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New photos of Nasr City cell members published
Members of the Nasr City cell proudly display their loyalty to al Qaeda as they await trial in Egypt. The cell has multiple ties to al Qaeda. And one of its leaders, Muhammad Jamal al Kashef, trained some of the fighters who participated in the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.
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More ties between Ansar Jerusalem and the Syrian jihad reported
A close look at Ansar Jerusalem’s attempted assassination of Egypt’s interior minister on Sept. 5, 2013 reveals multiple connections to al Qaeda’s international network.
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Zawahiri’s message ‘to our people in Sinai’
In the message, Zawahiri mentions “muhajireen,” or foreign fighters, coming to the Sinai and needing the protection of locals. The presence of foreign fighters in the Sinai has long been speculated, but never conclusively proven to be a widespread phenomenon.
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The Long War Journal’s reply to Marie Harf
The Long War Journal’s assessment of Ms. Harf’s press briefing was entirely accurate and her response actually validates our key points.
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State Department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf responds to LWJ
State Department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf emailed this response to the Long War Journal after we criticized her characterization of al Qaeda.
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Social Media Jihad: Ayman al Zawahiri addresses infighting in Syria
Ayman al Zawahiri’s message concerning the infighting in Syria has been picked up by various jihadist websites, including a Facebook page operated by Ansar al Sharia Tunisia.
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Alleged message from Zawahiri’s Syrian representative posted online
A message allegedly written by Abu Khalid al Suri has been posted online. The message cannot be authenticated. It is directed at the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), which has been fighting with other jihadist groups inside Syria.
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Social Media Jihad: AQIM praises Hakeemullah Mehsud
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has joined other jihadist groups in releasing a statement praising Hakeemullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taliban commander killed earlier this month. Ansar al Sharia Tunisia posted the message on one of its official Facebook pages.
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Tunisian government blames Ansar al Sharia for suicide attacks
The Tunisian government blamed Ansar al Sharia for a failed suicide bombing and an additional planned suicide attack last week.
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Drone Drama
Human-rights groups falsely claim American drone use is a “war crime.”
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Social Media Jihad: Ansar al Sharia Libya’s new Twitter feed
Ansar al Sharia Libya has a new Twitter feed. In recent days, the group also showcased its first open event in the city of Derna.
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Zawahiri’s man in Shabaab’s ‘secret service’
In a July report warning of “new and more complex operations in Kenya,” the UN also identified an al Qaeda operative who has been entrusted by Ayman al Zawahiri to train Somalis and other African recruits. The operative, known as “Hassan,” has also reportedly trained Boko Haram fighters.
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CNN on al Qaeda’s ‘encrypted messaging system’
CNN has now confirmed the heart of the Daily Beast’s story on Ayman al Zawahiri’s communications with his subordinates. The communications led the US government to close more than 20 diplomatic facilities.
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Report: Al Qaeda conference call led to US diplomatic closures
The Daily Beast reports that a conference call involving “more than 20 al Qaeda operatives” is what prompted the closing of more than 20 US diplomatic facilities.
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Al Qaeda affiliate kidnaps priest in Syria: report
Reuters reports that a Jesuit priest has been kidnapped by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). In June, another priest was targeted by the Al Nusrah Front.
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Social Media Jihad: Ansar al Sharia Tunisia denies involvement in assassinations
In a statement released on its Facebook page and Twitter feed, Ansar al Sharia Tunisia denied any involvement in two high-profile assassinations this year. One day earlier, Tunisia’s interior minister accused Ansar al Sharia members and a longtime jihadist of being involved.
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Social Media Jihad: Ansar al Sharia Tunisia honors slain AQAP leader
Ansar al Sharia Tunisia has released a DVD honoring Said al Shihri, who was killed in a US drone strike. The group has used social media to honor al Shihri before.
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Ansar al Sharia Egypt in the Sinai
A group calling itself Ansar al Sharia Egypt has announced its formation in the Sinai and has threatened violence in the wake of recent events. It is not clear if the organization is truly a new front, or simply a covert part of an already established group with the same name.
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Former ‘head’ of al Qaeda in Italy an ‘organizer’ of Ansar al Sharia rally
Agence France Presse interviewed Sami Ben Khemais Essid, describing him as one of the “organizers” of Ansar al Sharia Tunisia’s planned conference this weekend. Essid was formerly the “head” of al Qaeda’s operations in Italy, according to the US State Department.
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Ansar al Sharia Tunisia member: ‘Rome shall be conquered’
In a video posted online on April 30, Sheik Kamel Zarouq, a member of Ansar al Sharia Tunisia, endorsed al Qaeda’s global jihad.
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Social Media Jihad: Cheerleading al Qaeda’s new ‘Islamic State’
Jihadist groups, including the al Qaeda-linked Ansar al Sharia Tunisia, are cheering on the announcement that al Qaeda’s affiliates in Iraq and Syria are henceforth to be known as the “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.”
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Social Media Jihad: John McCain visits Tunisia
In a Facebook posting, Ansar al Sharia Tunisia took issue with “Jewish” Senator John McCain’s visit to Tunisia this week. McCain met with prime minister Ali Larayedh, who has been in a war of words with Ansar al Sharia Tunisia’s leader.
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Social Media Jihad: Soccer fanatics with a ‘jihadist mentality’
Members of an Egyptian ultras group market a t-shirt featuring Osama bin Laden and other jihadist leaders on Facebook to their fellow soccer fans. These same fans fly a flag with bin Laden’s face on it before and after soccer games.
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Social Media Jihad: Drones over Tunisia?
Ansar al Sharia has alleged that American drones are flying overhead inside Tunisian territory. We have no independent information confirming the use of drones in Tunisia. The group is using the allegation as part of its propaganda campaign.
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Social Media Jihad: Egyptian jihadist lionizes slain al Qaeda leader
Two Facebook posts contain messages from Ansar al Sharia Egypt leader Ahmed Ashush honoring slain al Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al Libi and praising Ansar al Sharia Tunisia. The statements were first published last year but were re-posted online in recent weeks.
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Social Media Jihad: Mohammed al Zawahiri’s new Facebook page
Mohammed al Zawahiri, the younger brother of al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri, has launched his own Facebook page.
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Magharebia: ‘Tunisian salafist[s] announce al-Qaeda support’
Magharebia reports that a Salafi jihadist leader in Tunisia has “officially announce(d)” his support for al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s call for jihad.
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ISAF: Oops, Afghan violence didn’t decrease in 2012
ISAF has corrected its earlier reporting on the level of violence in Afghanistan. ISAF had previously claimed that the number of enemy initiated attacks in Afghanistan had decreased by 7 percent in 2012, as compared to 2011. In reality, there was no change.
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Egyptian involved in cross-border attack on Israel portrayed as al Qaeda ‘martyr’
An online banner advertising a video dedicated to Khalid Salah Abdul Hadi Jadullah, a Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem terrorist, portrays him as an al Qaeda martyr.
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On the Ansar al Sharia Facebook pages
The Ansar al Sharia Facebook pages analyzed by The Long War Journal contain valuable information, in addition to bluster. Two Facebook pages we reported on have been taken down since our articles first appeared.
