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.)
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The following report is a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
A 19-year-old American woman who goes by Aaminah al-Amriki on Twitter has revealed that she intends to travel to the Islamic State. According to her tweets, the only thing holding her back at the moment is finances. In one exchange, she indicates that she is planning to travel to the Islamic State with others.
According to her Twitter account, she was raised in the southern U.S., and discusses attending church while growing up. She also mentions that her father served with the U.S. military in Fallujah, Iraq.
Aaminah al-Amriki's Twitter byline read: "Married ukhti [sister] (brothers no DM). Kufr Bit Taghoot hijrah fisabileelah In sha Allah [disbelieving in tyrants, emigrating for the sake of Allah]. Don't follow if you are comfortable with living in Dar ul Kuffar [land of the infidels]."
EXCLUSIVE: ISIS In Sinai Increases Military, Propaganda Pressure On Egypt
By: R. Green*
The deposing of Egyptian president Muhammad Mursi in July 2013 was a turning point for the Salafi-jihadi organizations operating in Sinai. Following his ouster, these organizations launched an all-out war against the Egyptian government and army, acting in a variety of ways to destabilize the country. Especially conspicuous was the activity of the northern Sinai-based organization Ansar Bait Al-Maqdis, which managed to form an effective fighting force that carried out high-profile operations in the peninsula and also gained support among parts of the local population. In November 2014, the organization joined the Islamic State (ISIS) and pledged allegiance to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. This development, and the establishment of a "Sinai Province" of ISIS, marked a significant escalation in the war of the Salafi-jihadi stream against the Egyptian government.
By: A. Agron*
Pro-ISIS clerics, including the Australia-based Musa Cerantonio and the U.K.-based Anjem Choudary and Abu Baraa, have been closely watched by authorities for years. Increasingly careful to hide behind Western free speech guarantees, in addition to espousing pro-ISIS views, they encourage Muslims to immigrate to and fight with the Islamic State (ISIS).
Cerantonio, who in July 2014 was arrested in the Philippines and deported back to Australia, frequently called upon Muslims to travel to Syria and Iraq and wage jihad. Prior to his arrest, he commanded a large online following. After his arrest, his online activity appears to have decreased; however, he is allegedly once again active on Twitter, under an alias, and also fields questions on Ask.fm. He also preaches on Paltalk - the online video chat service used by other radical clerics such as Anjem Choudary and Abu Baraa, both of whom were arrested in the U.K. on August 5, 2015 and who have appeared in court for their support of ISIS.
Abu Omar Al-Almani: "We would like to convey this message to our brothers in Germany: Join the caravan before it is too late."
Abu Osama: "The Caliphate has risen, so what are you waiting for? By Allah my brothers, we are living here with honor and glory. You must hasten before you miss the train."
"Tourism of the Umma"
Abu Omar Al-Almani: "In the name of Allah the Merciful, the Compassionate, and blessings be upon the most honorable of the messengers: We praise Allah who aided us in our journey here. We thank him alone for leading us to the road of Jihad. Today, we are in Palmyra, which was conquered by our brothers. This was done by the grace of Allah. As the prophet Muhammad said: 'Jihad is tourism for us.' As you can see, we are in one of the most beautiful areas of Syria. We are traveling from place to place, witnessing the beauty of His creation. We are fighting in Allah's name until his word reigns supreme. Dear brothers, make hijra. Indeed, this will bring you great joy. Living here, you will see how all is ruled by Allah and His laws. You will not be under the oppression of the infidels, and they will not be able to do to you as they please. Here, we do to them as we please. We rule them according to what Allah has decreed in the Quran. Dear brothers, join the caravan before it is too late. Join your brothers and those aiding them. If you cannot come and aid our Jihad here, then support us in Germany. Attack the infidels in their homes and kill them where you find them. If you are unable to do so, then break off all connections with them and do not fear the blame of the blamers. Prayers on the Prophet and his family."
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On August 5, 2015, an Islamic State (ISIS) video featuring a group of Russian-speaking fighters was released online. The video, released by the Islamic State Al-Furat province, also features German jihadi and ex-rapper Abu Talha Al-Almani (aka Deso Dogg), who delivers a message in German. The video is geared toward mujahideen in the Caucasus, and at Muslims there in general, congratulating them for the recent joining of several mujahideen groups to the Islamic State and the establishment of the Islamic State Caucasus province. It also appeals to the remaining Muslims to join the Islamic State and the jihad.
Below are the speaker's messages, in chronological order:
The first speaker congratulates the people and the mujahideen of the Caucasus on their recent pledge of allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, and on the establishment of the Islamic State Caucasus province. He also appeals to Abu Muhammad Kadarsky, ISIS wali (governor) there, informing him that as long as he will implement the shari'a, the mujahideen there will obey him. The man also calls upon fighters in Chechnya, Ingushetia, KBK (Kabardino-Balkaria-Karchai), and Azerbaijan to join and obey ISIS's wali and to wage jihad.
Ayman Al-Zawahiri Eulogizes Mullah Omar, Pledges Allegiance To New Taliban Leader
In an audio recording released on August 13, 2015, Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri eulogized former Taliban chief Mullah Omar, whose death was recently announced, and pledged allegiance to his successor Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour. "I, as the emir of Al-Qaeda, I pledge allegiance to you to renew the path of Sheikh Osama [bin Laden] and his martyred and noble brothers, who pledged allegiance to the commander of the believers Mullah Muhammad Omar Mujahid, may Allah have mercy on them," he said.
