ji·had·ica

Dissension

On the Faloja forum, two issues are generating a lot of conflict.  One is Hamas, which some members have strongly criticized for crushing the Islamic Army in Gaza, a group sympathetic to al-Qaeda.  Other members are plantively calling for unity.  The other contentious issue is Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, whom I’ve written about several times in the past.  Maqdisi is the most influential Jihadi ideologue alive and a hero among the foot soldiers for his long stints in Jordanian prisons.  But according to members of Faloja and Shamikh, Maqdisi has been subject to a lot of criticism lately.  Unhelpfully, no one has yet explained what the exact criticisms are.  Neverthless, at least one member,  Abu Ziyad al-Qasimi, says that those mouthing the criticisms are plants by RAND who are carrying out its plan to subvert the Jihadi movement.

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Will McCants October 22, 2008

Issue 2 of Qadaya Jihadiyya Released

Like last month’s debut, the second issue of Qadaya Jihadiyya is slick.  It also has a lot of interesting material: “Crisis of Terminology” discusses the contentious meanings of “Salafi” and “Jihadi.” The strategic studies section has three articles: “Seven Years After September, Has al-Qaeda Achieved Its Goals?”, “Bin Laden and the Globalization of Jihad,” and “The Effect of the New York and Washington Attacks on Many Youth in Groups in Palestine.” “The Jihadi Media Uncovers the Falseness of the American Empire.”  The article surveys the developments in jihadi media, particularly online, and Western responses. In addition to the article above on Palestinian youth, there is an article on fasting in Gaza.  This, coupled with the pictures of slain Hamas leaders on the last page, indicate that the journal is being produced by someone in the Palestinian territories or Jordan.  Perhaps a younger member of the Qassam Brigades. One final note:

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Will McCants September 22, 2008

Issue 53 of Jannat Released

Issue 53 of Jannat is out. Most of the articles are screeds against Hamas, but there is some news from Jihadi fronts like Afghanistan, Iraq, Daghistan, and Somalia. Like previous issues of Jannat, the layout is horrible. Below is a picture of Jihadis from the Caucasus that graces this issue. If I’d seen it without the Arabic, I would have sworn it was a group of guys from my home state of South Carolina (if the bearded one on the left makes you doubt my assertion, you haven’t attended a college in South Carolina). Document (Arabic): 9-8-08-shamikh-issue-53-of-jannat-announced

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Will McCants September 15, 2008

The Army of Islam Moves to Unify Palestinian Jihadi Organizations

[Scott Sanford]  On 28 August 2008, the Army of Islam (AI), a Gaza-based and al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist entity that gained notoriety for the kidnapping of BBC reporter Alan Johnston, issued a statement in response to what the AI claimed were many calls to unify Palestinian jihadi organizations under one banner. In the statement, the AI asserted that it is willing to accept any group into its fold as long as the group adheres to the AI’s Islamic standards. It stated that it is a Salafi organization and that anyone raising partisan, nationalist, patriotic, socialist, secular, or democratic flags are infidels. Additionally, it claimed that anyone wishing to unify with the AI must publicly disavow such ideologies and pledge its loyalty to the jihadi, Islamic banner. The AI claimed that its dogma and actions are based on several factors: 1. Global jihad, the AI does not differentiate between jihad in the Palestinian

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Will McCants September 1, 2008

Assad al-Jihad2 Remarks on the State of al-Qaida

[Scott Sanford]  On 23 August 2008, Ekhlaas member Assad al-Jihad2 (أسد الجهاد2), or the Lion of Jihad 2, posted a statement concerning the state of al-Qaida in the world today. He started the statement with a 13 December 2001 news report about the battle in Tora Bora and how it seemed that al-Qaida was on the brink of total destruction. However, he argued, “In only seven years…they [al-Qaida] were able to…triumph over the world alliance against them.” He based this assertion on several events he attributed to al-Qaida: Many United States government officials were forced to leave their posts after their failure to defeat al-Qaida American historians have claimed that President Bush has been the worst president in American history Al-Qaida weakened the most powerful country on Earth in “the Badr of the [21st] century” (This is a reference to the 624CE Battle of Badr where approximately 300 Muslim soldiers

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Will McCants August 26, 2008

Mosab Hassan Yousef Receives Death Sentence from the Global Islamic Media Front

[Scott Sanford] On 21 August 2008, the al-Qaida-affiliated Global Islamic Media Front released a statement written by Abu al-Harith al-Ansari concerning the conversion of Mosab Hassan Yousef from Islam to Christianity. This conversion is significant because Yousef’s father is a senior Hamas leader in an Israeli prison and Yousef himself allegedly was in a leadership position in Hamas’ youth movement. Ansari explains that he felt compelled to respond to Yousef’s conversion and he uses four points to frame the conversion. He then outlines a course of action Muslims should take in response. The following is a brief synopsis: 1. Further research must be done to ascertain the truth about whether or not Yousef converted and then pass judgment. 2. Yousef chose his own path and it is important to remember other noteworthy infidels, who also chose their own path, like Noah’s son and wife, Abraham’s father, and Muhammad’s paternal uncle.

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Will McCants August 22, 2008

New Issues of Two Jihadi Journals

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 look interesting.  There is a “Strategic Issues” section, reminding me of Abu `Ubayd al-Qurashi’s column in the Ansar journal.  It has two articles: “The Islamic State of Iraq and Early Signs of American Failure” and “Regional Alliances and the Path of Jihad.”  Another section, “Thoughts of a Mujahid,” has the memoir of someone who attended the al-Faruq training camp. Document (Arabic): 8-8-08-faloja-issue-28-of-sada-al-jihad Document (Arabic): 8-12-08-faloja-issue-1-of-qadaya-jihadiyya

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Will McCants August 14, 2008

Hamas Hands Over al-Qaeda Commander to Egypt

According to Usama al-Asad at Ekhlaas, when the barrier between Gaza and Egypt was destroyed, one of the commanders of al-Qaeda tried to enter Gaza and form a Jihadi group with some disaffected elements of Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades.  When Hamas found out, they captured him and turned him over to Egypt. Usama al-Asad says his reporting is 100% accurate and claims that this commander is well known and has been fighting in a neighboring country. Some of the respondents to Usama’s post verify his reporting, while others accuse him of blackening the good name of Hamas. Document (Arabic): 7-3-08-ekhlaas-hamas-hands-over-aq-amir-to-egypt

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Will McCants July 3, 2008

Response to Hamas Truce

There’s disagreement about the Israel-Hamas truce on Ekhlaas today.  Ekhlaas member Hafid al-Faruq thinks it squanders the blood of the martyrs who died to lift the siege.  Asad al-Islam counters that there is no harm in a truce as long as the mujahids accept it; after all, Bin Laden himself offered a truce to Europe.  Hafid counters that Bin Laden offered the truce to the Europeans from a position of strength. The rest of the responses line up with one or the other. Document (Arabic): 6-18-08-ekhlaas-response-to-hamas-truce

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Will McCants June 18, 2008
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