The role of Tunisians in the Syrian war has become a hot topic in recent weeks. Ansar al Sharia Tunisia continues to lionize Tunisian “martyrs” and recently devoted a chant to them on its Facebook and YouTube pages.
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.
New terror threat to Tunisia
The head of Ansar al Sharia Tunisia has said that foreign jihads have “emptied Tunisia of its young,” but his group’s Facebook page openly celebrates the “martyrdom” of Tunisians killed while fighting in Syria.
Anxious Whispers in Tripoli
After having its official Facebook page repeatedly deleted, Ansar al Sharia Tunisia has launched its own website.
Tunisia: Nation’s Dangerous Identity Politics
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.
Some Algeria Attackers Are Placed at Benghazi
Mohammed al Zawahiri, the younger brother of al Qaeda’s emir, helped stage a protest in front of the French embassy in Cairo today. The protesters denounced France’s intervention in Mali, saying the country was “at war against Islam.”
This is the third time that Ansar al Sharia Tunisia has used social media to update Ali Ani al Harzi’s case. In December, the group prayed for his release and published photos of the FBI agents who interviewed him.
The Daily Beast reported that the brother of a key suspect in the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi is an al Qaeda in Iraq facilitator.
Terror risk persists in North Africa, survey shows
The Tunisian government has freed Ali Harzi, a key suspect in the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. The FBI questioned Harzi in December, and Ansar al Sharia Tunisia released photos of the investigating agents online.
A British paper incorrectly reported that Mohammed al Zawahiri was arrested in Syria.
Reprisal fears cloud Libya probe into US consulate attack
Morocco’s interior minister said that an Ansar al Sharia cell in Morocco “was seeking to obtain financial and military support” from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Tunisia foils al-Qaeda expansion plan
Al-Bayariq Media Foundation, Ansar al Sharia Tunisia’s media outfit, has released photos purportedly showing three FBI agents who questioned Ali al Harzi, a suspect in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. The three FBI agents reportedly questioned Harzi about the attack in Benghazi, as well as the Sept. 14 assault on the US Embassy in Tunis.
FBI question Benghazi consulate attack suspect
The Tunisian government has arrested members of a terrorist cell trained by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Tunisia’s interior minister says that members of the cell were “active within” Ansar al Sharia Tunisia.
A new Ansar al Sharia group has been established in Mali. According to press reports, the group’s leaders are “close to” the official spokesman for Ansar Dine.
According to a Moroccan press report, Ansar al Sharia Morocco does not hide its sympathy for AQIM, uses the same flag as other Ansar al Sharia chapters, and is suspected of recruiting jihadists to fight in Syria.
An Egyptian group calling itself the Ansar al Sharia Brigades has reportedly posted a list of people to assassinate in the event that the Egyptian government collapses.
US seeks to interview detained Egyptian jihadist in Benghazi probe
Benghazi Violence Beyond Control of Militias
During an interview with a Cairo-based publication in late October, Ahmed Ashush repeatedly praised and defended al Qaeda. Ashush also said, “We are at war with the United States and Israel.”
‘Intelligence Community’ Deleted Al Qaeda Reference From CIA Benghazi Document
Two convicted members of an al Qaeda-affiliated terror network in Italy are now senior members of Ansar al Sharia Tunisia. One of them, Sami Ben Khemais Essid, was the head of al Qaeda’s operations in Italy and plotted to attack the US Embassy in Rome in early 2001.
Ansar al Sharia Egypt has released a statement outlining its 16 goals. In addition to working toward the implementation of sharia law, the group says it will support the mujahideen opposed to the “Zionist-Crusader” coalition. The group is headed by Ahmed Ashush, a jihadist with longstanding ties to al Qaeda.