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News, documents and analysis on violent extremismTuesday, January 21, 2014
INTELWIRE releases Awlaki FOIA Files; Hijacker Travel QuestionsINTELWIRE has obtained almost 2,000 pages of files related to Anwar Awlaki under the Freedom of Information Act.Awlaki FOIA (256MB PDF, right click on link and save locally, do not open in browser) The files released are heavily redacted and light on new information regarding Awlaki's ties to terrorism, although they provide minute entries from the FBI's surveillance of Awlaki after 9/11 and lavish details of his encounters with prostitutes. The focus of the released documents is disappointing at best. Among the many omissions, perhaps the most notable is the transcript of the FBI's September 2007 interview with Awlaki when he was being held in a Yemeni prison. Documents relating to the interview are included, but the results of the interview remain a mystery. The documents also provide no new information regarding Awlaki's post-9/11 terrorist career, although they do make small but significant additions to the chronology of his interactions with the 9/11 hijackers. If you find something noteworthy, feel free to discuss it with me on Twitter at @intelwire. TRAVEL CORRELATIONS Some interesting data points emerge relating to travel by Awlaki and the hijackers, but the documents raise many more questions than they answer. According to the documents, Awlaki and someone named "Dr." Mohamed Atta flew out of the Frankfurt airport on the same United Airlines schedule, two days and two rows apart, in October 2000.  One possible explanation for this is that someone with the same name as Atta could have traveled on that date. There is no record in the 9/11 Commission report of a trip to Germany in this time frame, and an FBI chronology places Atta in the United States during the same period. There is no record of Awlaki flying to Frankfurt, but he had traveled to Yemen in summer of 2000. The documents provide no further insight into the travel. The flight data only covers United Airlines, so it could have omitted a connecting flight for Awlaki from Yemen or elsewhere. Hijacker Khalid al Mihdhar had traveled to Yemen some weeks prior to Awlaki, and Al Qaeda coordinator Ramzi Binalshibh was in Yemen at the same time. On September 15 in Yemen, Binalshibh applied for a visa to visit the United States, which was refused. On October 23, Awlaki flew to the United States out of Frankfurt. On October 25, Binalshibh -- now in Germany -- again applied for a visa to travel to the U.S., which was again refused. Given the conflicting information about Atta's location, the correlations to Binalshibh's movements are likely to be a more fruitful line of inquiry. On August 23, 2001, Awlaki and Saeed Al Ghamdi, another hijacker, flew out of Dulles airport on the same day to different destinations.  As has been previously reported, Awlaki was on a plane from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. on the morning of September 11, 2001. Buy J.M. Berger's book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam RECENT PUBLICATIONS Labels: 9-11, Anwar-Aulaqi, Anwar-Awlaki, FBI, FOIA, Hijackers 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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Sunday, August 5, 2012
The Content and Context of Anwar Awlaki's E-mails with Fort Hood Shooter Nidal HasanProbably the most difficult, bedeviling problem in combating terrorism through law enforcement is interpreting the words of suspects to divine their real intentions, then to build a case from that interpretation.It seems to me that this issue is exemplified by the long-withheld e-mail exchange between the radical American cleric Anwar Awlaki and the Fort Hood shooter, Major Nidal Hasan. My friend Daveed Gartenstein-Ross has a new entry over at Gunpowder and Lead, with Lauren Morgan, outlining the case for rating the e-mail exchange as a high threat and arguing that it should have prompted more aggressive investigative action. The post was prompted by a question from Charles Cameron. I waited for this post before ringing in, because I wanted to see if I would be swayed by Daveed's argument, which he broadly telegraphed on Twitter last week. While we ultimately reach the same conclusion -- that the FBI and Defense Department should have investigated Hasan more aggressively -- we get there by a different path and with somewhat different areas of emphasis. I'm not going to summarize the G&L post, which you should read before proceeding, precisely because it so thorough in its treatment of the question. But therein lies the rub. We're scrutinizing these emails and how they were handled. Why? Because we now know one person involved carried out a horrific act of terrorism and the other became a top Al Qaeda propagandist. Nothing in Daveed's argument is wrong and it all falls within the scope of what he and Lauren set out to examine. There are clearly markers of concern in these e-mails, and the fact they involve an active duty military officer and a known radicalizer with links to September 11 is alone sufficient reason for the Washington Field Office to have escalated the case, at least to the point of an interview with Hasan and his immediate superiors. But I think there are distractions lurking here, which move us away from what actually went wrong and what lessons we should learn. I want to raise two key issues in this respect, because I think it's hard to really understand the case without them. This doesn't negate the points raised by Daveed and Lauren, but I feel that the context here is so important that it's misleading to consider the issue without acknowledging them. The first issue has to do with the relationship between the FBI's San Diego and Washington Field Offices. If you read the more thorough Senate Homeland Security Committee report, the more telling Webster Commission