Periodical Review: Summary from the Jihadi Forums – The First Half of August 2013
This report summarizes notable events discussed on jihadist Web forums during the first half of August 2013. Following are the main points covered in the report:
• Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri criticizes the military revolution in Egypt and Morsi’s removal. According to him, the revolution was made possible thanks to cooperation between Coptic Christians, secularists, supporters of the military and the anti-Islamic camp, with guidance from the United States. The democratic process by which Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s representative, was elected President of Egypt proves that democracy is of no value and should be considered a failure. Furthermore, democracy is not in line with the principles of Islam.
• Sheikh Nasir al-Wahishi, leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, promised to work to free Sunni prisoners from jails.
• The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham, Al-Qaeda’s branch in Iraq, published a manifesto detailing all of the military operations that its group carried out in Iraq in 2012.
• The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham successfully overtook the Mannagh Military Airport in Aleppo, in cooperation with other Islamist-jihadist organizations in Syria.
• As a result of the deaths of four members of the jihadist Ansar Beit al-Maqdas by an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or “drone” in the Sinai Peninsula, Salafi-jihadist groups in the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip are blaming the Egyptian Army for cooperating with Israel and protecting its borders. In light of this, jihadist organizations in the Sinai are calling on Bedouins in the Sinai Peninsula to help the mujahideen in their war against the Egyptian Army and to avenge their deaths.