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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An Islamic State (ISIS) supporter living in Orlando is part of a large jihadi clique on Facebook and Instagram.
Abu Jamal, the spokesman of the Martyr Ali Mustafa Brigades, the Military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), has voiced another threat to target U.S. nationals in Israel in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
It was recently reported that ex-U.S. marine Everitt Aaron Jameson had been arrested for planning to carry out a Christmas terror attack at Pier 39 in San Francisco. Jameson, from Modesto, California, who had been working as a tow truck driver, has numerous pro-ISIS Facebook friends. Upon learning of Jameson's arrest, many of these friends commented on the events on their own Facebook accounts.
On December 28, 2017, a pro-ISIS media group on Telegram, circulated a message in Arabic, English, and French titled "Appeal to the Al Mouwahedin [believers]." The message, which contains a threat to Western children, appears to be a reaction to the killing of 84 people in 24 hours in Alboukmal, Syria.
Jihadi gamers appear to be using a modification, or "mod," for the computer game Battlefield 2. The website from which the Battlefield 2 mod can be downloaded is based in Texas and was acquired by IBM in 2013. The mod allows users to play as factions such as the Syrian Rebels, Hamas, the Taliban, Iraqi Insurgents, and others. The mod includes pro-Islamic State (ISIS) material that may have been added by users unaffiliated with the mod, or by those who worked on its development. On December 12, 2017, the mod was promoted on a pro-jihad Telegram channel as "a game where u can play as mujahideen on PC." Screenshots showing Hamas, ISIS, and Chechen militants were posted on the channel as well.
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
In the run-up to Christmas and New Year's, Islamic State (ISIS) supporters have been stepping up threats against the West. These threats are generally issued in the form of graphic posters shared and circulated by ISIS supporters on social media, primarily on the encrypted messaging app Telegram.
Pro-ISIS Media Group Threatens Holiday Attacks On Western Cities, Disneyland
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On December 25, 2017, the pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media group Khattab Foundation released a two-minute video with the title "Our Gifts are Ready." The video features a threat to carry out attacks in major Western cities during the holiday season.
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On December 25, 2017, the Islamic State (ISIS) branch in Somalia released its first official video entitled "Hunt Them, Oh Monotheists." The eight-minute video in Arabic, Somali, and English, with subtitles in Arabic, was released on Telegram through official ISIS channels. It was also posted on video sharing websites such as Youtube. The video reveals that the status of the Somalia branch has been elevated, as for the first time it is presented as an ISIS "province" [wilayah].
On December 25, 2017, a pro-Al-Qaeda Telegram channel announced its relaunch of a 2016 incitement campaign calling for lone wolf attacks in the West during the New Year's celebrations.
On December 27, 2017, a media foundation, which is identified with the Islamic State (ISIS), published a video and a series of posters urging supporters of ISIS to step up their propaganda activities on social media.
According to reports, the Islamic State (ISIS) in Sinai has appointed Muhammad Sa'd Al-Sai'di, aka Abu Hamza Al-Qadi, as its main jurist. Al-Sai'di, who hails from the area of Ra's Sadr in the southern Sinai, is said to have issued the fatwa authorizing the November 24, 2017 mega attack on the Al-Rawda mosque in northern Sinai, in which more than 300 people were killed.
ISIS Publishes Photos Of Graduates of Kunar, Afghanistan Training Camp
On December 26, 2017, the Islamic State (ISIS) Khurasan province released a pictorial report featuring the graduates of a military training camp in Kunar province, Afghanistan.
Elite Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham Unit Recruits Suicide Bombers Via Whatsapp
On December 12, 2017, the official Telegram channel of the elite Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Unit published a poster calling on activists to mobilize to perpetrate suicide attacks via car bombs and also behind enemy lines.
Syria-Based Pakistani Jihadi Using WhatsApp And Telegram To Recruit Jihadis From Pakistan
A Pakistani jihadi who calls himself Saad Al-Muhajir Afridi Al-Shaami and is based in Syria is using Telegram and WhatsApp to recruit jihadis from Pakistan. The surname Afridi denotes he is somewhere from the Pashtu-speaking region of the Af-Pak region, while Al-Muhajir means "immigrant."
HTS Video Shows Its Fighter Shooting Down Syrian Military Plane
On December 26, 2017, the Ibaa’ News Agency released a one-and-a-half-minute video showing a Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) fighter from one of its anti-aircraft units shooting down a Syrian military plane in the northern Hama countryside.
Over the past few days, Al-Malahem, the media arm of the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has released multiple parts of a video featuring the group's commander Qassem Al-Rimi reviewing and commenting on an historical book summarizing war strategies, The Politics Of War by Abu Saeed Al-Harthami.
A recently opened Telegram channel has begun posting photos featuring Turkestani (i.e. Uyghur) fighters manning positions in the rural western parts of Aleppo province, Syria. The channel's description notes that the channel is an "Arabic language media organization that publishes what comes out of the Turkestan Al-Ghuraba' Brigade."
Al-Shabab-Affiliated News Agency: Al-Shabab Executed Two Homosexuals In Central Somalia
On December 22, 2017, the Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen-affiliated Shahada news agency reported that the group had carried out the hadd (Koranic punishment) against two men who had engaged in the "act of the [biblical] people of Lot," a reference to homosexual activity.
Given below is the text of a statement issued by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) accuses the Afghan government and the U.S. forces of backing Islamic State (ISIS) jihadis in Nangarhar province: "Readers know that some former officials of the Kabul Administration convened a gathering in Kandahar last week [beginning December 11] where some current members of the parliament also participated. Speaking at the gathering, they exposed vast administrative and moral corruption in the rungs of the Kabul Administration, claiming that corruption has now reached the elites. The high-ranking officials have their hands in corruption, though it has assumed the form of a network."
Given below is the text of a statement issued by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and to move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv: "The announcement made by the U.S. President Trump to recognize Baitul Maqdas [Jerusalem] as the capital of Israel has sparked negative reactions across the globe. Protests have been carried out against the announcement of the U.S. president in different countries, condemning his decision as partial and oppressive. The Islamic Emirate called the decision an irrational and unwise beside its condemnation. Moreover, the members of the OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation] rejected Trump's decision and the European Union also opposed it."
Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi, the emir of Jamaatud Dawa for Pakistan-controlled Azad Kashmir, has called for jihad against Israel over the issue of Jerusalem, according to an Urdu daily. Jamaatud Dawa is a jihadi organization led by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, for whom the U.S. announced a $10 million reward in 2012.
A pro-jihad Telegram channel offers followers instruction on a host of issues ranging from hacking into Wi-Fi networks to creating fake Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the founder of Pakistani jihadi organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and chairman of its charity arm Jamaatud Dawa, has said that the sentiments that led to the creation of Pakistan are needed to resolve the Kashmir and Palestine problems, according to a report in the Urdu daily Roznama Islam.
Afghan Taliban Release Video Of Jihadi Activities In Afghanistan's Badghis Province
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) has released a video of jihadi activities in Afghanistan along with the following statement. This report includes images from the video after the text of the statement below.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) has issued a statement marking the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Following is the text of the statement: "Thirty-eight years ago, on 6th of Jaddi 1358 Hijri Solar [December 27, 1979], Afghanistan faced a historical trial of the 20th century as it was invaded by the Soviet Union communist bloc. During the course of invasions of Afghanistan throughout history, this date left such destructive effects on the oppressed Afghan nation that it is still suffering from it today and has morphed into the latest series of calamities."
