving in him (SWT) was an even greater sin as a warning to the non believers. Again, Hamas and other Islamic nations use different strategies to defend their land. As they mature through this difficult process they need support from the believers and expect Muslims to suspend their critical judgment and make prayers to Allah (SWT) to help them. 05, email from Nidal Hasan to Anwar Awlaki, 02/16/2009 Please have alternative to donate to your web site. For example, checks/money orders may be sent to This can assure privacy for some who are concerned. Jazaka-Allah-Khair 06, email from Nidal Hasan to Anwar Awlaki, 02/16/2009 Assalum Alaikum Wa-RhamatuAllahi Wa-Barakatu, Please have alternative methods to donate to your web site. For example, checks/money orders may be sent to This can assure privacy for some who are concerned and maximize the amount given. Jazaka-Allah-Khair 07, email from Nidal Hasan to Anwar Awlaki, 02/16/2009 Assalum Alaikum Wa-RhamatuAllahi Wa-Barakatahu Imam, InshAllah, A $5,000.00 scholarship prize is being awarded for the best essay/piece entitled "Why is Anwar Al Awlaki a great activist and leader". We would be honored if you would award the prize. If you have any questions, concerns, or potential modifications, please e-mail me. Advertisement will be posted in the Muslim link, in the March 2009 issue. Jazakallah Khair, ViR Nidal PS-We met briefly a very long time ago when you were the Imam at Dar al Hijra. I doubt if you remember me. In any case I have since graduated medical school and finished residency training. 08, email from Awlaki to Hasan, 02/19/2009 Assalamu alaykum Br Nidal, I pray this message reaches you at the best state of emaan and health. Jazakum Allahu khairan for thinking good of me. I don't travel so I wont be able to physically award the prize and I am too "embarrassed" for a lack of the better word to award it anyway. Assalamu alaykum 09, email from Hasan to Awlaki, 02/19/2009 Al-Hamdu-leelah, It's nice to hear your voice even if its email. Unfortunately, when I sent the e-mail to you everyone was giving me the green light with tenative reassurances. Everything was in the process to launch the essay contest in time for the upcoming issue of the Muslim link. Now, obstacles have been placed by Muslims in the communtity that are petrified by potential repercussions. Allah willing everything will work out in such a way that pleases Allah (SWT). You have a very huge following but even among those there seems to be a large majority that are paralyzed by fear of losing some aspect of dunya. They would prefer to keep their admiration for you in their hearts. In any case, my personal experiences have taught me that if you align yourself to close to Allah (SWT) you will likely not have many friends but pleny of hardships. Even the Prophets use to say when is the help of Allah (SWT) coming. _May Allah (SWT) elevate those that please him and render useless the efforts of those that displease him; and ensure that we both are those that please him ameen. PS: If you need any assistance, Allah willing I will be able to help. I believe my biggest strength is my financial situation. Of course, and this goes without saying, that everything should be legal and in accordance with the u.s. Law and Allah (SWT) kno.ws best and is the best disposer of affairs and ultimately decides between truth and falsehood. InshaAllah, Allah (SWT) forgies us for our short coming, forbids are body from touching the Hell- Fire, allows plenty of shade on the day of reckoning, and hastens our entrance into Jannah where we will see each other (in Jannah) sipping on non-intoxicating wine in reclined thrones and in absolute and unending happiness. PS: Ilm looking for a wife that is willing to strive with me to please Allah (SWT). I will strongly consider a recommendation coming from you. Jazaka-Allah-Khair, Sincerely, Nidal Hasan SoA(SWT), MD, MPH 10, email from Awlaki to Hasan, 02/22/2009 Assalamu alaykum Br Nidal, Believe it or not I kind of felt that the contest would end up running into red tape. People in that part of the world are becoming very timid and it doesn't look it's getting any better. Thanks for the offer for help. Well it is needed but I just don't know how to do it. There are poor people, orphans, widows, dawa projects, and the list goes on. So if you have any ideas on how to get help across and in accordance to law in a climate that is strict to start with please let me know. Tell more about yourself. I will keep an eye for a sister. Assalamu alaykum 11, email from Hasan to Awlaki, 02/22/2009 I will keep trying. If Allah (SWT) wants somethig to occur no one can stop it. My job is to put the effort and have patience. Your various works force the controversial issues to surface and be addressed. If there is going to be a resolution between Islam and the West the difficult issues have to be brought up? I think this is important. It may take many generations before people realize the gift that Allah (SWT) has given them through your work. But, I see the value now and don't have to wait for your death. In regards to pleasing Allah (SWT) I, with his mercy, am already involved in giving to the poor, orphans, widows and dawa projects. They are usually connected with the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring MD but I do alot of work by myself because of the rigid criteria they have for giving to the poor and needy. Whether its time or money I truly believe Allah (SWT)? gives it all back and more. My goal is Jannat Firdaus and I praise and thank Allah (SWT) for giving be the ability to strive, to see the truth, to beg for his forgiveness, and ask for his guidance. If people truly understood the peace they could have by really believing that Allah (SWT) is in control and that he is just testing to see who is the best amongs us, it would be alot easier to see through Shaitans promises of poverty and destruction.? I want to be with those who are the best. Imam, if you have any specific projects that you feel are important to get on their feet let me know. I will read up on them and Inshallah I will please Allah (SWT). In regards to a sister for marriage. My name is Nidal Hasan. If you google "CSTS and Nidal Hasan" you will see a picture of me. I currently reside in Silver Sping MD; 301-547-XXXX. I was born and raised in the U.S .. Both, of my parents are from Palestine but have both passed away (yaAllaharhamhum). I joined the U.S. military at age 17 as an infantryman. I subsequently received a BS in Biocehmistry, Degree in medicine with residency training in psychiatry, and am just finishing up my fellowship training in Disaster and Preventive Psychiatry. During my workig career I have been a bus boy, a dishwasher, a cook, a cashier, a lab technician, a researcher, and entrepreneur. Allah (SWT) lifted the veil from my eyes about 8-9 years ago and I have been striving for Jannat Firdaus ever since. I hope, Inshallah, my endeavor will be realized. If you know someone that you feel that will be compatible and complement my endeavors to please Allah (SWT) please let me know. Assalum Alaykum, Nidal 12, email from Hasan to Awlaki, 02/28/2009 Attachment: "Public Opinion in the Islamic World on Terrorism, al Qaeda, and U.S. Policies" Assalum Alaikum Wa-Rhamatu-Allahi Wa-Barakatu, This well done survey sponsored by the U.S. goverment through the University of Maryland shows that most Muslims feel that US is trying to undermine Islam. It substantiates an earlier study it did as well as other studies by other organizations. I think you will find it interesting. V/R Nidal 13, email