Mullah Omar’s Afghan Taliban and al-Qa’ida’s senior leaders have been issuing some very mixed messages of late, and the online jihadi community is in an uproar, with some calling these developments “the beginning of the end of relations” between the two movements. Beginning with a statement from Mullah Omar in September, the Afghan Taliban’s Quetta-based [...]
Archive for the ‘Hezbollah’ Category
Al-Qa’ida and the Afghan Taliban: “Diametrically Opposed”?
Posted: 21st October 2009 by Vahid Brown in Afghanistan, AQ Leadership, China, Hamas, Hezbollah, Jund Ansar Allah, Pakistan, Taliban13
“Fatah al-Islam between Asad al-Jihad2 and al-Maqdisi”
Posted: 8th June 2009 by Scott Sanford in Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon, SyriaA post by an unknown author titled, “Fatah al-Islam between Asad al-Jihad2 and al-Maqdisi / Lessons and Considerations,” has been making its rounds through the various forums. The author offered a scathing critique of Fatah al-Islam (FI) and of recent comments by FI’s Sharia Officer, Abu Abdallah al-Maqdisi (not to be confused with the Jordanian [...]
No Jihadi Claim Of Rocket Attacks
Posted: 8th January 2009 by Will McCants in Hezbollah, Lebanon, UncategorizedTags: Fatah al-Islam, `Usbat al-Ansar
There’s been no claim on the forums today for the rockets fired from southern Lebanon into Israel but everyone believes it’s a Salafi-Jihadi group. Some have opined that it’s Fatah al-Islam, but they’re as clueless as the rest of us. Look here and here for some clues as to what’s going on. Update: From MEMRI.
The Denudation Of The Exoneration: Part 13 (Final)
Posted: 2nd December 2008 by Will McCants in AQ Leadership, Bin Laden, Egypt, Hezbollah, Uncategorized, ZawahiriTags: Bin Laden, Sayyid Imam, Zawahiri
Sayyid Imam wraps up his new book today. Much of his final criticism is aimed at Bin Laden, whom he describes as incurious and incapable of holding himself accountable for his errors. Regarding the latter, Imam compares Bin Laden negatively to Hassan Nasrallah, who apologized and offered compensation to the Lebanese civilians whose homes had [...]
Anti-Shia Graffiti In Gaza
Posted: 26th October 2008 by Will McCants in Hezbollah, Iran, Palestinian TerritoriesTags: Gaza, Hamas, Iran, Qassam, Shia
A member of the Faloja Forum, Abu Muhammad al-Rafhawi, has posted pictures of anti-Shia graffiti from Gaza that he claims was written by youth in the Qassam Brigades and the internal security forces. I don’t know if this sort of graffiti is typical or if it reflects rising hostility toward Hezbollah and Iran among younger [...]
Jihadi Explains Iranian Realpolitik
Posted: 6th August 2008 by Will McCants in Conspiracy Theories, Hezbollah, Iran, Islamic War Doctrine, Motivations, Shia, StrategyTags: Conspiracy Theories, Hezbollah, Iran, Israel, Shia, Sunnis
Abu `Abd al-Rahman `Atiyyat Allah (possibly this person) has written a new booklet titled Ru’ya kashifa in which he tries to convince his Jihadi brethren that Iran and Hezbollah are not working with the U.S. and Israel as part of a grand conspiracy to subjugate Sunnis. Rather, he argues, Iran and its cat’s paw Hezbollah [...]
Islamic State of Iraq Online Media Distribution
Posted: 24th June 2008 by Will McCants in Hezbollah, Iraq, Islamic State of Iraq, Jihadi media, propaganda, UncategorizedTags: Fajr Media Center, Forums, Furqan, Islamic State of Iraq, Jihadi media
Just in time for Craig Whitlock’s helpful survey of Jihadi internet propaganda, Ekhlaas member Usud al-Tawhid (Lions of Monotheism) has posted a message about the Islamic State of Iraq’s method of media distribution. The message is by an Abu al-Zarqa’ al-`Iraqi, who claims to be a member of the ISI. AZ warns forum members not [...]
Fatah al-Islam Leader Threatens Hezbollah, U.S.-Friendly Sunnis
Posted: 9th June 2008 by Will McCants in Hezbollah, LebanonTags: Fatah al-Islam, Hezbollah, Lebanon
Shakir al-`Absi, the fugitive leader of Fatah al-Islam, has issued his second audio statement since the defeat of his organization at the hands of the Lebanese Army last year. In it, he claims that the U.S. knows that it cannot directly break the “power” (shawka–a favorite Jihadi term) of the Sunnis in the Middle East, [...]
Bin Laden Message Prompts Speculation on AQ Strategy in Palestine (Part 1)
Posted: 20th May 2008 by Will McCants in Bin Laden, Hezbollah, Israel, Palestinian Territories, StrategyTags: Bin Laden, Hezbollah, Israel, Palestinian Territories, Strategy, Zawahiri
Bin Laden’s statement on May 18th has prompted several Jihadi pundits to speculate on AQ’s future strategy in the Palestinian territories. Over the next few days, I’ll post the most interesting speculation. For part one, we’ll look at a short post by Ekhlaas member Khalid al-`Asqalani. According to `Asqalani, Bin Laden has presented a complete [...]
Lebanon in the Mouth of the Dragon: Why Aren’t the Salafis Fighting?
Posted: 17th May 2008 by Will McCants in Hezbollah, LebanonTags: Hezbollah, Islamic State, Lebanon, Salafis
Ekhlaas member al-Sarim al-Shami (“the Stern Shami”) asks: Why aren’t the armed Salafi groups entering the fight in Lebanon? He is particularly critical of their religious leaders, who are sitting on their hands. Sarim acknowledges, as I wrote a few days ago, that some Ekhlaas members endorse this tactical neutrality in order to prepare for [...]