Periodical Review – Summary from the Jihadi Forums – The First Half of August 2014
This report summarizes notable events discussed on jihadist Web forums during the first half of August 2014. Following are the main points covered in the report:
- Al-Qaeda appeals to the family of American captive, Warren Weinstein, to put pressure on the American government to meet its demands in exchange for his release. According to the organization, the American government is not interested in a deal and even wants him dead so there are no negotiations underway for his release.
- Sheikh Abu al-Fadl Iyad Ag Ghaly, the leader of Ansar al-Din, calls on Muslims to sanctify war against France and its allies in order to prevent the Crusaders from strengthening their hold on Mali.
- Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) launches a PR campaign against the Yemeni government in the framework of which it claims responsibility for a series of operations that it carried out against Yemeni security forces, especially in Hadramawt Province. The published statements concern the battle between the Yemeni army and members of AQAP.
- Sheikh Ibrahim Sulayman Rubays, the head of AQAP’s Shura Council, expresses support for the mujahideen in Iraq against the backdrop of their successful takeover of Mosul and other cities in Iraq. According to him, an immediate end must be placed to the disagreements among the various factions of jihad and they must make efforts to unite.
- Jihadists continue to express divided positions regarding the declaration of the Islamic Caliphate led by Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. At the head of the opposition camp stand Al-Qaeda and the Al-Nusra Front in Syria. Abu Mariyya al-Qahtani, a member of the Shura Council of the Al-Nusra Front, emphasized that that Islamic State is an evil organization and that its Caliphate is neither recognized nor legitimate. At the same time, other jihadist organizations continue to swear allegiance to the Islamic Caliphate, including Ansar al-Khilafa in the Philippines.
- Sheikh Abu Firas al-Suri, the official spokesman of the Al-Nusra Front in Syria, clarifies that his organization will establish an Islamic Emirate only after consulting with leaders who have an Islamic orientation, whether from among jihad factions or local leaders. According to him, the organization will continue to embrace jihad.
- Operation ‘Protective Edge’ continues to provoke reactions of solidarity and identification with the people of Gaza on the part of global jihad organizations, such as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. At the same time, calls are raised for jihad against Israel and the Jews.