from Hasan to Awlaki, 02/28/2009 FYI:? He is well known in the Greater Washington Area and serves the U.S. military as Imam for the Bethesda medical center. ?A true vision of what the government views as a good role model for all Muslims. http://your4 state.com!content/fulltext/?cid=53341 14, email from Hasan to Awlaki, 03/03/2009 Assalum Alaikum Wa-Rhamatu-Allahi Wa-Barakatu Anwar, Please tell me the full amount that you would need to secure the domain fee, etc for the time period specified. I have already sent a previous request asking that different payment methods be used so that the full amount goes to your website and no one gets a cut. If you don't have an alternative and don't intend to get one please let me know and I can send it through PayPal. Jazakallah Khair, Nidal 15, email from Hasan to Awlaki, 03/07/2009 I know your busy. Please keep me?in your rolodex in case you find me useful and?feel free to call me collect. I ask Allah (SWT) to honor those that please him in this life and the next and to render the efforts useless of those who strive against the most Gracious. InshAllah we will see each other later. PS: I really enjoyed the story about the?brave person?who stated "I dont fear any man" but Prophet Muhamad (SAW) said you will tremble when you see this man and when he saw the man he indeed trembled. JazakAllah Khair, Nidal Hasan, MD, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Bethesda Maryland 20814 (301) 547-XXXX 16, email from Hasan to Awlaki, 05/25/2009 Brother Anwar don't fear the blame of the blamers! When I read this verse (below) I think of you. Most of us have truned back for fear or the for zina of this life. We have thus suspended our critical Judgment for a small price. Allah (SWT) makes it clear that most wont believe and of those that do; the ones who struggle for his cause are greater in his sight then those who sit back and pray. O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion (Islaam) , Allah will bring a people ([like Anwar Al Awalaki] whom He will love and they will love Him; humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers, fighting in the Way of [Allaah], and never fear of the blame of the blamers. That is the Grace of [Allaah] which He bestows on whom He wills. And [Allaah] is AllSufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower. Your Brother Nidal 17, email from Hasan to Awlaki, 05/31/2009 Assalum Alaikum Wa-RhamatuAllahi Wa-Barakatuhu brother Anwar; InshAllah Khair, I heard a speaker defending suicide bombings as permissible and have been using his logic in debates to see how effective it really is. He contends that suicide is permissible in certain cases. He defines suicide as one who purposely takes his own life but insists that the important issue is your intention. For example, he reported a recent incident were an American Soldier jumped on a grenade that was thrown at a group of soldiers. In doing so he saved 7 soldiers but killed himself. He consciously made a decision to kill himself but his intention was to save his comrades and indeed he was successful].. So, he says this proves that suicide is permissible in this example because he is a hero. Then he compares this to a soldier who sneaks into an enemy camp during dinner and detonates his suicide vest to prevent an attack that is know to be planned the following day. The suicide bombers intention is to kill numerous soldliers to prevent the attack to save his fellow people the following day. He is successfull. His intention was to save his people/fellow soldiers and the stategy was to sacrifice his life. The logic seems to make sense to me because in the first example he proves that suicide is permissible i.e. most would consider him a hero. I don't want to make this to long but the issue of "collateral damage" where a decision is made to allow the killing of innocents for a valuable target. If the Qur'an it states to fight your enemies as they fight you but don't transgress. So, I would assume that suicide bomber whose aim is to kill enemy soldiers or their helpers but also kill innocents in the process is acceptable. Furthermore, if enemy soldiers are using other tactics that are unethical/unconscionable than those same tactics may be used. JazakAllah Khair, P.S. We miss hearing from you! 18, email from Hasan to Awlaki, 06/16/2009 Assalum Alaikum Wa-RhamatuAllahi Wa-Barakatuhu, For more about American jihadists, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Labels: Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, Anwar-Awlaki, Fort-Hood, lone-wolf, Nidal-Malik-Hasan Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Friday, June 15, 2012
Two E-Mails From Anwar AwlakiThe following two letters from Anwar Awlaki were read aloud in court during the trial of British Airways worker Rajib Karim, who wrote to Awlaki seeking to join him as a fighter in Yemen. Awlaki wrote back in the two emails below encouraging Karim to abandon his plans to emigrate to Yemen and instead plot terrorism against airlines from his position in the U.K. (See previous INTELWIRE story.)Fox News obtained transcripts from Karim's trial as part of a special report airing tonight on Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter. The e-mails were read aloud in court and transcribed by a stenographer without Arabic language skills. As a result, while the emails below are nearly verbatim, some Arabic words were transcribed incomprehensibly. Many thanks to Aaron Zelin of Jihadology.net and Humera Khan of Muflehun for deciphering some of the terms. Notes for phonetic and indiscernible are sprinkled throughout. The letters offer a fascinating look at Awlaki's priorities and tactics in dealing with a new recruit. January 25, 2010 As-salaam aleikum, Dear brother, I pray this e-mail reaches you at the best state of iman and health. I was introduced to you by your brother, may Allah reward him. When he mentioned to me your profession and that you intended to make Hijra, so your brother mentioned that you work at BA. I immediately wanted to contact you to tell you that my advice to you is to remain in your current position. Depending on what your role is and the amount of information you can get your hands on, you might be able to provide us with critical and urgent information and may be able to play a crucial role [on behalf of the] ummah. Whenever we have reluctance in how far are you willing to go for Allah and then choose the choice of sacrifices, Allah rewards us with tranquility and opens up for us doors of good that we did not imagine. Allah is generous. We ask Allah to guide us to the straight path. Today we need men who are willing to go all the way, to not hold back anything from Allah. The religion of Allah cannot be given victory by part-time service. This is not a weekend religion. The contract is to sell ourselves to Allah. The compensation is paradise. With the human resources that exist in the ummah today, but only a fraction of them follow the path to sacrifices. The [inaudible] would be prepared Khalifa is known no [inaudible]. "But the ummah today has been weakened by virtues of supplication. However, good be praised, our ministry of numbers of sincere men and women here and there who are willing to break through the shackles. We search for such men and women. I pray you are one of them, dear brother. I was pleased when your brother conveyed from you salaams to myself and was excited by hearing of your profession. I pray that Allah may grant us a breakthrough through you. Can you please answer these questions in as much elaboration as possible.