Report, and records released by the 9/11 Commission, you don't have to squint very hard between the lines to see there were political tensions between the two offices, which I have also heard from multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. Much of this tension specifically revolved around Awlaki and long preceded the Hasan emails. The Awlaki investigation ping-ponged back and forth between the two offices like a hot potato since 2001. These tensions resulted in strained and often inadequate communication between the two branches, which creates inertia and resistance and obstacles to effective, objective functioning. This doesn't excuse the handling of the case. If anything, an institutional management failure is more damnable than a simple oversight or misinterpretation. But the testy relationship between the offices, clearly illuminated in the Webster report, has little to do with the content of the investigation. When we're looking for lessons learned, it's my opinion (based on what we know today) that the will to analyze may have been a larger issue than the approach to analysis. The characterization of the e-mails by unnamed officials as "fairly benign," which Daveed rightly attacks, was an after-the-fact effort at spin. It deserves to be refuted but also points to the second issue. Anyone who has spent time with raw intelligence knows that you have to triage leads. For every intercept that states "I've bought the fertilizer and I'm loading it in the truck tonight down by the lake," there are literally thousands and thousands that say "I hate America," "I love Al Qaeda," "I'd like to kill those bastards," "I swear to God it's time for action and not words," "If I was James Holmes, here's how I would have done it better," "You need to start mentally preparing now to kill your neighbors when the revolution comes," and "Would you consider someone like Hasan Akbar to be fighting jihad, and if he died would he be a martyr?" (All of the above are paraphrases of actual extremist content I've reviewed.) The words of suspects -- whether recounted in e-mails, phone intercepts, informant reports, or online postings -- must be interpreted and prioritized relative to dozens or hundreds or thousands of other leads. This can be a science if you're a trained FBI profiler, but it's strictly an art if you're anyone else. Zach Chesser's online output, to the layman, was pretty alarming and seemed to indicate he might try to act out violently on U.S. soil, but he never did. And even profilers cannot read intent from most verbal and written content with absolute reliability. Based on who Hasan was (a military officer), who he was talking to (a suspected 9/11 accomplice), and the fact he repeatedly tried to get Awlaki's attention using a variety of stratagems, the case should have been escalated and Hasan's superiors should have been informed. But when you place the content of Hasan's messages alongside all the other raw intelligence that counterterrorism investigations generate, it's extremely hard to argue from a subjective, non-psychoanalytical reading that they represented a red flag. Even putting aside the broad universe of raw intelligence, consider just the workload generated by the Awlaki Web site intercept and what we don't know about the nature of that content. If you get 60 leads per day featuring people writing to Awlaki, are half asking what concrete steps they can take to participate in jihad? Are the other half are oblique in the same way Hasan was oblique? Which would you prioritize? Hasan's e-mails didn't exist in a vacuum; they competed for attention with an unknown number of other e-mails featuring unknown content from Awlaki's Web site but also his email accounts as well as traffic from other investigations. The Webster report indicates that two San Diego analysts were processing an average of 65 to 70 electronic intercepts per day. Although it does not specify if all of those were related to Awlaki, other figures quoted in the report would be consistent with that conclusion. (H/T @emptywheel) The exact content distribution is unknown. It's difficult to separate hindsight from our analysis. We approach these emails looking for evidence of Hasan's intentions, but we already know his actual intentions. If we read the thousands of e-mails generated during the period Hasan was corresponding with Awlaki, without any names attached, would we pick Hasan's messages as the most important? Would they even make the top 10 or the top 100? I suspect they would not. It would be interesting to approach this subject from the perspective of a blind study, analyzing dozens of unlabeled intercepts -- some from people who went on to act violently, and some from people who did not. I'd bet serious money such an experiment would be a massive failure and would not reliably identify which subjects became violent and which did not. Without such a study in hand (and if you have one, please send), we need to acknowledge the lack of hard data correlating different types of talk with physical action and the subjectivity of the exercise. The content certainly informs our understanding, but I don't think it leads to a "lesson learned" moment. I don't disagree with the content markers noted by Daveed and Lauren, but I think it's a mistake to say those markers can be interpreted with much certainty without the benefit of hindsight. I'm not claiming this is their actual argument -- I think they're arguing to include context -- but I came away from reading the piece feeling that there was too much emphasis on the content and too much certainty about its significance. It is, of course, important to understand and study content, but you can't point to a reference to Hasan Akbar in a vacuum and say it's significant, unless you've looked at a constellation of similar references and attempted to correlate them to action. I don't think this particular example illustrates useful investigative triggers that are likely to result in improved screening, and I don't think it illustrates a systemic failure that requires correction. The "lesson learned" is that the context of the messages should have escalated the investigation (and prompted more attention to the content). If the content of the Hasan e-mails represents a threshold for escalated investigative concern, we're going to need a whole lot more FBI agents. I see dozens of online postings and messages per day that are far more worrisome than these e-mails, yet it is extraordinarily rare for these posts to connect with terrorist acts in any way. We need more study of how talk correlates to action, but the art of textual interpretation is not simple and rarely leads to black-and-white answers. 