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September 22, 2016 JTTM Weekly No. 234

Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Weekend Summary

September 22, 2016
JTTM Weekly No. 234

The following are some of this week's reports from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project, which translates and analyzes content from sources monitored around the clock, among them the most important jihadi websites and blogs. (To view these reports in full, you must be a paying member of the JTTM; for membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org with "Membership" in the subject line.)

Note to media and government: For a full copy of these reports, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to media@memri.org. Please include your name, title, and organization in your email.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Pro-Assad Syrian Facebook Pages Call To Target American Troops, Interests In Syria

 

Following the September 17, 2016 U.S. airstrike on Syrian forces in Deir Al-Zor, several pro-regime Syrian Facebook pages called to attack U.S. forces and "those who collaborate with them" in the Al-Jazirah region (i.e., northern Syria, where Deir Al-Zor is located) and claimed that "popular committees" are already being formed to carry out such attacks.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Pro-ISIS Media Foundation Posts Guidelines For Suicide Operations

 

On September 19, 2016, the Twitter account of the pro-ISIS Al-Wafa' Media Foundation posted an article dated July 1, 2016, by an ISIS supporter, who asserts that fighting the infidels and apostates is the responsibility of every Muslim. He justifies suicides operations as an "act that makes Allah happy, and it is a way to raise the banner of tawhid [monotheism]." The article, titled "Martyrdom Operations and Their Guiding Principles," legitimizes suicide operations and depicts them as the "most damaging, effective and painful [weapon] against the enemy, which takes their lives and roasts their skin." The article further states that the desire to achieve martyrdom is "obvious evidence of the legitimacy of suicide operations." The writer supports his argument with a quote from Koran 2:207: "And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking means to the approval of Allah. And Allah is kind to [His] servants."

 

EXCLUSIVE: A Portrait Of A South African Family In Raqqa, On Facebook

 

A South African woman shares on Facebook glimpses of life in the territories controlled by the Islamic State (ISIS). She is married to a fighter and appears to have four children. In some posts she boasts of her contentedness in living under the Islamic State, and other entries contain photos which depict moments of life in the Caliphate. Some snapshots show dinar coins which ISIS recently issued, of her children brandishing weapons, and of hot days spent cooling off in the Euphrates river. Some of the photos she has previously posted, such as those of her husband, no longer appear on her account.

 

In The Wake Of NY, NJ Bombings, Pro-ISIS Entity On Telegram Posts Tutorials On Building Pressure Cooker Bomb And Using Cellphones, Bluetooth For Remote Detonation

 

In the wake of the bombings in New York and New Jersey over the weekend, the pro-Islamic State (ISIS) hacking entity Cyber Kahilafah posted tutorials on building homemade bombs using pressure cookers, and on modifying cell phones and Bluetooth devices to denote the bombs remotely.

 

ISIS Video Features Children Witnessing Beheadings, Participating In Executions Of Men Accused Of Spying In Mosul

 

On September 19, 2016, the media office of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Ninawa Province released a 15-minute long video showing the confession and execution of men accused of spying for the Kurdish intelligence and providing it with information and coordinates of ISIS facilities and foreign fighters in Mosul, Iraq.

 

Article By Pro-ISIS Media Group: Jihad By Women Permitted When Necessary

 

On September 15, 2016, the pro-ISIS media group published an article on Telegram titled "Jihad And Sacrificing Women's Lives - Obedience To Virtue Or A Discretionary Matter?" The article rejects criticism of the participation of women in jihad operations, stressing that women can carry out attacks when necessary. While the article's authors agree that generally women are not obligated to actively participate in jihad, they state that under certain circumstances, Islamic law permits them to do so. The article mentions that even if there are no clear references from Islamic law permitting lone wolf attacks by women, ISIS clerics have already permitted a woman to detonate an explosive vest if she is about to be taken prisoner or if her honor is violated.

 

ISIS Forbids Clothes With Western Flags, Brand Names, Soccer Team Logos

 

The "Hisba Center" (the authority in charge of enforcing Islamic law) of the Islamic State's Al-Furat province (the area of Abu Kammal and Al-Qa'im on the Syria-Iraq border), has banned the selling and wearing of clothes featuring Western flags, brand names and the logos and shirts of national or professional sports teams.

 

French ISIS Activist Rachid Kassim Calls On Young Algerians To Attack Tourists And Destroy Tourist Attractions 

 

Rachid Kassim, a French ISIS activist of Algerian descent who is currently in Iraq, runs a Telegram channel that incites attacks in the West. On September 21, 2016, Kassim posted a 12-minute voice recording calling on youths in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and other North African nations, to rise and join the jihad war. He urges young men in these countries to travel to the various battlefronts, such as in Libya, and says that if they cannot do so, then they should wage jihad in their home countries.

 

Russian 'Spy' Captured By ISIS Appeals To Putin And Russian People To Secure His Release

 

On September 20, 2016, ISIS's media arm Al-Furat released a video featuring a man captured by the group who claims to be Russian intelligence officer. The man appeals to the people of Russia and its president to not abandon him and help secure his release.

 

ISIS Weekly Praises Minnesota Stabbing Attack

Issue 47 of the official ISIS weekly Al-Naba', released on September 20, 2016, addressed the stabbing attack carried out by an ISIS supporter at the St. Cloud Mall in Minnesota on Saturday, September 17, 2016, citing the claim of responsibility issued by the official ISIS news agency A'maq, which stated that the attack was carried out by a "soldier of the Islamic State."

 

ISIS Claims Responsibility For Minnesota Stabbing Attack

On September 18, 2016, the Islamic State's A'maq agency published a claim of responsibility for the September 17 stabbing attack in a St. Cloud, Minnesota shopping mall. According to A'maq "The executor of the stabbing attack in Minnesota yesterday was a soldier of the Islamic State and carried out the operation in response to calls to target the citizens of countries belonging to the crusader coalition."

 

U.S.-Born Media Activist Interviews Widowed Rebel Wife In Syria, Who Encourages Wives To Support Their Husbands In Jihad

On September 22, 2016, the On The Ground (OGN) YouTube channel posted a video titled "Death Of A Breadwinner: A Woman's Perspective," which features a U.S.-born media activist interviewing a widowed mother of four in Syria.

 

Tennessee Youth Socializes With Jihad Enthusiasts On Facebook

 

A young man who claims to be from Memphis, Tennessee, openly expresses support for jihad and terrorism on his Facebook account. He is a convert to Islam, complains in numerous posts about the fact that he must attend church with his parents. He reveals that his father is a preacher and that his mother is active in a women's church group. According to his profile, he is homeschooled. 

 

Top Al-Qaeda Jihadi Forum Resumes Function, Recognizes Role Of Social Media

 

On September 22, 2016, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF) announced on one of its Telegram channels that the Al-Fida forum is resuming operation following an extended period of inactivity.

 

Following State Department Terrorist Designation Of Senior Hamas Official, Commander In Gaza Militant Group Warns US Citizens Not To Enter Gaza

In response to the US government's designation of senior Hamas official Fathi Hammad (aka Abu Mus'ab) as a terrorist, a commander of the Gazan Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades who goes by the name Abu Jammal warned US citizens to stay away from Gaza because they are "unwelcome" there. The Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades is the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), which are considered close to Hamas. 

 

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