For security reasons, I prefer to communicate with you through your brother's account. However, please maintain the other account by keeping it open just in case I need to contact you there. Awaiting your answer. As-salaam aleikum, Brother Muta February 12, 2010 As-salaam aleikum, Dear brother, Thanks for your detailed letter. When Rasool Allah [Muhammad] left Ali behind during the battle of [phonetic, undetermined], the hypocrites said that he's leaving him behind because he does not want his company. When Ali heard this, he told [the Messenger of Allah] about it. [The Messenger of Allah] said, "Aren't you pleased to be to me what Harun [Aaron] was to Musa [Moses]?" This is because when Musa left for his appointment with Allah, it hinted Harun to stay behind. In other battles, [the Messenger of Allah] also met other companions in Medina. These companions would receive reward equal to those who went out because they weren't tempted to stay behind [inaudible]." "In your case, you are not asked to stay behind, but, in fact, you are asked to stay [inaudible]. So how much reward would you get? You will receive the Hijra or Hijra full because it's your intention to do so and from this time on, since you have asked [inaudible], to remain at your location. You are receiving this Hijra as ribat. Rasool Allah said the ribbat [fighting on the front lines] of one day is equal to the fasting and trial of a month. If your intention is to serve the deen of Allah as best as you can, then we expect that Allah, as we are instructed to have good expectations of Allah, to grant you steadfastness and guide you in your corrupt environment. I want to advise you of the advice Sheikh Abdullah Azzam gave to a brother travelling to America. He said, "I'd find you with four things. Dhikr [remembrance] of Allah. [indiscernible], recitation of Qur'an and to lower your gaze.” May Allah protect you and make you the true soldier and open a door of service to his religion through you. Regarding some of the points you raised: * BA internal knowledge. We do not think that it is a good idea for you to cause disruption to the hardware or service if it would expose you. However, is there anything that you could do that would not expose your identity? * Cabin crew opportunity. You should definitely take this opportunity. The information that you provided could be very useful. * [Cites hadith source] When he was sent on the special operations mission to assassinate [indiscernible name] in order to win his precedence, if he was allowed to speak proper to win the confidence of [indiscernible name], it would be allowed to perform acts which are sins. However, this should be used only to require an example but only as required. An example [inaudible] it is the action of later Muslims is when the soldier [indiscernible] wore Christian clothes and had crosses on their legs and rose on their boots in order to [inaudible]. * Visiting Yemen. All Muslims coming from the west go through scrutiny when visiting Yemen. Therefore, it would pose a security risk for someone like you to come to Yemen at the moment. I understand that this would be a great opportunity for us to meet you and for you to get some training and uplifting too as your environment is anything but supportive. However, if it comes at the risk of compromising your security, I believe you should pass this time. * The plan. We have our general objectives and we also have ideas for plans, but the plan itself needs to be designed based on what is feasible. So the major part of the planning actually comes from your end. It would take time, et cetera, too and some preparations to come up with a practical plan that would best serve the deen. Therefore, please take utmost precautions in your methods of communication with us. Our highest priority is the U.S. Anything there, even if on a smaller scale compared with what we may do in the UK, would be our choice. So the question is, with the people you have, is it possible to get a package or a parcel with a package on board a flight heading to the US? If that is not possible, then what ideas do you have to quickly set up for the UK? By the way, did any of the brothers you mention get training on x-ray machines? I understand their limitations for the time. Is it possible for you to come with ways to make fast reports on security risks or airplanes and airports? Reports that would cause planes to be grounded and airports closed, but do you have ideas on how we could get this done? This doesn't amount to much, [but] it does cause some nuisance and loss. Obviously this is something that you should only get involved in if it's fully safe for you. Otherwise, it's not worth if it the disruption of service is [not] something bigger. But is there any way that you could do it without being exposed? Also, how large of a disruption are we looking at and do you have any estimates of the amount of financial loss that would result? Regarding your [inaudible] at the right time and if you suggest, I could record a short message for them. May Allah reward you and protect you. For more about Awlaki and other American jihadists, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Labels: Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, Anwar-Awlaki Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Wednesday, May 2, 2012
AQAP: Inspire Magazine Will ContinueTwo new issues of Al Qaeda's English-language magazine "Inspire" hit the virtual newsstands today, with a promise that more will follow."To the disappointment of our enemies, issue 9 of inspire [sic lowercase] magazine is out against all odds," wrote Yahya Ibrahim, the only surviving member of Inspire's original masthead. "[Inspire] is here to stay because it was not found to end with the end of its founders." Issue 8 of Inspire is the last issue overseen by its founding editor, American Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula member Samir Khan, prior to his death by drone in September 2011. Although it was not released at the time, the issue had been finalized almost two weeks before Khan and his mentor, American cleric Anwar Awlaki, were killed. Issue 9 is the first post-Khan issue, and the downgrade to Inspire's staff is clearly evident from the quotes above and on the cover, which features a grievous typo.  