Saudi cleric Abdallah Muhammad al Muhaysini offered a reconciliation initiative for the jihadists in Syria to end their infighting. His proposal mirrored a message issued by Ayman al Zawahiri. Although the initiative garnered much support, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham has rejected it.
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.
The Long War Journal’s assessment of Ms. Harf’s press briefing was entirely accurate and her response actually validates our key points.
State Department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf emailed this response to the Long War Journal after we criticized her characterization of al Qaeda.
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.
Ayman al Zawahiri has released an audio message addressing the infighting between various jihadist factions inside Syria. Although Zawahiri does not address any group or individual by name, his message was clearly aimed at the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), one of al Qaeda’s two official branches fighting inside Syria.
A statement posted by Abu Khalid al Suri, Ayman al Zawahiri’s main representative in Syria, criticizes the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS). The statement was posted on Twitter. Al Suri is a senior leader in Ahrar al Sham, a Syrian rebel group that is directly linked to al Qaeda.
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.
The UN added Muhammad Jamal al Kashef to its al Qaeda sanctions list on Oct. 18. The US government previously designated Jamal on Oct. 7. The UN noted Jamal’s ties to the Sept. 11, 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, whereas the US government’s announcement did not. Jamal’s network continues to plan attacks.
The State Department designated Muhammad Jamal and the Muhammad Jamal Network (MJN) as terrorists. Jamal established connections to al Qaeda’s senior leadership, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
A senior al Qaeda operative, Abu Anas al Libi, was captured in Tripoli, Libya. Al Libi has served al Qaeda since the 1990s. According to a report published by the Library of Congress in August 2012, he was the “builder of al Qaeda’s network in Libya.”
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.
Mohammed al Zawahiri was arrested in Egypt. He became a well-known figure in post-Mubarak Egypt and openly advocated al Qaeda’s ideology. He has numerous reported ties to terrorists and helped incite the Sept. 11, 2012 US Embassy protest in Cairo.
Bloomberg News reported that Ayman al Zawahiri communicated with “other regional terrorist commanders” as well as the head of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Zawahiri’s communications are what led the US to shutter more than 20 diplomatic facilities.
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.
The Long War Journal has confirmed a report by the Daily Beast saying that multiple al Qaeda operatives were involved in the intercepted communications that led to the closure of more than 20 US diplomatic facilities.
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.
Nasir al Wuhayshi, the emir of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, has been appointed the overall general manager of al Qaeda. Osama bin Laden’s letters contain a description of the general manager’s role.
The State Department said 21 US embassies and consulates will be closed on Sunday, Aug. 4, in response to a suspected threat from an al Qaeda affiliate. No specific details about the threat have been provided. Al Qaeda-linked jihadists assaulted multiple diplomatic facilities in September 2012.
The younger brother of al Qaeda’s emir issued a statement on July 2 saying that a confrontation inside Egypt would favor the country’s jihadists. How Salafi jhadists respond to the ongoing crisis remains to be seen.
Ansar al Sharia Egypt posted a letter in June from Tariq Abu-al-Azm, a former major in the Egyptian air force who is accused of being part of the Nasr City cell. The cell has multiple ties to al Qaeda.
A new al Qaeda video features Hossam Abdul Raouf, the editor of the “Vanguards of Khorasan” magazine. Raouf has long served al Qaeda. In his new speech, Raouf returns to an old theme, criticizing democracy and arguing that sharia law must be implemented.
An audio message attributed to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the emir of al Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq, was released online on June 14. In the message, al Baghdadi openly disobeys al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri.
Al Qaeda’s Al Nusrah Front has released four new messages, the first such productions in two months. The Al Nusrah Front and Islamic State of Iraq suspended their propaganda operations after a dispute erupted in early April. Ayman al Zawahiri ruled on the dispute in a letter and their propaganda operations have now been restarted.
Mohammed al Zawahiri and two of his Egyptian jihadist allies have issued a statement criticizing the Democratic Jihad Party. “Jihad and Democracy are opposites and don’t mix,” they say.
Al Jazeera has published a letter purportedly written by Ayman al Zawahiri to al Qaeda’s franchises in Iraq and Syria. Two US intelligence officials say the letter is genuine. In the letter, Zawahiri rules on a dispute between the two al Qaeda branches and appoints a new representative in the region.
The State Department’s Country Reports on Terrorism 2012 summarizes Iran’s extensive support for terrorists, including al Qaeda and Taliban members. The State Department also recognized Iran’s support for Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Egypt’s interior minister said that three members of an al Qaeda cell that was plotting to attack a Western embassy have been arrested. The cell received training in Iran and Pakistan and contacted al Qaeda in Algeria. The cell also has ties to the so-called Nasr City Cell.
Jihadist social media sites are asking supporters to pray for Abdullah Azzam al Qahtani, an al Qaeda in Iraq leader who admittedly proposed an attack against the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Al Qahtani, the sites say, was scheduled to be executed inside Iraq this week.
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.