Britannia Radio

Special Announcement|243| June 22, 2013 Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Weekend Summary MEMRI | MEMRI TV | JIHAD AND TERRORISM THREAT MONITOR | SOUTH ASIA STUDIES PROJECT

IF YOU LIKE THE FOLLOWING RELEASES, PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING NOW TO MEMRI'S SUMMER CAMPAIGN The following are some of this week's reports from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project, which translates and analyzes content from sources monitored around the clock – among them the most important jihadi websites and blogs. (To view these reports in full, you must be a paying member of the JTTM; for membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org with "Membership" in the subject line.) Note to media and government: For a full copy of these reports, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to media@memri.org. Please include your name, title, and organization in your email. Al Qaeda In Iraq Escalates Its Criticism And Defiance Of Al-Zawahiri, Reaffirms Its Commitment To The ISIS On June 19, 2013, an audio-recorded message by Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) spokesman Abu Muhammad Al-'Adnani was posted on Youtube. The message comes on the backdrop of a recent announcement by ISI leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in which he openly defied the directive of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri to cancel the unification of ISI and the Syrian jihad group Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN) into an umbrella organization called "The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham" (ISIS). In his message, Al-'Adnani expresses dissatisfaction with Al-Zawahiri's decision to abolish the ISIS, saying that it does nothing but jeopardize the mujahideen's unity and weaken the jihad. He reaffirms Al-Baghdadi's decision to maintain the ISIS, while emphasizing that no one shall stop this organization from operating in Syria. He also strongly criticizes JN, accusing its members of insubordination (towards the ISI) and of stirring up discord among the mujahideen. Al Qaeda In Iraq Boldly Comes Out Against Al-Zawahiri, Disobeys His Directive To Abolish ISIS A June 6, 2013 post on of the jihadi forums Shumoukh Al-Islam and Al-Fida links to a new audio recording titled "[The Islamic State] in Iraq and Syria Shall Remain," by ISI leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. In the statement, Al-Baghdadi argues that great leaders are gifted with an ability to take decisions that initially appear erroneous but in the long run emerge as the correct decisions, and emphasizes that ISIS will remain forever, "until Allah either confers victory [upon it] or we die on its behalf".  Leading Jihad Website Announces Neutrality In Worsening Dispute Between ISI, JN In the midst of the bitter dispute between the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) and Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN), the leading jihadi website Shumoukh Al-Islam posted an announcement on June 19, 2013 declaring that it was adopting a neutral stance in this dispute, and called upon its members to refrain from posting messages offensive to either the ISI or JN, or their leaders. The site threatened that, if members chose to ignore this request, their membership would be terminated without prior warning. Below are the main points of Shumoukh Al-Islam's announcement: The website prefaces that the mujahideen are undergoing a difficult period, which is only a test to which Allah is subjecting them, and that it behooves them to display patience: "It is no secret that, in this sensitive period, the mujahideen are experiencing difficult tests requiring our patience and steadfastness… Allah customarily tests his mujahideen servants in order to weed out their ranks… This is a cloud that will pass, with the help of Allah." Online Jihadis Repost Videos From 2004 Showing Beheading Of Western Hostages In Iraq On June 15, 2013, two members of the leading jihadi forum Shumoukh Al-Islam republished videos from 2004 showing the beheading of three Western hostages – two Americans and a Briton – in Iraq. A member calling himself Al-Maqdesi96 posted a YouTube video of the beheading of one of them, U.S. citizen Jack Hensley (identified as "Kensley" in the video). Taliban Statement Cites Five Reasons For Opening Political Office In Qatar On June 18, 2013, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban's shadow government in the country) formally opened a political office in Qatar, which is expected to pave the way for the Taliban to hold formal negotiations with the U.S., Afghanistan and other countries. On the occasion, the Taliban issued a statement reiterating their known positions - that their objectives, both military and political, are confined to liberating Afghanistan from foreign troops and that they will not permit launching of terror attacks in other countries from Afghan soil. Following is the text of the statement: "Everyone is aware that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been waging jihad and working tirelessly to bring an end to the invasion of Afghanistan and establish in it an independent Islamic government, and has always utilized every legitimate method to achieve this goal. "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has both military as well as political objectives which are confined to Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate does not wish to harm other countries from its soil and neither will it allow others use Afghan soil to pose a threat to the security of other nations. