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In the sixth issue of its English-language magazine, Inspire, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's (AQAP) published a communiqué titled "The Martyrdom of Sheikh Osama," in which it paid tribute to Osama bin Laden. The organization stated that he confronted the Americans "like a firm mountain" and engaged them "in a fierce battle," at the end of which he received "the honor which he was seeking for many years... Indeed, it is martyrdom for the sake of Allah."
The eulogy pledged that Al-Qaeda would continue in bin Laden's footsteps: "Can the Americans... kill what Sheikh Osama lived for and was killed for? Far be it! Far be it! Sheikh Osama did not build this organization to die with his death." That said, there are no blatant threats of attacks against the U.S. in the communiqué.
It should be noted that AQAP has already published a eulogy for bin Laden in Arabic.
The glorification of bin Laden as a jihad warrior who faced the Americans with "his weapons against theirs" should be seen as part of Al-Qaeda's efforts to deal with the problems posed to the morale of the mujahideen on the fronts by the circumstances of their leader's death - namely, in a residential compound in Pakistan, accompanied by his family.
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