Ansar Jerusalem says that, contrary to claims made by Egyptian security officials, Shadi el Menai has not been killed and is not the group’s leader. Ansar Jerusalem says the Egyptian government does not even know who the real leader of the group is.
There are reports that Shadi el Menai, a leader in near Ansar Jerusalem, has been killed in the northern Sinai. His death has not been confirmed. Indeed, little is known about el Menai’s precise role in Ansar Jerusalem.
Ansar al Sharia Tunisia regularly promotes Abu Qatada’s advice and guidance on its Twitter feed.
France to unveil plan to fight Syrian jihadist threat
Meanwhile, in an audio message leaked yesterday, al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri said that the “Americanized” Egyptian army should be fought.
Jihadist ideologues have mounted a social media campaign to ask Ayman al Zawahiri to more fully explain al Qaeda’s conflict with its former branch, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS).
A banner dedicated to Abu Khalid al Suri is being posted on Twitter. The banner shows him both after his “martyrdom” and as a younger man.
Muslim Shrine Stands as a Crossroads in Syria’s Unrest
Asim Umar, al Qaeda’s top sharia official in Pakistan, will be holding a Q&A session online in May. The appearance is being promoted on social media.
Seifallah Ben Hassine (a.k.a. Abu Iyad al Tunisi) has released a short statement saying that the Muslim youth “haunt” the US and the West.
Syria back on Turkey’s agenda
The al Qaeda connection in the Merah Affair
Searching for Al Qaeda in Lebanon (I): Coming of Age
Twice during congressional hearings last year, The Long War Journal warned that jihadists were looking to secure Mohammed Zammar’s release in Syria. Zammar recruited the Hamburg cell, including the suicide hijack pilots for 9/11.
Five Saudi nationals were charged with being members of al Qaeda and three were convicted of involvement in the May 12, 2003 bombing of residential compounds in Riyadh.
The Ibn Taymiyya Media Center (ITMC) has published a banner honoring the “martyrdom” of Abu Khalid al Suri, who was one of al Qaeda’s top men in Syria. The ITMC is the propaganda arm for Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem (MSC) and also publicizes propaganda on behalf of Ansar Jerusalem.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Tunisian government blamed Ansar al Sharia for a failed suicide bombing and an additional planned suicide attack last week.
Human-rights groups falsely claim American drone use is a “war crime.”
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.
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.
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 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.