That’s the title of a post by hamzacom on the Faloja forum. In it, he draws an analogy with Afghanistan just after the U.S. invasion. It was a time of defeat for the mujahids but now they are resurging. The same will happen in Iraq. Other forum members are predictably annoyed by hamzacom’s pessimistic title. [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Islamic State of Iraq’
“The Painful Truth: Al-Qaeda is Losing the War in Iraq”
Posted: 1st October 2008 by Will McCants in AQ in Iraq, Islamic State of IraqTags: al-Qaeda in Iraq, Iraq, Islamic State of Iraq
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Zawahiri the XO
Posted: 11th September 2008 by Will McCants in AQ in Iraq, AQ Leadership, Bin Laden, Iraq, Islamic State of Iraq, Jihadi media, Recruitment, tactics, ZawahiriTags: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, al-Qaeda Central, al-Qaeda in Iraq, Bin Laden, Islamic State of Iraq, Zawahiri
The US military has given CNN letters that Zawahiri wrote in March 2008 to senior al-Qaeda commanders in Iraq (hat tip SK). Much of the content has been filtered through an MNFI spokesman so it’s hard to use CNN’s summary to assess al-Qaeda’s fortunes in Iraq. Nevertheless, since the summary fits with the bleak picture [...]
The Chameleon Strategy
Posted: 21st August 2008 by Will McCants in Afghanistan, AQ in Iraq, Islamic State of IraqTags: Afghanistan, Islamic State of Iraq, Taliban
Muhami al-Dawla (“Defender of the State”) has written an essay on Ekhlaas titled, “The Connection between the State of Islam and the Taliban is the Strategy of the ‘Chameleon.’” His argument is that the Taliban’s recent successful surge in Afghanistan is the result of using “chameleon cells,” which are small, well-organized, armed bands that 1) [...]
The Adventures of Sinam
Posted: 15th August 2008 by Will McCants in AQ in Iraq, Iraq, Islamic State of Iraq, Travel RoutesTags: al-Qaeda in, Haditha, Haqlaniya, Islamic State of Iraq, martyrdom
On August 9, a member of the Islamic State of Iraq announced–via an intermediary on the Ekhlaas forum–the death of Sinam al-Ramadi. Sinam was an al-Qaeda member who operated in Ramadi and who participated on a number of forums, including Faloja. On the day of the announcement, an Ekhlaas member named Halima posted an eyewitness [...]
New Issues of Two Jihadi Journals
Posted: 14th August 2008 by Will McCants in Afghanistan, Hamas, Iraq, Islamic State of Iraq, Jihadi journals, Strategy, training campsTags: Hamas, Iraq, Islamic State of Iraq, Jihadi journals, Strategy, training, Zawahiri
Issue 28 of Sada al-Jihad is out. Articles include, “Hamas Responds Negatively to the Invitation of Shaykh Ayman al-Zawahiri” and “The Intellectual Pollution of the Followers of the Salafi-Jihadi Method.” A new journal, Qadaya Jihadiyya (Jihadi Issues), has also be released. The production quality is better than most of the Jihadi journals and the articles [...]
Spinning the Failure of the Islamic State of Iraq
Posted: 13th August 2008 by Will McCants in AQ in Iraq, Iraq, Islamic State of IraqTags: Iraq, Islamic State of Iraq
More evidence that the failure of the Islamic State of Iraq is severely demoralizing Jihadis, at least in the Arabic-speaking world. Asad al-Jihad2, a popular commentator, has written a new booklet, “The State of Islam Remains Defiant.” In it, he seeks to assuage growing doubts about the viability of the Islamic State of Iraq: Upon [...]
Jihadis Despair of Iraq
Posted: 26th July 2008 by Will McCants in AQ in Iraq, Islamic State of IraqTags: Iraq, Islamic State of Iraq
Yaman Mukhaddab, a popular contributor to al-Hesbah (the most exclusive Jihadi forum), wrote an essay on July 21 in which he expressed alarm at the low morale and pessimism of some of his fellow forum members on account of al-Qaeda setbacks in Iraq. One brother, he notes, said that the jihad in Iraq is ending [...]
25 Kuwaitis Fighting for al-Qaeda in Diyala Province
Posted: 16th July 2008 by Will McCants in AQ in Iraq, Iraq, Islamic State of Iraq, KuwaitTags: al-Qaeda, Iraq, Islamic State of Iraq, Kuwait
That’s the claim of Abu Islam al-`Iraqi, one of the leaders of the “popular committees” in Diyala Province. 25 seems high, but it dovetails with what I wrote about the Harbi group last week.
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 [...]