As Jihadica's Will McCants observed on Twitter, they "left off the 'h' in 'whining'." Khan's absence is felt throughout the issue in ways large and small. For instance, the issue display of martyr's tribute for Awlaki and Khan lack Khan's trademark design flourish to emphasize their importance. Despite its release this week, the issue does not strongly reference the death of bin Laden. Headlines throughout the issue often fail to reflect the articles, and a autobiographical piece attributed to Awlaki is in sore need of editing. As far as content, Issue 8's most important feature is a previously promoted article by Awlaki justifying the murder of American civilians. Awlaki takes a bloodier tone than he has in the past with a fairly sweeping imprimatur for nearly any tactic or approach to killing Americans. Operational notes features instruction on the use of handguns, continuing AQ's trend toward encouraging smaller and more reliable attacks. In most other respects, the issue continues the content seen in previous editions. Issue 9 attempts to maintain continuity and succeeds to a degree, despite the noticeable drop in quality. In addition to Yahya Ibrahim's assurance that Inspire will continue, AQAP religious leader Ibrahim al-Rubaish also indicates that AQAP will continue to strongly support Inspire. Much of the issue is dedicated to personal accounts of Awlaki by those who knew him, as well as a lengthy piece on Samir Khan. In a sharp break from previous issues, Inspire 9 urges would-be "individual jihadists" (i.e., lone wolves) to contact them directly via e-mail and provide a wealth of identifying information, which I imagine most American CT officials would wholeheartedly endorse. Previous issues of Inspire urged would-be lone wolves to act without contacting AQAP or anyone else about their plans. I may have a bit more to say about this later. Operational elements in Issue 9 include a focus on assassination, which can be read as significant in conjunction with Issue 8's focus on handguns. Both issue 8 and 9 strongly suggest President Obama as an assassination target, although issue 8 is more explicit. For more about Inspire and American jihadists, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Labels: Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, American-Al-Qaeda, Anwar-Awlaki, Inspire-Magazine, Samir-Khan Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Anwar Al-Awlaki Video Release Rehashes 2010 "Message To America" Credit: INTELWIRE Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has released a tribute to Anwar Awlaki and Samir Khan that contains a video recording with an extended version of a previously released Awlaki audio. The video is titled, "Anwar Awlaki, the Martyr of Dawah," a clear effort to continue the argument that Awlaki was killed not for his role in terrorist operations but for his Islamic preaching. Released by AQAP's Malahem Media, the video features very strong production values and English subtitles as well as English audio. A 15-minute video is presented featuring Awlaki in a camouflage jacket with an Al Qaeda flag in the background. The content of the video is an early draft of Awlaki's March 2010 "Message to the American People." It includes additional material and rearranges several parts of the speech. Several news reports and an initial posting on this site identified the footage as being new, or as a "final message" from Awlaki, which is incorrect. The video was recorded in early 2010. A comparison of the original audio and the new video reveals they are separate recordings, indicating that Awlaki almost certainly recorded the video first then edited the speech and recorded the audio. The audio release is considerably improved from the video, providing a rare insight into Awlaki's editing process. The release of this dated video raises questions about whether AQAP still has any unreleased Awlaki material available. Prior to his death in September, AQAP's Inspire magazine promised that at least two recorded communiques from Awlaki were forthcoming. Media reports from Yemen, which could not be confirmed, suggested that some of this material had already been recorded. Today's release also includes snippets of previously unseen video of Awlaki speaking in Arabic. This observer did not recognize the content as having been released in the past, but given Awlaki's voluminous output, it may also be old material. In the clips, Awlaki discusses the virtues of martyrdom, especially in the context of AQAP's jihad. The video includes a tribute to Awlaki from AQAP religious authority Ibrahim Al-Rubaish. Rubaish stated that Awlaki left the United States because of "plotting" by American authorities due to his belief that America was waging war on Islam, but neither Awlaki nor Rubaish discusses Awlaki's links to the September 11 attacks. The video also features an English speaker identified as Abu Yazeed discussing Awlaki's message and impact. Yazeed also praises Samir Khan, Al Qaeda's American propagandist and the creator of Inspire Magazine. This post has been updated. Labels: Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, Anwar-Awlaki, Samir-Khan Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Friday, December 2, 2011
Nasser Al-Awlaki Blasts U.S. For Killing of Son and Grandson The father of Anwar Al-Awlaki blasted the United States in an audio message "to the Muslims of Britain" posted online today. "When the United States assassinated my beloved son, Anwar, using drone Hellfire missiles, he was far from any battlefield," Nassar Al-Awlaki said. Anwar Awlaki was killed in September by a U.S. drone strike. He was born in the Los Cruces, New Mexico, where his father, Nassar, was studying as an agronomist. The audio appears to have been tied to a protest outside the U.S. embassy in London by the banned group, Muslims Against Crusades. "Anwar was assassinated because of his teachings," Nassar Al-Awlaki said, complaining that no evidence was ever presented against Anwar Awlaki and "no evidence ever will be." Awlaki also said that his 16-year-old grandson, killed in a drone strike in October, was a noncombatant who was with teenage friends at the time he was killed. "They knew that Imam Anwar Awlaki carried an effective message that was simple and straightforward. Its target was the Muslims in the West. They consider an affluent convincing Muslim preacher as a threat. So they tried everything to silence him," Awlaki said. For more about Awlaki, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Labels: Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, Anwar-Awlaki, Jihad-Joe, Muslims-Against-Crusades, Nasser-Awlaki Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Thursday, November 3, 2011
New from J.M. Berger: The Enduring Legacy of Awlaki's 'Constants on the Path of Jihad'I have a new piece in The Sentinel, the journal published by West Point's Combating Terrorism Center.A U.S. drone killed Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaqi on Sept. 30, 2011, but his greatest contribution to Al Qaeda's cause lives on. Awlaki's six-hour audio lecture "Constants on the Path of Jihad" may be the single most influential work of jihadist incitement in the English language.Read the full article at the CTC Sentinel For more about Awlaki and other American jihadists, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Labels: Al-Qaeda, Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, Anwar-Awlaki Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Friday, September 30, 2011
