In recent days, two al Qaeda affiliates have released statements recalling al Qaeda’s attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.
A statement distributed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) via its “Muslim Africa” Twitter account on Sept. 10 praised the 19 al Qaeda hijackers as “brave lions” and “heroes.” The statement, which was released with a cover image showing photos of the hijackers and the burning World Trade Center towers, went on to say that the hijackers succeeded in making 9/11 a “black day” for the US.
The statement, translated by the SITE Intelligence Group, further declared that the 9/11 attacks “made the Americans taste bitter humiliation.” “The screams of the Americans and their whining makes our hearts celebrate in yearning,” AQIM boasted.
The communique further claimed that as a result of the attacks, al Qaeda has “put America’s nose into the sand and made their economy embrace bankruptcy.” The message concluded by warning: “[W]e will not stop the raids until you leave our lands.”
And yesterday, Shabaab, al Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia, issued a series of tweets related to the anniversary of the attacks. “[Twelve] years ago, American exceptionalism was at it’s highest. The #US seemed invincible and was finalizing the framework for a global empire,” Shabaab’s latest Twitter account began its message.
The jihadist group then argued: “But with 911, that view was buried with the debris of Twin Towers & US was revealed to be nothing but a paper tiger. 911 changed perceptions.” “A single attack by the Mujahideen shattered US dreams of global domination, tarnished their reputation and severely crippled their economy,” the group continued.
Portions of the Shabaab statement are reproduced below:
The US wasn’t attacked by a military might matching theirs, but by 19 young men armed with a rigid faith & a firm conviction. They succeeded.
Feeling rather subdued, the US unleashed its venom against the innocent Muslim population around the world but it failed; and miserably so! Today, the spark ignited by those courageous 19 Martyrs has grown into a raging inferno that continues to threaten every Kafir aggressor.
History shall remember this day as the day America was subdued, with both its prestige & pride irreparably dented. It’s an Islamic revival. Throughout the Jihad fronts, the Mujahideen are doing what America’s economic and political rivals could not; challenge #US global dominance.
The Mujahideen dealt a blow to the mighty Kafir, halting the aggressive #US expansionism and its encroachment into the Muslim world.
Shabbab concluded its message by saying: “Insha’Allah the Mujahideen will continue with their Jihad against the West until the world is ruled by one sovereign state; an Islamic state.”