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants to have cordial relations on [the] basis of mutual respect with all the countries of the world, including its neighbors, and desires security for its nation as well as security and justice on [the] international level." Afghan Taliban Aide Mutasim Agha Jan Offers Peace Deal Based On Voting, Justifies Suicide Bombings Mutasim Agha Jan (courtesy: tolonews.com) According to an Afghan media report, Mutasim Agha Jan, a top Taliban leader who served as finance minister in Mullah Omar's regime in Afghanistan during the 1990s, has said that the Afghan Taliban are ready to negotiate a peace deal with the Afghan government. Agha Jan said that any future government in Kabul should be based on people's votes. However, it is not clear if all Taliban factions will accept his proposition based on voting, though such a proposition does signify a softening of the Taliban stance. Following are excerpts from the report: "Speaking exclusively to TOLOnews in the Turkish capital, Ankara, Agha Jan said that Afghanistan will succeed in its peace mission and the Taliban are ready to negotiate if the involved parties are honest in their commitments." Lashkar-e-Taiba Founder Hafiz Saeed: 'Militant Activities In Pakistan Do Not Fall In The Category Of Jihad'; 'Muslims Will Have To Continue Jihad [In Other Countries]' Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the founder of Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and now emir of its charity arm Jamaatud Dawa, has called upon Pakistani jihadi organizations not to carry out terror attacks in Pakistan. According to a Pakistani media report, Hafiz Saeed, who is wanted by India for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, said: "Militant activities in Pakistan do not fall in the category of jihad. I appeal to all jihadi organizations not to carry out attacks inside Pakistan as it is not jihad. America and India are taking benefit from their activities." Pakistan's Punjab Government Allocates 61 Million Rupees For Terror Group Lashkar-e-Taiba/Jamaatud Dawa Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif The newly re-elected government of Pakistan's Punjab province has allocated over 61 million Pakistani Rupees for a center run by Jamaatud Dawa, the charity arm of banned terror organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Report: Captured Pakistani Taliban Militant's Father, Lt. Col. Abbasi, Sheltered 9/11 Planner Khalid Sheikh Muhammad According to a Pakistani media report, captured Taliban militant Abdullah Umar's father was a senior officer of the Pakistani Army who gave shelter to Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, the mastermind of 9/11 attacks. Following are excerpts from the report: "Abdullah Umar… Had Joined The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) As A Reaction To Avenge The Alleged Humiliation His Father (Lt. Col. Khalid Mehmood Abbasi) Had Suffered After Being Arrested, Court-Martialed, And Convicted" "Abdullah Umar, the alleged assassin of senior prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar, who was handling sensitive cases including the Benazir Bhutto assassination, had joined the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a reaction to avenge the alleged humiliation his father (Lt. Col. Khalid Mehmood Abbasi) had suffered after being arrested, court-martialed, and convicted for his alleged involvement in the unsuccessful December 2003 bid to kill General Musharraf in Rawalpindi." Taliban's Deputy Media Head Details Taliban Websites And Print Magazines, Says: 'The Islamic Emirate Has Given Great Attention To… The Expansion Of Media Jihad' Moulavi Mohammad Saleem, a resident of Afghanistan's Kandahar province, is the deputy head of the Cultural Commission of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban's shadow government in the country). In this position, Moulavi Saleem is in charge of all print and electronic media activities of the Taliban. In a recent interview, Moulavi Saleem, who has studied both in Afghanistan and Pakistan, revealed details of the Taliban's multi-lingual websites and print magazines. The interview, which was originally published in the Pashtu-language Taliban magazine Morchal, was republished on one of the Taliban websites. Following are excerpts from the interview: "If We Take The Internet Department, The Islamic Emirate Has A Total Of Ten Sites Pulled Together Into One Site: Pashtu, Dari, Arabic, English, Urdu, Islam, Video Site, Anthems, Al-Somood, And Magazines Site" Question: "Respected Moulavi Sahib, we will be thankful if you could kindly shed some light on the activities and progress of the Cultural Commission." Please remember the environment before printing.