Rachid Ghannouchi, the co-founder and leader of Ennahda, urged Salafists to be patient, build institutions, and “take your time to consolidate what you have gained.” He also met with Ansar al Sharia emir Seifallah ben Hassine.
Rehman Malik tells us what we already know: Pakistan has no intention of taking on terrorist groups in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency.
A quiet waiver for Pakistan from the Obama administration
Since the deaths of Abu al Walid al Maqdisi and Ashraf al Sabah, a number of related statements and eulogies have appeared on jihadist forums.
Islamic World, a Turkish jihadist magazine, said that Bekkay Harrach fought against Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, traveled to Iraq, where he was wounded, and was detained by Syrian security forces. Harrach also lived with Atiyah Abd al Rahman in Pakistan.
Masada al Mujahideen has threatened to carry out attacks against Israel and Hamas in response to the assassination of Abu al Walid al Maqdisi, the former emir of the Tawhid and Jihad Group in Jerusalem.
Pakistani schoolgirl shot by Taliban sent to UK for treatment
Attack on Schoolgirl in Pakistan Sparks Fears of Resurgent Taliban
Salafi sources have confirmed that the Mujahideen Shura Council is a consolidation of Salafi-Jihadist groups in Gaza, and that Abu al Walid al Maqdisi was one of its leaders. Ashraf al Sabah, the emir of Ansar al Sunnah, was also killed in yesterday’s airstrike.
On Saturday, the Israeli Air Force killed Abu al Walid al Maqdisi, the former emir of the Tawhid and Jihad Group in Jerusalem. Al Maqdisi’s death may provide evidence of the consolidation of Salafi-Jihadist groups in Gaza into the Mujahideen Shura Council.
Today’s suicide attack is the second in southern Afghanistan in six days that targeted the National Directorate of Security.
Pakistan – Imran Khan Calls Fighting In Afghanistan ‘Jihad’
Malala Yousafzai: Pakistan’s Taliban policy in spotlight
Drone strikes outside of the designated “kill boxes” in North and South Waziristan are rare. The strike is the first recorded outside of the two tribal agencies since December 2010.
Over 30 ‘Pakistani clerics’ expelled from Afghanistan
The last three US attacks have occurred in the jihadist hub in Pakistan’s tribal agency of North Waziristan.
“The Taliban and al Qaeda have not been vanquished …. They’re coming back,” Lara Logan said.
The US military is starting to acknowledge the significant role played by the Taliban and its subgroup, the Haqqani Network, in the insider attacks. In addition, it has begun to release more information on the number of troops injured but not killed in the attacks.
US winks again at Pakistani terror tactics
The head of London’s Ahmadis, a Muslim sect that is persecuted in Pakistan, urged the government to prevent attacks in the UK by Pakistani Islamist groups with satellite offices there. Recent statements by anti-Ahmadi groups in London have said Ahmadis should be killed.
US Reaper drones are known to fly out of the Al Anad airbase in Lahj province.
Russia keeps door open to Pakistan after Putin cancels trip
The al Qaeda-linked leader of the Haqqani Network reiterated his allegiance to Mullah Omar. The Haqqanis and the Taliban have consistently stated that both groups are united.
Karzai: US unable to defend Afghanistan against Pakistan shelling
The State Department has announced that Ansar al Sharia in Yemen is simply an “alias” for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is attempting to “rebrand itself.” The Ansar al Sharia brand is being employed by al Qaeda-linked groups elsewhere, including in Tunisia and Libya.
“Living Under Drones” – the anti-drone campaign can do damage too
As reported numerous times at The Long War Journal, the Western desire for a negotiated settlement with the Taliban conflicts with the reality of the situation in Afghanistan.
The strike took place in the same village where al Qaeda leaders Abu Kasha al Iraqi and Fateh al Turki are rumored to have been killed on Sept. 24.
Since the end of May, special operations forces have conducted at least 21 raids against al Qaeda’s network in Afghanistan.
Pakistan paving ground for water war: analysts