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December 1, 2012 JTTM Weekly No. 27

Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Weekend Summary

December 1, 2012
JTTM Weekly No. 27

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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Leader Of Al-Qaeda In The Islamic Maghreb Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud: French Military Intervention In Mali Will Seal The Fate Of French Hostages

*The following video is a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM).

Following are excerpts from an exclusive Al-Jazeera TV report on Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in Mali, which aired on November 28, 2012.

Reporter: "The fighters of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb are preparing for war. The harbingers of war emerged several months ago, following the takeover of northern Mali by Jihadi groups, some of which are accused of having links to Al-Qaeda. West African nations, with the help of France and other Western countries, are preparing to send in their armies in order to regain northern Mali. For its part, Al-Qaeda continues to build up its military capabilities. However, the group’s leader, in this video, obtained exclusively by Al-Jazeera TV, says that the crisis in Mali should be resolved through peaceful negotiations."

Leader of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud: "I say to the Muslim people of Mali, who are proud of their religion and their ancient Islamic heritage: The old-new problem in your country is an internal conflict among Muslims, which can be resolved by reconciliation between the Muslims themselves, without a single drop of blood being shed. All your country’s reasonable leaders and representatives know this full well. What business do the foreign infidels have in your country?"

[...]

A Review Of Al-Qaeda's Perspective On The Arab Spring Based On Lecture Series By American Al-Qaeda Operative Adam Gadahn

On September 20, 2012, Al-Qaeda's media wing, Al-Sahab, released the first installment in a five-part lecture series by American Al-Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn titled "The Nation of Sacrifice and Martyrdom Facing Treason and Tyranny," in which Gadahn presented his take on the Arab Spring. Though Gadahn introduces the series as a personal effort of his "own initiative" that began taking shape during the initial outbreak of the Arab Spring, its content is indicative of Al-Qaeda's general perspective on the Arab Spring. The series marks Gadahn's first major appearance in an extensive Al-Qaeda series speaking entirely in Arabic. Gadahn's hosting of the series is an indication of his rising status within Al-Qaeda, especially after the death of several top Al-Qaeda figures in the past year; this is further evidenced by the freedom he is given to express his own thoughts on the Arab Spring.

Ansar Al-Shari'a In Egypt Vow To 'Resist' U.S. And Those Arab Governments Loyal To It


Ahmad 'Ashoush

On November 17, 2012, a group going by the name Al-Talia' Al-Salafiyya Al-Mujahida – Ansar Al-Shari'a ("The Jihad Fighting Salafi Vanguard – Ansar Al-Shari'a"; henceforth Salafi Vanguard), representing the jihadi movement in Egypt, published its founding manifesto laying out its goals and principles. Egyptian jihadis have been using this name in their publications for some time now, but this marks the first official declaration of principles on their part. It should be noted that the name Ansar Al-Shari'a is used by jihadis in numerous Arab countries. For more on this phenomenon, see In Effort To Rebrand, Salafi-jihadi Movement Adopts New Name: 'Ansar Al-Shari'a'. The manifesto, authored by prominent Egyptian jihadi cleric Ahmad 'Ashoush, is a text typical of the global jihad movement, as it stresses the necessity to fight what it terms the "Zionist-Crusader imperialism – the U.S.-led world order." The manifesto states that its primary goal is to reinstate the Islamic caliphate, and stresses that in order to achieve this da'wa [Islamic proselytism] must be combined with jihad.

Al-Zawahiri Releases Eulogy For Slain Gazan Jihadi Leader

On November 29, 2012, Al-Qaeda's media company, Al-Sahab, released a three-minute audio recording of the organization's leader, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, eulogizing Hisham Sa'idni, aka Abu Al-Walid Al-Maqdisi, the former leader of Jama'at Al-Tawhid wa'l Jihad (JTJ) and head of the Mujahideen Shoura Council, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on October 13. Al-Zawahiri begins his message by "congratulating" the Islamic nation on Sa'idni's "martyrdom," which he hopes will encourage the mujahideen in Gaza and elsewhere to redouble their efforts and strengthen their devotion.

