The following are some of this week's reports from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project, which translates and analyzes content from sources monitored around the clock, among them the most important jihadi websites and blogs. (To view these reports in full, you must be a paying member of the JTTM; for membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org with "Membership" in the subject line.)
Note to media and government: For a full copy of these reports, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to media@memri.org. Please include your name, title, and organization in your email.
On August 17, 2016, Al-Qaeda media arm Al-Sahab released an audio message by Hamza bin Laden, the son of Osama bin Laden, in which he called on the Saudi people to overthrow the Al-Saud royal family and urged young men to join Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
On August 17, 2016, the pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media group Al-Thabat released a video in which it urged Muslims to carry out attacks in the West, specifically in the U.S., France, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, and also in Russia and Iran. The video, released on Al-Thabat's Telegram channel and titled "Come On Rise," begins with a series of slides listing these countries.
In an article published by Al-Marsa, a weekly newspaper affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Ibrahim Al-Qusi, a former Guantanamo detainee, a former Osama bin Laden, and a member of AQAP's Shura council vowed that attacks on the U.S. would continue and will be carried out by English-speaking jihadis with Western names who are not on the CIA or FBI blacklist. Al-Qusi, who was released from Guantanamo in 2012 and joined AQAP in December 2014, urged the mujahideen in Syria to unite and form a new army whose mission would be to liberate Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
A man from Paterson, New Jersey is part of a pro-ISIS Facebook clique. At the time of this writing, he changed his Facebook name to an alias. He reveals that he is a convert to Islam, and that he used to lead a very un-Islamic lifestyle.
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On August 3, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) announced the appointment of a new leader of its West African branch, Boko Haram, Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi, who had until then served as the group's spokesman. Al-Barnawi replaced Abu Bakr Shekau, who had pledged Boko Haram's loyalty to ISIS in March 2015.
On Facebook, ISIS Supporters Discuss Latest 'Charlie Hebdo' Cover, Issue Threats
On August 16, 2016, an American ISIS supporter posted the cover of the latest issue of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The magazine's headquarters were a target of the January 2015 terror attacks in Paris. The cover of this issue of the magazine, published August 10, 2016, depicted a nude Muslim man and woman running into the ocean, with the caption "The reform of Islam: Muslims loosen up." In response to the Facebook post, a discussion developed on his page, on Charlie Hebdo in general and on how to fight an enemy. Some commenters promoted violent means, and issued threats against the magazine.
On August 11, 2016, Francophone operatives active on Telegram distributed two infographic images with names of individuals and organizations, as well as specific locations, for targeting by Islamic State (ISIS) militants in France. These images are part of ISIS's ongoing efforts to capitalize on the recent wave of terror attacks in France and the West and to inspire more supporters to carry out attacks.
Tunisian Fighter In Iraq Says He Lived In The U.S. And Was Radicalized There Before Joining ISIS
On August 9, 2016, the media office of ISIS in Al-Anbar released a video featuring a Tunisian suicide bomber in Iraq, who claimed that he had joined ISIS after being radicalized while living in the U.S. In the video, titled "Fighting Will," the man, identified as Abu Muqatil Al-Tunisi, said that he had lived in the U.S. and had left from there to join ISIS.
A Georgia-based convert to Islam who has been incarcerated since June 2016 is part of a pro-ISIS clique on Facebook. The man was arrested in February 2016 and charged with, according to news reports, "three counts of possession of a large-capacity firearm without a license, possession of large-capacity feeding devices, possession of ammunition without a license, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony (drug distribution) and possession with the intent to distribute a Class B drug (cocaine)."
Al-Zawahiri Lashes Out At Muslim Brotherhood In New Video
On August 13, 2016, Al-Qaeda released the first installment of a new video series featuring the group's leader, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, titled "Short Messages to a Victorious Nation." In this video, Al-Zawahiri returns to the topic of the Arab Spring, noting that it failed in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen, that its success in Libya is yet to be seen, and that it has only achieved victory in Syria.
ISIS Executes Homosexuals In Al-Jazeera Province, Iraq - Warning: Graphic Images
A video posted on the Internet on August 10 shows the implementation by the Shari'a Court of the Al-Jazeera Province, Iraq, of "the punishment decreed by Allah" for "the abomination of homosexuality." The execution was carried out by throwing the man off a roof.
ISIS News Agency Introduces Firefox Add-On For Easy Access To Its Website
The Islamic State (ISIS) news agency, A'maq, has released a Firefox add-on for redirecting users to its website.
Once installed, the add-on, which is available from A'maq's website, will lead users using the Firefox browser to the most recent A'maq website when the icon is clicked on.
ISIS News Agency Releases New Version Of Its Android App
The Islamic State (ISIS) news agency A'maq has released an updated version of its Android app. The new app offers more stability and "resilience," while promising timely delivery of ISIS news in Arabic to users' devices.
On August 11, 2016, the ISIS-affiliated news agency A'maq claimed responsibility for the attack against Canadian police that took place in Ontario, Canada the previous day. A'maq also said that the attacker, who was identified by Canadian authorities as Aaron Driver, was an "Islamic State soldier" who responded to ISIS's call to target coalition countries.