Anwar Awlaki Killed The most wanted American in Al Qaeda, Anwar Al Awlaki, was reportedly killed in Yemen. The details of his death are uncertain, and this is not the first time he has been reported killed. So far, three claims have surfaced. First, that Awlaki was killed in a drone strike. Second, that he was killed by a Special Operations raid of some sort. Third, that he was killed by air strikes by either the Yemeni or U.S. governments. J.M. Berger for Foreign Policy: Gone But Not Forgotten, Awlaki's Legacy Awlaki was, in many ways, a unique figure in the jihadist pantheon. Born in the United States and raised mostly in Yemen, he was fluent in both English and Arabic. He rose to prominence as a mainstream Muslim speaker, winning substantial acclaim for his translation and commentary on stories from the Quran and hadith. Awlaki was rightfully praised for his command of American idiom and ability to process Islamic content for Western audiences by drawing on his knowledge of Western pop culture. But his real strength as a preacher was storytelling. Awlaki took stories from ancient sources and embellished them, breathing live into tales that had often been passed down only in skeletal form. His mainstream success accentuated the danger created by his public shift to extremism. Awlaki was widely loved by English-speaking Muslims around the world. The evidence strongly suggests that he was involved in extremist networks even as a young man, but to the public, he was the very face of devotional Islam. He was cited in U.S. media for his moderate statements even as he made much more radical statements behind closed doors. In 2000 and 2001, Awlaki and his followers provided significant assistance to at least three of the September 11 hijackers, helping them find apartments, drive around the country and obtain IDs suitable for use in boarding an airplane. The evidence suggests this help was provided knowing that the men were Al Qaeda operatives, if not with specific knowledge of the plot. One of the hijackers described Awlaki as "a great man" and his "spiritual leader." From 2002 on, Awlaki became a case study for how not to handle a suspected terrorist. Misstep after misstep from both government and media helped catapult Awlaki into global prominence as an extremist. In October 2002, the U.S. arrested Awlaki while he was entering the country after traveling overseas but released him almost immediately under murky circumstances. Had he been arrested and prosecuted then, it might have saved American lives. Awlaki left the country immediately after this near miss. His lectures became more and more overtly radical. Followers who had joined him for stories of the Islamic prophets could follow him as he "thought aloud" about the relationship between the West and Islam and concluded that they were fatally incompatible. In 2004, Awlaki returned to Yemen, issuing his most famous extremist work, "Constants on the Path of Jihad." Although Constants is often attributed to Awlaki, it was not his original work. Based on an Arabic essay by one of the founders of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the six hour lecture series outlined a strong argument in favor of jihad. Although Awlaki presented himself only as the translator, he extensively expanded on the original text, making it significantly more accessible and emotional. At least dozens of arrested extremists have listened to the lectures for inspiration. Awlaki was arrested by Yemeni authorities in 2007 on the pretext of having given a fatwa approving a kidnapping by local militants. By most accounts, he emerged from prison even more heavily radicalized. Soon after, Awlaki created a blog where he praised jihadist groups such as Al Shabab. In 2009, he praised American military officer Nidal Hassan for killing American soldiers in a shooting spree at Fort Hood. Soon after, Awlaki was implicated as the teacher and guide to Omar Farouk Abdulmuttallab, who tried to bomb a Detroit-bound plane at Christmas with explosives smuggled on board in his underwear. Awlaki also used e-mail to inspire and sometimes direct plots. He was among the most accessible and Internet-savvy extremists, personally corresponding with several suspects who were later arrested on various charges of terrorism. A number of things happened after that. The United States leaked that Awlaki had been added to the CIA's authorized list of targets for assassination. That immediately led Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to issue a statement that the organization would defend Awlaki to the death. Soon after, AQAP issued a video interview with Awlaki in which he openly embraced Al Qaeda and its ideology, and soon after that, Awlaki issued an explicit call for Muslims living in the West to kill Americans under any circumstance. Awlaki's standing in the jihadist world exploded in the wake of these developments, which were at least accelerated (if not wholly provoked) by the leak about Awlaki's targeting. Prior to the leak, Awlaki was someone with wide influence among Western extremists but without clear credibility among hardcore jihadists. After the leak, Awlaki became public enemy number one. The media anointed Awlaki a "senior leader" or even "the top leader" of AQAP, a claim which was presented without evidence and which flew in the face of established reporting on AQAP's leadership. Although some were skeptical of Awlaki having any role at all with AQAP, credible reports did support the view that Awlaki had become part of the group. Abdulmutallab reported being trained by Awlaki and the bomb in his underwear matched those created by AQAP's senior explosive expert. A subsequent bomb plot linked to Awlaki, the UPS bomb plot of 2010, also carried the technical hallmarks of AQAP. Reports from Australian media also described sightings of Awlaki at AQAP training camps. On being adopted by AQAP, Awlaki stopped issuing audio and video in English, abandoning his most effective tool for inspiring violence, but he continued to issue statements in Arabic. More importantly, he oversaw the production of Inspire magazine, an English-language propaganda publication distributed online. Inspire was the brainchild of American extremist Samir Khan (reportedly killed alongside Awlaki), who started it as a hobby project while living in the United States, then moved to Yemen and began publishing the magazine under the flag of AQAP, with exclusive content and oversight from Awlaki. At the time of his alleged death, Awlaki was planning to issue a video answering questions from email correspondents. The most recent issue of Inspire, which did not feature any original content from Awlaki, also promised a forthcoming piece on the legitimacy of targeting civilians living in the West. Both of these pieces could still surface, even if Awlaki is dead, and of course, his 100-plus hours of audio and video lectures will survive his death, likely becoming even more popular. It's worth remembering that Abdullah Azzam, killed more than 20 years ago, is still one of the most popular jihadist ideologues, whose videos still provide vast inspiration. That "if" is an important consideration. If it turns out these reports are premature, Awlaki is uniquely positioned to capitalize. Inspire has already published articles touting Awlaki having survived a painfully close call with a drone strike in May 2011. Inspire often employs mockery in the service of its propaganda, and Awlaki himself has a sharp sense of humor. If we have buried Awlaki too soon, we'll hear about it, and once again, our own missteps will make his legend grow. Full story from CBS News Intelwire coverage of Awlaki The Atlantic: Awlaki and September 11 Foreign Policy: The Awlaki Myth Letter from UK jihadist describes contacts with Awlaki Is Inspire Magazine Uninspired? For much more about Awlaki, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Journalists seeking more information or comment on Awlaki can contact J.M. Berger here. Labels: Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, American-Al-Qaeda, Anwar-Aulaqi, Anwar-Awlaki, AQAP, Inspire-Magazine, Samir-Khan Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Sunday, September 25, 2011