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. This post was updated at 1:47 p.m. Labels: American-Al-Qaeda, American-Terrorists, Anwar-Awlaki, Fort-Hood, Jihad-Joe, Nidal-Malik-Hasan 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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Sunday, January 29, 2012
Omar Hammami Is Trying Very Hard To Step Into Anwar Awlaki's ShoesOmar Hammami would like you to think he's the next Anwar Awlaki. In fact, he would like it so much that he's aping Awlaki in a pre-release audio obtained by INTELWIRE.Hammami's new work, "In Defense of the Khilafah (Caliphate)," uses one of Awlaki's favorite tactics -- quoting a RAND Corp. study -- as a jumping off point for comments about the inevitability of a new Islamic caliphate. Anwar Awlaki used a similar tactic, quoting a different RAND study at length in his most influential audio lecture, "Constants on the Path of Jihad" and in a follow-up recording, "The Battle for Hearts and Minds." The recording is par for the course for Hammami, a lot of highfalutin vocabulary in the service of fairly basic comments, with the occasional incongruously lowbrow aside, such as when he refers to "notoriously dumb Americans" and a claim that "the reality of the Khilafah is actually quite different from some hillbilly story about seeing Bigfoot." The person who posted the audio argued that it proved Hammami was the same person as Abu Jihaad Al Shaami, the nom de guerre of a jihadist ideologue who has posted some written articles over the last year. Abu Jihaad, notably, titled one of his works, "The War of Hearts and Minds," another shout-out to Awlaki. The idea that Hammami is aspiring to be the next Awlaki was recently articulated by Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens in a recent article for the CTC Sentinel. The new audio is the strongest evidence yet that Hammami is deliberately trying to step into his fellow American's large shoes. Unfortunately for Hammami, he doesn't have the spoken-word chops to pull it off, although his works look better when you read a transcript and don't have to sit through his delivery. The audio was not released in its entirety, and it was not released through the normal channels used by jihadists to assure authenticity, but it certainly sounds like Hammami. I expect to see it released officially in the days to come. Many thanks to Aaron Zelin of Jihadology for spotting the audio. For more about Hammami, check out Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the RAND study quoted by Hammami as the same one quoted by Awlaki. They quoted two different studies. Thanks to Charles Cameron for the catch. Labels: Al-Shabab, American-Jihadists, Anwar-Awlaki, Omar-Hammami 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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Monday, November 21, 2011
NYC pipe bomb suspect Pimentel posted on Revolution Muslim Jose Pimentel, a devotee of American Al Qaeda propagandist Anwar Awlaki arrested in New York this weekend for building a pipe bomb described in Al Qaeda's Inspire magazine, posted entries at least twice on Islam Policy, the radical Web site previously known as Revolution Muslim. Pimentel was a prolific blogger and highly connected social media user. He ran his own Web site, TrueIslam1, and at least twice cross-posted material to Islam Policy. Revolution Muslim, a pro-Al Qaeda website founded by American radicals, was suspended briefly after one of its writers threatened the creators of South Park for depicting the Prophet Mohammed. But the site soon returned, voluntarily changing its name to Islam Policy. The current leader of Islam Policy, Younus Abdullah Mohammed, was recently arrested and is now facing charges in relation to those threats. Another American, Zachary Chesser, was arrested in July 2010 and subsequently convicted for the same threats. Pimentel posted on Revolution Muslim as "M. Yusuf" at least twice, one on "Rape in the U.S. Army," and once on the Arab Spring. Both posts were made in April 2011 and linked back to TrueIslam1. "I say to the brothers and sisters in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and the rest of the Muslim world that establishing the Islamic laws is an obligation upon us that cannot be overlooked, the Day of Judgment is near, and Allah is quick in accountability and severe in punishment," Pimentel wrote. Another post, also apparently by Pimentel, was titled "How Can I Train Myself For Jihad" and was later deleted from Islam Policy, but reposted to the Al Jahad extremist Web forum. The post was dated July 2011, but the content was dated 2008, suggesting Pimentel may not have written but simply reposted it. The article encouraged firearms training and the use of U.S. military training materials available online to prepare for violent jihad. "The majority of the time spent in Jihad is learning to cope with harsh, physically and mentally demanding living conditions. It is not about fighting glamorous battles for your pictures to appear on the Internet. Jihad is tough and difficult, which is why the rewards for it are so great," the post read. In a section on firearms training, the post read: "Useful courses to learn are sniping, general shooting and other rifle courses. Handgun courses are useful but only after you have mastered rifles." 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. RECENT PUBLICATIONS:Labels: American-Terrorists, Anwar-Aulaqi, Anwar-Awlaki, Inspire-Magazine, Islam-Policy, Jose-Pimentel, Revolution-Muslim, South-Park 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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Sunday, October 2, 2011
