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 May 15, 2016, the Ibn Taymiyyah Media Center (ITMC), which is associated with the Salafi-jihadi movement and ISIS supporters in Gaza, published two videos titled "Instructions by the Heroes for the Lions of Battle - Jihadi Ideas for Lone Lions."
EXCLUSIVE: On Facebook, Virginia ISIS Supporter Spreads Propaganda, Interacts With ISIS Fighters
A Virginia resident is a very active member of a large pro-ISIS clique on Facebook. He interacts with ISIS supporters and conducts public conversations with ISIS fighters. He is also active in closed pro-ISIS Facebook groups.
EXCLUSIVE: Popular ISIS Twitter Account Alleges American Veteran Has Arrived In Syria
On May 19, 2016, a popular ISIS Twitter account claimed that a U.S. veteran who converted to Islam has arrived in ISIS-controlled territory.
On May 15, 2016, the information office for ISIS in Al-Barakah (Al-Hassakah) province, Syria, published a 16-minute video titled "The Generation Of Battles." The video, which was also posted on the jihadi forum Shomoukh Al-Islam, mainly focuses on children of foreign fighters from Nusantara (the Indonesian Archipelago) who immigrated to the Islamic State and are being raised and educated according to ISIS ideology.
The fourth issue of Istok, the Islamic State (ISIS) magazine in Russian published by ISIS's Al-Hayat Media Center, featured an essay that expounded on the group's negative view of Muslims living in Europe. Titled "Freedom of Islam in Europe: Delusion or Reality," the essay refutes arguments in favor of Muslims living in Europe and promotes the ISIS view of Muslim life in Europe as impossible and emigration to ISIS-controlled territories as compulsory.
EXCLUSIVE: French Children Threaten In ISIS Video: 'Today In Syria, Tomorrow In Paris'
On May 14, 2016, the Islamic State's (ISIS's) Aleppo information bureau released a 14 minute video titled "In the Fathers' Footsteps" (In Arabic), or "In the Footsteps of My Father (in French). The video, distributed via the ISIS channels on Telegram and the Shomoukh Al- Islam forum, focuses on two French boys -Abu Mus'ab and Qa'qa - the sons of French ISIS fighter Abu Dujanah Al-Faransi, who remained in Syria after their father died in battle.
An English-speaking widow from Africa created a Facebook page promoting her charitable cause, which claims to help the financially struggling widows of fighters in Syria, sending them funds via Western Union wherever they are in the world. She was widowed in 2015; her Jabhat Al-Nusra fighter husband died in battle. She frequently writes about her experiences as a widow in Syria.
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On May 19, 2016 a British ISIS fighter announced on his Facebook page that the borders to Syria and Iraq are once again open.
EXCLUSIVE: U.S.-Born Media Activist Interviews British Jihadi In Syria
On May 16, 2016, U.S.-born media activist in Syria Bilal Abdul Kareem shared, via his Facebook and Twitter accounts, an installment in the series of video news reports called "Face the Truth," which is an On The Ground News production. In this segment, Kareem interviews a fighter in a trench in northern Syria, Abu Abdullah Britani.
EXCLUSIVE: ISIS Threat: The Entire World Is An Arena For Our Battle With Israel
In its May 17, 2016 editorial, in the Islamic State (ISIS) official weekly newsletter, Al-Naba', ISIS threatened Israel. In it, the group said that Israel now feels threatened by ISIS, like the U.S., because of the "collapse" of its neighboring states and because of ISIS's continued advance. In light of this, it said, Israel began to wage war on ISIS, especially in the Sinai and in Syria, by bombing it, using drones to collect information on it, and planting spies to collect intelligence against it - measures that, it claimed, are a mere prelude to further Israeli "entanglement" in the war against ISIS.
The Islamic State in Homs province, Syria has released a high-definition video featuring several Indian jihadis speaking in Urdu and swearing oaths of fealty to Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.
The video begins with commentary in Arabic featuring Urdu subtitles. A narrator says: "During the era the Caliphate of 'Omar ibn Al-Khattab [the second caliph of Islam], the armies of the Muslims launched battles in Hind [India] and Sindh [currently part of Pakistan] so that idolatry and shirk [polytheism] be eliminated. Therefore, they brought the people under the jurisdiction of the shari'a of their Lord.