Letter From British Jihadi Describes Contacts With Anwar AwlakiA letter from convicted British homegrown jihadi Rajib Karim, posted on extremist forums this week, sheds light on the methods of American Al Qaeda figure Anwar Awlaki.Rajib Karim was an employee of British Airways, who in Marc h was sentenced to 30 years in prison for providing information about airline security for use in a terrorist plot to Awlaki, an American-born Muslim cleric who today works with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula from his family's homeland of Yemen. It's important to note that Karim's account contradicts evidence submitted at trial and may obviously be colored by self-interest. However the account was written after his sentencing and he admits to being guilty of several of the counts brought against him. According to Karim, he initially sought out Awlaki not for terrorist purposes but because he wanted to emigrate to a region in Yemen where he could live under a strict interpretation of shariah law. Awlaki's audio lectures in English frequently exhort Muslims living in the West to make such a move, known as making hijrah. But Awlaki did not help Karim follow Awlaki's own advice, according to the letter. According to Karim, he chose to contact Awlaki because "I needed someone whom I could trust and who would be a man of influence in that region. ... He was a well respected scholar, he was from an influential tribe." Additionally, Karim does not speak Arabic and hoped Awlaki, who is fluent in both Arabic and English, could help him get settled. Karim wrote to Awlaki, outlining his wish to emigrate and mentioning that he worked for British Airways. On hearing Karim's profession, Awalki's wrote back immediately. "[Hearing] that you intend on making hijrah, I immediately wanted to contact you to tell you that my advice to you was to remain in your current position," Awlaki wrote. Karim, by his own account, did not want to remain in the U.K. but having gotten Awlaki's attention was loath to say anything that might cause Awlaki to stop writing. According to Karim, he decided to string Awlaki and portray himself as too incompetent to pull off an act of terrorism in the UK, in the hopes that Awlaki would eventually decide to help him make hijra. This idea was doomed to fail. In my soon-forthcoming article on Awlaki's "Constants on the Path of Jihad," I examine Awlaki's focus on taking any kind of terrorist action over taking pragmatic action calculated to succeed. According to Karim, he proceeded to Google information about airline security and sent Awlaki the top search results, while claiming to have access to more sensitive areas of the industry. At the same time, he wrote things that Karim thought "would have made [Awlaki] at least question my suitability for doing a terrorist attack in UK," raising a series of technical questions about whether Islam permitted him to take various steps, raising doubts about his commitment and asking to come to Yemen. Awlaki was not swayed. If Karim's account is credible, the contradiction between Awlaki's lectures and his private statements is striking. Awlaki has repeatedly urged Western Muslims to make hijra to Muslim lands rather than live among "infidels." However, the e-mails do line up with arguments presented in AQAP's English-language "Inspire" magazine which urges Western Muslims to remain where they are, and to focus on carrying out lone-wolf-style terrorist attacks at home in the West rather than traveling to join jihadists who are fighting in regional conflicts. This strategy is a departure from previous jihadist concepts. In the past, jihadist ideologues have urged Muslims to become foreign fighters by traveling from the West for training and to gain experience in battle in jihadist conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Iraq or Yemen. Al Qaeda and its affiliates have increasingly embraced the lone wolf model over the foreign fighter model, despite its many limitations. The foreign fighter model has numerous advantages to movements like Al Qaeda, including stronger justifications and the opportunity to subject recruits to extended religious indoctrination. Foreign fighters are far more likely to become experienced terrorist operatives and bring long-term value to the movement. In contrast, most lone wolves fail in their attacks and are arrested in short order, essentially removing them from the playing field before they even begin. For more about Anwar Awlaki and other American jihadists, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Labels: Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, Anwar-Awlaki, individual-jihad, Inspire-Magazine, lone-wolf, Rajib-Karim Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Monday, August 1, 2011
Is Al Qaeda's Inspire Magazine Uninspired? I have a slideshow up on the Huffington Post which offers side-by-side comparisons of pages from Inspire Magazine, the new English-language project from Anwar Awlaki and Samir Khan, two Americans associated with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. "Inspire" is only the latest in a long line of jihadist and terrorist magazines in English and Arabic. While it does break some ground, its originality has been vastly overstated. Here's a look at some of its venerable but less celebrated predecessors.View the slideshow For more about Inspire, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Labels: Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, Anwar-Awlaki, AQAP, Inspire-Magazine, Samir-Khan Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Inspire, Issue Six: Martyrs and Mixed Messages"We apologize for the delay in the publication of the magazine," writes Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula correspondent Yahya Ibrahim in the opening line of the new issue of Inspire magazine. "Things have been quite hectic over here."Indeed. The new Inspire reads like a hasty afterthought, no doubt due to the ongoing revolution in Yemen as well as the drone strikes which very nearly took out AQAP's American propagandist Anwar Awlaki. The new issue of Inspire seeks to depict Awlaki as a prototypical action hero, strapped heavy and cracking wise about the strikes ("It looks as if someone was a bit angry with us this evening") before the bodies of the two men who died in his place had cooled. Unfortunately, the pictures meant to illustrate the scholar's toughness call to mind a child dressed up for Halloween. The man does not look at ease. The issue notably lacks any content directly attributed to Awlaki, although the question-and-answer section clearly means to suggest that Awlaki is writing