Libyan Protesters Carry Signs With Well-Known Bin Laden Threat Against U.S.

On November 28, 2012, leading jihadi forum Al-Fida' posted images of a large rally in Benghazi protesting against banks and government institutions which implement usury and condemning the war in Gaza. Several protestors carried signs with a well-known threat against the U.S. issued by Osama bin Laden. At least two of the images, which were posted by forum member "Abu Osama," show young men holding signs reading "I swear by the Almighty God that America will not dream of security before we live it as a reality in Palestine." This threat by Osama bin Laden was first broadcast by Al-Jazeera TV in October 2001, shortly after the beginning of the war in Afghanistan.

Leading Taliban Commander Mullah Nazir Ahmad Injured In Suicide Attack

Mullah Nazir Ahmad, a leading Taliban commander who has been known for his pro-Pakistan Army positions over the years, was injured in a suicide attack on Thursday in South Waziristan, according to a Pakistani website. His spokesman Amir Nawaz told a Pakistani journalist that Mullah Nazir Ahmad was injured in the suicide attack in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan, according to a report on the website of Pakistani daily Dawn. The suicide bomber was reportedly 10 to 15 years of age.

PFLP-GC Claims Responsibility For The Tel Aviv Bus Bombing

Following is an excerpt from a TV program featuring PFLP-GC spokesman Anwar Raja, which aired on Al-Alam TV on November 21, 2012.

Anwar Raja: I’d like to say that this high-profile operation of detonating an explosive device on a [Tel Aviv] bus... It was not placed in a bag that blew up, like the enemy claimed. It was detonated by remote control. We have the expertise and capabilities to carry out such things, and that is what we did. The fedayeen who carried this out are from the heart of Palestine. The enemy can search where they came from. It will find no trace of them..."

MOJWA Releases Video Of French Hostage

On November 26, 2012, the Tawhid and Jihad Movement in West Africa (known by the acronym MOJWA), released a two-minute video of Rodriguez Leal Gilberto, a French national whom it kidnapped in Mali last week. The video was distributed through Mauritanian news agencies.

Salafi-Jihadis In Sinai: Egyptian Security Forces Deliberately Destabilizing Sinai, Will Be Responsible If Situation Explodes

In a five-minute audio recording published November 22, 2012 by the Islamic news agency Da'wa Al-Haqq (dawaalhaq.wordpress.com), the Salafi-jihadi movement in Sinai condemns the Egyptian security forces in the peninsula for the ease with which they kill civilians, and demand that they stop this and punish those responsible. The Salafi-jihadis accuse the Egyptian security forces of deliberately destabilizing Sinai in order to tighten their control over it, and add that they will be the ones to blame if matters get out of hand.

TTP Threatens To Behead Eight Kidnapped Pakistani Government Employees

In a video released today, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) threatened to behead eight employees of Pakistan's Gomal Zam Dam if its demands are not met by December 3, a Pakistani website reported. Gomal Zam Dam is situated in South Waziristan, a Pakistani border district with a strong Taliban presence.

Toora Bora Front Releases Video Of Taliban Militants Training In Af-Pak Border Region

A video released by the Afghan Taliban's Al-Mustafa Jihadi Studio has released a video titled "Lashkar-e-Sandan 3," showing a 13-member militant group undergoing training by a masked instructor in a mountainous region somewhere in Afghanistan. Also in the video the group engages Afghan and NATO forces in direct and indirect attacks in the Barmal district of southeast Paktika province.

Pakistani Taliban Chief Hakimullah Mehsud Accuses Pakistani Spy Agency ISI Of Launching Bombings, Says 'Springs Of Jihad And Islam' Arising In Corners Of World

In an audio message issued on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha – which was posted on the Internet in late November 2012 – Hakimullah Mehsud, the Emir of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), accused the Pakistani military's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of launching bombings to create discord between the Taliban and Pakistani Muslims.

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