Bin Laden's Son Hamza Calls On Muslim Youths To Kill Jews, Americans Everywhere
On August 14, 2015, the Al-Qaeda media wing Al-Sahab released a 52-minute audio recording by Hamza bin Laden, the son of slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The undated recording was apparently made some time ago, since in it Hamza renews his oath of fealty to Taliban leader Mullah Omar, whose death was recently announced, and congratulates Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leader Nasser Al-Wuhaishi, whose death was announced two months ago by AQAP.
There are several interesting points about the recording: It was an official release by Al-Sahab and was promoted on Al-Qaeda's main forum Al-Fida', which implies it is authentic. In the past, the authenticity factor in regard to Hamza and Al-Sahab had been an issue; in 2011, following Osama bin Laden's death, an alleged Al-Sahab message said that Hamza was his father's successor, but shortly thereafter the message turned out to be questionable.
GRAPHIC ISIS In Sinai Releases Photo Of Beheaded Croatian Hostage On Twitter
The Islamic State's (ISIS) Sinai province released a photo showing the beheaded body of the Croatian hostage Tomislav Salopek. The caption to the photo reads: "[ISIS claims responsibility for] the killing of the Croatian prisoner, whose government participates in the war on the Islamic State, following the expiring of the ultimatum and his abandonment by the Egyptian government of apostasy and his government." The photo is accompanied by images of news reports reporting Croatia's support for the war on ISIS and to the Kurdish forces.
"A Message to the Egyptian Government"
Tomislav Salopek: "My name is Tomislav Salopek, I am thirty years old and I come from Croatia. I am married with Natashah, and I have two children: Sarah and Dean. I work for a French company CGG Ardiseis, in a branch office in Cairo in Egypt, Al-Maadi Street. The soldiers of Islamic State, khilaffah, Wilayata Sina [Sinai province], catch me on Wednesday 22 July, 2015. They want to substitute me with the Muslim women arrested in Egyptian prisons. This matter has to be achieved before 48 hours from now. If not, the soldiers of Wilayata Sina will kill me."
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Warning: Graphic - ISIS Video Documents Execution Of Two Homosexuals In Homs
The following report is a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On August 13, 2015, the Islamic State Homs province released a video showing the execution of two men convicted of engaging in homosexual acts in the Syrian city of Palmyra. The men are seen being thrown off a tall building and then stoned. ISIS had already published images from the same execution last month. The execution follows a string of other executions of homosexuals in Iraq.
ISIS Damascus Gives Children Military Training
The following report is a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On August 8, 2015, ISIS' South Damascus province information bureau released a series of pictures showing children receiving military training at a South Damascus training camp. The pictures document the military lessons that the children receive from the organization's instructors covering topics such as weapons handling, hand-to-hand combat and theoretical training.
On August 10, 2015, the Islamic State (ISIS) Salah Al-Din province released a video message featuring a number of men congratulating Al-Ghurabaa' group in Algeria on its recent joining of the Islamic State.
One speaker, believed to be Algerian, congratulates the "lions of the jungle" in Algeria for their pledge of allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, asking them, inter alia, to remain steadfast and to feel certain that they will triumph despite their small numbers. He also urges the group to remember the prisoners inside the "Algerian tawaghit [i.e. oppressors]" prisons. "By Allah, you are their hope after Allah," he informs them.
The Islamic State (ISIS) has recently sought to refute arguments that it treats the population in areas that it controls brutally and violently, releasing videos and photos ostensibly proving its humane and merciful treatment.
As part of this effort, on August 8, 2015, the information bureau for its Deir Al-Zour province in Syria released a 12-minute video documenting the warm reception it had bestowed upon Syrian Sunnis arriving in the province who had fled the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. The video, posted on the unofficial ISIS-identified Islamic State Publications website, includes interviews with some of the refugees, from the city of Al-Jourah, and calls on all Sunni Muslims to abandon the regime-controlled areas and to come to the Islamic caliphate.
The Islamic State "Hacking Division," a pro-ISIS hacker group, has released a large collection of names, emails and other sensitive information which allegedly belongs to U.S. military and government personnel.
A tweet by the group's official account reads: "Takbeer ALLHU AKBAR: U.S. Military And Government HACKED by the Islamic State Hacking Division!>>>LEAK"
Caucasus Emirate Announces Death Of Its Leader
Magomed Suleimanov
On August 11, 2015, the Caucasus Emirate published a communiqu├® announcing the death of its leader, Magomed Suleimanov (aka Muhammad Suleimanof aka Abu Usman Gimrinsky). The communique, issued by the emirate's Dagestan province, states that Suleimanof died along with the emir of the province, Kamil Saidov (aka Sai'd Al-Arkani), and two others in a battle with the Russian security forces.
In a YouTube video dated August 9, 2015, the London-Based Egyptian Cleric Hani Al-Siba'i issued a fatwa in which he ruled all the supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) responsible for the bloodshed committed by the group and declared that Muslims should not greet them and express resentment towards their position. "Those who still support ISIS to date and you have discussed [the issue] with them multiple times and have been kind to them, yet they insist on [supporting ISIS] - it is not permissible [for you] to greet them. You should not greet [such a supporter] first... If he greets you first, respond in your heart or with a low voice," he said and added: "All those who recognize [ISIS leader] Al-Baghdadi as a caliph, they belong to him and are responsible for the bloodshed, [and] are the real takfiris and Kharijites [i.e rebels] even if they said they are not."