the answers. The questions this month were rather interesting in their broad focus. One question asked about whether the mujahideen supported the Shia semi-uprising in Bahrain (they don't), another asked about whether the niqab headcovering for women is "fard" (obligatory). What I take away from this section is that Inspire and/or Awlaki seek to be defined as broadly Islamic in focus rather than narrowly jihadist (although the latter is the obvious priority). If the questions were legitimately sent by readers, that also suggests that Inspire's readers are looking to Awlaki as an Islamic authority figure beyond his simple exhortations to terrorism. The death of Osama bin Laden received a mixed treatment. Inspire's American editor, Samir Khan, wrote a fairly long piece on the subject. Another short piece on bin Laden ended with a half-hearted non-endorsement to the effect of "So we guess Zawahiri is taking over now." Beyond bin Laden, Inspire's issue was death-themed with a series of martyr biographies. Notably lacking was a clear acknowledgement of or appreciation for the two men who were killed in Awlaki's place. Until now, martyr biographies have been notably understated in Inspire. Such content has a much higher profile in most other jihadist propaganda including the many magazines that preceded Inspire (I will have more on this soon). It's not clear to me whether this is an overdue corrective, or just an effort to give the issue a theme spinning off bin Laden's death. In the how-to-be-a-terrorist section, Inspire wrapped up its series of tips for carrying out shooting sprees, then encouraged homegrown terrorists to start working on a very dangerous new bomb ingredient. Fortunately, the article is probably more dangerous to people trying to follow its directions than anyone else, but on sum, we'd probably all be happier if this information wasn't circulating. For more about Inspire, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam. Labels: Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, Anwar-Awlaki, Drones, Inspire-Magazine, Samir-Khan Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Friday, July 15, 2011
What Is Al Qaeda, Part 2Part one| Part two | Part three In the first part of the "What is Al Qaeda" survey, we looked at textbook definitions for the kinds of people and organizations that experts consider to included in Al Qaeda. Click here to read the results. In the second part, we're looking at what specific organizations those same experts consider to be part of the U.S. government's mandate to wage war against Al Qaeda. The answers are, again, interesting, showing a lack of consensus on key groups, and they do not always sync with the definitions identified in the first question. The bar charts below are once again thanks to Clint Watts of SelectedWisdom.com who also set up the survey page and collected and coded its results. The survey asked respondents to comment on the following groups. The percentage of "yes" answers is given for each organization. Questions which did not achieve a two-thirds consensus are marked in yellow, questions which were close to a 50-50 split are marked in red.
Once you get past the groups with Al Qaeda in the name, consensus rapidly fell apart in this segment of the survey.  Responses on whether the Taliban should be considered part of Al Qaeda split almost perfectly down the middle, with different groups of respondents coming in all over the map. Academics voted no by two-thirds, while their students voted yes by the same amount. I find that disconnect pretty interesting. Government employees voted yes by just 55.5 percent. Media voted yes by 57.1 percent, and private sector voted no by 54.3 percent. The status of the Taliban is a crucial question in the wsr in Afghanistan, as the U.S. considers negotiations with the Taliban as part of its withdrawal from Afghanistan. The differences among the various sectors of respondents are less important than the fact that no more than two-thirds of any given segment could agree on the question. Given that no one in government has ever seriously broached the idea that the U.S. could negotiate with Al Qaeda, the question is not a light one.  Pakistani militant group Lashkar e Tayyiba has shared facilities with Al Qaeda Central and provided support to AQC personnel. It would seem to qualify (at best) under "nominally independent extremist networks that provide significant services used in Al Qaeda operations,such as training camps or money laundering." Voters on Question One split 50-50 on whether that description could be considered part of Al Qaeda. About the same percentage of respondents were willing to include LeT in the U.S. mandate to wage war on Al Qaeda than the Afghan Taliban, whose overt alliance with Al Qaeda was responsible for the invasion of Afghanistan in the first place. Academics voted "no" by 71.4 percent, while government and media voted no by two-thirds and 62.5 percent respectively. Students and the private sector voted yes by 65.7 percent and 75 percent respectively. Government and academics as a combined group voted no by 68.7 percent, suggesting that there is more agreement among those in a position to know than the overall number might indicate. Similar numbers were seen on the Haqqani network, within academics voting no by 65 percent, government almost evenly split, and media, private and student groups all voting yes by varying margins. I'd be interested to revisit this question in light of the CTC at West Point paper published this week by Dan Rassler and Vahid Brown on the Haqqani network's interconnections with Al Qaeda. Outside of Af-Pak, Al Shabab is certainly one of the more pressing questions in counterterrorism at the moment. The Question One category best fitting Al Shabab based on open-source data at the time the survey was taken was "organizations whose leaders have publicly expressed loyalty to AQ or its emir," for which respondents could not come to a consensus, splitting 60-40 in favor of inclusion. Academics split on the question 61 percent against inclusion, while government responders could only muster a slim 52 percent support. The survey was conducted prior to recent allegations of operational links between Al Shabab and AQAP and a corresponding uptick in U.S. strikes in Somalia. As the American CT effort in Shabab grows, the question of its classification also grows. The breakdown among professions shows very sharp divisions among different groups as to whether Shabab should be part of the U.S. war against Al Qaeda:  Academics voted "no" by a strong majority of 71.5 percent, while government employees voted "yes" by a less convincing 59.2 percent. The government vote is particularly interesting since, individual views aside, the Obama administration has made it crystal clear over the last several days that Shabab is on its targeting list. With votes from both groups taken together, 54.2 percent voted "yes," indicating a massive lack of consensus. Once you get past those two key demographics, media respondents split 50-50 on the question of Shabab, whereas students and the private sector relatively strongly voted to include the Somali militant group, by 76.5%. The next post on the survey, probably next week some time, will look at individual people and whether they are considered part of Al Qaeda. These results are all over the map and the most erratic of all three polls when evaluated on a factual basis and in comparison to the principles outlined in Question One, so be sure to check back. Labels: Al-Qaeda, Al-Qaeda-In-Iraq, Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, Al-Shabab, AQAP, AQIM, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Survey, Taliban Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Friday, July 8, 2011