Pro-ISIS Tech Channel Warns Of Alleged ISIS Telegram Groups Offering Hacking Tutorials
On May 17, 2016, the "Islamic State Technician" Telegram channel, which is pro-ISIS, posted a warning that Telegram users be wary of entities on the platform that are offering supposed hacking lessons while claiming official affiliation with the Islamic State.
French ISIS Media Operatives Call On Media Supporters To Join The Media War Against The Infidels
On May 18, 2016, the Islamic State's (ISIS) official French-language media group Al-Nur published a letter calling on ISIS supporters to participate in ISIS's ongoing media war as part of the organization's recent media mobilization campaign. The letter, titled "Oh You supporter of the Caliphate," was distributed through official ISIS channels on Telegram and Twitter.
ISIS Releases Photos Of Destruction Of Maskhi Gate In Mosul
On May 15, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) published a photo report showing its destruction of the ancient walls and gate of the city of Nineveh (the Mashki Gate), dating from the 7th century BCE.
The 15th issue of Inspire, the English-language magazine of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), released on May 14, 2016, features two short articles that justify Al-Qaeda's policy of threatening the US and encourage Muslims to carry out attacks against it.
The first article, titled "Inside Obama's Rationality," by Muhsin Ali, attacks Obama, calling him "the 21st Century Hitler" and claiming that his mild demeanor conceals an evil agenda.
On May 14, 2016, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released issue 15 of its English-language magazine Inspire. The issue, titled "Professional Assassinations," includes repeated calls to undermine the U.S. economy by assassinating leading American economic figures and wealthy entrepreneurs. Similar calls were issued in the previous issue of Inspire magazine, released September 2015. The current issue also includes calls to Muslims living in the U.S. to emulate the recent Palestinian stabbing campaign against Israelis.
In an interview published in Issue 15 of Inspire, the English-language magazine published by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Ibrahim Al-Qusi aka Khubaib Al-Sudani, a former Guantanamo detainee, said that the main goal of Osama bin Laden, the late Al-Qaeda leader, after he returned to Afghanistan from Sudan was to unite the mujahideen to focus on fight against the U.S.
Issue 15 Of AQAP's 'Inspire' Magazine Features Instructions For Building Various Types Of Bombs
On May 14, 2016, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released the 15th issue of its English-language magazine Inspire. The issue, titled "Professional Assassinations," features a 25- page article called "Home Assassinations," presenting illustrated step-by-step instructions for building and detonating several types of bombs, including a parcel bomb, a magnetic car bomb, and door trap bomb. The article, aimed at individuals and cells operating in the West, advises them to employ safety measures and also to test the devices before using them in an operation.
On May 14, 2016, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released the 15th issue of its English-language magazine Inspire, titled "Professional Assassinations." The lead article, which bears the same title and is part of the issue's "Open-Source Jihad" section, presents advice for lone attackers in the West on targeting individuals in their homes. Written by the magazine's "External Operations Team," the article is a follow-up to an item in the magazine's previous issue that focused on targeting people in their workplaces.
The 15th Issue of Inspire, the English-language magazine of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), features an article titled "O Knife Revolution, Head Towards America." The article calls upon Muslims in the U.S., as well as in Europe, to emulate the recent wave of Palestinians stabbings in Israel by attacking non-Muslims around them, particularly Jews.
Jaysh Al-Fath-Affiliated Group Releases Q&A Video On Jihad
On May 19, 2016, the Al-Muhajurin, a group of foreign fighters in Syria, released the first part of a video titled, "Questions and Answers with Sheikh Abu Shams."
TTP's Charity Arm Calls For Donations During Ramadan, Provides Yandex.com Email Address To Contact
Ansar ul-Yateem ("Helpers of the Orphans"), a charity established by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander Adnan Rasheed, has issued a statement through social media urging Muslims to offer donations during the coming month of Ramadan, beginning June 7, 2016.
The TTP, the main group of the Pakistani Taliban, has recently been on the run, and its leaders are believed to be hiding somewhere in Afghanistan. Following is the text of the statement which was accompanied by a 3-part video on the work carried out by Ansar ul-Yateem.