Larger than DeathWe think of iconic figures as being larger than life, but within the world of Al Qaeda and its allies and supporters, fallen warriors take on a larger-than-death quality.The U.S. has killed Osama bin Laden and Anwar Awalki, and now is the time to study the question: What happens when you decapitate al Qaeda figureheads? Our strategy has been predicated on the assumption that we're better off with these figures dead than alive, and that's probably true. But it's also testable now. We can watch how the jihadi community processes these deaths and take lessons from what we see, in the weeks and months to come. Consider the case of Abdullah Azzam, Osama bin Laden's mentor, who shepherded the foreign fighter community into the jihad against the Soviets and was involved in the founding of al Qaeda. Azzam was assassinated by a car bomb in 1989. There are only guesses about who was responsible, but suspects include the CIA, the Mossad, Jordanian intelligence and his own allies/rivals, Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri. Azzam's been dead for more than 20 years, but he's still one of the most powerful radicalizing figures in the jihadist pantheon. I would love for the FBI to release a comparative study showing how many U.S.-based terrorists were arrested with Azzam's videos and writings on their computers as opposed to the works of Awlaki. I predict it's at least 50-50, and the advantage might well go to Azzam. For instance, Roshonara Choudhry, a lone wolf terrorist who stabbed a British MP, cited both Awlaki and Azzam as having pushed her toward violence -- but said Azzam was the one who convinced her to act. Long after his death, Azzam is revered for his role in the Afghan jihad. His lectures are available online, with English translations, and his books are widely available in English as well. Azzam was an effective and emotional speaker, and an educated scholar who ranks among the most important thinkers within the jihadist movement. It's clear that Azzam's death did not detract from his power. On the one hand, the fact that he died may have prevented him from creating other, even more important works. On the other hand, his death prevented him from making mistakes and taking actions (such as joining al Qaeda terrorism) that might have diminished his stature. Osama bin Laden and Anwar Awlaki have now been frozen in time. They will always be the people they are today, any improvement or diminishment of their stature is likely to be minimal, aside from a trickle of new information and unreleased works. In bin Laden's case, death froze him at a point where his stature had diminished (rightfully or wrongly). His body of works -- audio, video and texts -- are competent but not (in my opinion) especially stirring from an emotional standpoint nor are they especially important in their intellectual content. They are, ultimately, political tracts tied to a certain time and place, and they may not age well. Awlaki is a different story. Intellectually, he's only a shadow of Azzam. Awlaki's contributions to jihadist thought are negligible, his primary strength was interpreting the work of other ideologues in ways that made them relevant and emotionally resonant to English-speaking audiences. In that role, he was an unparalleled talent, and emotional resonance probably matters more in terms of keeping the flame alive after the body has passed. Awlaki's personal life narrative may also make his death matter more. For bin Laden, frankly, there was really only one way that his story could end after September 11, and even his adherents accepted that. Awlaki's life story is more rounded and diverse, and his death is already seen as tragic by a wider audience, including people outside of extremist circles. That meme may spread over time and create new headaches for counterterrorism. But all this is speculation. Now is the time to watch how different communities react to these events and to learn from what transpires. It may be tempting for analysts, after 10 long years and these landmark deaths, to call it a war and move on to other subjects. Give it a little longer. Video: J.M. Berger on Fox News discussing Awlaki's 'Larger than death' legacy For more about Awlaki and Abdullah Azzam's role in radicalizing Americans, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Labels: Abdullah-Azzam, Al-Qaeda, Anwar-Awlaki, Jihad-Joe, Osama-Bin-Laden 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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BOOKS"...smart, granular analysis..."ISIS: The State of Terror 
"Jessica Stern and J.M. Berger's new book, "ISIS," should be required reading for every politician and policymaker... Their smart, granular analysis is a bracing antidote to both facile dismissals and wild exaggerations... a nuanced and readable account of the ideological and organizational origins of the group." -- Washington Post
More on ISIS: The State of Terror "...a timely warning..."  Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam:
"At a time when some politicians and pundits blur the line between Islam and terrorism, Berger, who knows this subject far better than the demagogues, sharply cautions against vilifying Muslim Americans. ... It is a timely warning from an expert who has not lost his perspective." -- New York Times More on Jihad Joe ABOUT
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