Happy Birthday Inspire!Well, it's been about one year since the American clique at Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula rolled out "Inspire" magazine for an adoring public. During that time, the project -- run by American cleric Anwar Awlaki and American blogger Samir Khan -- has captured a lot of the public imagination regarding the nature of the war on terrorism, without producing a lot of clearly quantifiable results.The burning question of the moment is whether Inspire -- which is not all that original or unique despite its press -- is facing the same fate as News of the World. It's been four months since the last issue of Inspire hit virtual newsstands -- the longest period in between issues since the magazine was founded. During that period, Osama bin Laden was killed, which is the kind of thing Inspire should have made hay from by now. On the other hand, intel leaked from the raid at Stately Bin Laden Manor indicates that the big man was not enamored of Inspire's creative approach to terrorism, which was apparently too bloodthirsty for the man behind the deaths of almost 3,000 civilians September 11. This long silence also comes in the wake of a reported near miss by a drone targeting Awlaki and the outbreak of near civil war in Yemen. Is Inspire on hiatus for an editorial reevaluation in light of bin Laden's withering critique? Are Awlaki and Khan too busy running for their lives to propagandize? Have they been handed rifles and sent to the front lines in Zinjabar? Stay tuned... For much more about Inspire and Awlaki, check out my new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Journalists interested in discussing this issue can contact me here. For reviews and additional information about the book, click here. Labels: Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, Anwar-Awlaki, Inspire-Magazine, Samir-Khan Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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Saturday, June 18, 2011
Forgeries On The ForumsUpdated 1:40 p.m. ETThe system for distributing propaganda on jihadist Web forums has been remarkably robust for a long time now, but in the wake of Osama bin Laden's death, some cracks are beginning to show. On June 9, a user on one of the more prominent forums posted a video purporting to be from Al Qaeda's As-Sahab media company announcing that Osama bin Laden's son, Hamza, had been selected to take over as emir of Al Qaeda. The post was not formatted in manner customarily used by As-Sahab, and it included a banner graphic that did not match the usual format. The video itself was fairly unconvincing. It consisted of Arabic title cards and some previously released video of Hamza as a child, opening with a not-quite-right As-Sahab title sequence. In short, it was a pretty obvious fake.    I noted all of this, but didn't pay it much mind. The offending thread was deleted by forum administrators almost immediately, and that, it seemed, was that. Except it wasn't. The thread kept popping up. On different forums, posted by different users. Each time, it was deleted by forum administrators, but still it kept coming back. A different video was posted on YouTube claiming that Hamza had been named emir. All of this created confusion and paranoia on the forums, exacerbated by the fact that user accounts were apparently being hijacked to post the videos. Users from Shamikh, the top Al Qaeda-linked forum, would surface on Ansar, the No. 2 forum, complaining that they had been kicked off of Shamikh for posting unauthorized videos that they had no memory of posting. The fun continued for some time, but finally tapered off toward the beginning of this week. Then last night, a new apparent forgery appeared. This one was a purported video from Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula titled "People of the Victorious Sect." This time, the post had a much more authentic look, formatted in the way official releases are usually formatted.  Users on the Hanein forum began complaining that the video file contained a virus. Once again, administrators rushed to delete the thread, which was cross-posted to several of the most visited forums as of this morning. The video, obtained by Jihadology, looks to be a fake. Graphics for AQAP's Al-Malahem Media Foundation appear at the start of the video in AQAP's customary widescreen aspect ratio but letterboxed into a 4:3 file. The rest of the video is entirely in 4:3, unlike most of Al-Malahem's releases. Most, if not all, of the footage in the seven-minute clip is recycled from old As-Sahab videos. The quality of the forgery generally resembles the quality of the Hamza forgery (i.e. sloppy), but this one is slightly improved. I'm showing the player in the screencaps below so you can see the issue with the aspect ratio.    Within minutes of my posting an earlier version of this story, a message appeared on the Al Jahad forum purporting to be from the Al Qaeda-linked distributor Al Fajr Media Center, which is responsible for posting Al Qaeda communiques to the forums. The message mentions both of the above examples and warns users of viruses and other potential threats from following the forgeries. Of course, the Al Fajr message itself may very well be forged. It only appeared on Jahad and not on any of the other related forums to which I have access. That is, in itself unusual, and there were other irregular features to the post. If that message is also a forgery, this whole thing is approaching conspiracy-paranoia genius. The one thing that is very clear from all this is that someone is targeting the forums. I don't know if it's an intelligence service or private hackers, and I don't know if the same party is responsible for both of the forgeries, although I have my suspicions on all of these counts. What I do know is that jihadist forum users are receiving a couple of very clear messages, which they haven't heard before -- "You are not safe here" and "you can't trust your online friends." There have been a handful of fakes and forgeries in the past, but the scale of this is very interesting and it's targeting a very vulnerable spot in the online jihadist architecture. It'll be very interesting to see how this plays out. For more about the forums, check out buy J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, out now! A couple of quick notes: Labels: Al-Qaeda, Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, Jihadist-Forums, Osama-Bin-Laden Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.
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