Category: AQIM

My new article at The Atlantic: "Jihadists: The Wallflowers of the Tunisian Uprising"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

AQIM Pic2.jpg
In the wake of Tunisia’s popular uprising this past week, some are debating whether Twitter,WikiLeaks, or even George W. Bush might have played a role in enabling the historic protest movement. But one thing seems clear: The jihadist movement, which has long defined itself as Arab governments’ staunchest and most authentic opposition, had nothing to do with it. Jihadists’ non-involvement in organizing, encouraging, or even participating in the Tunisian protests suggests that the jihadist current has been largely irrelevant to Tunisia’s popular uprising. For as long as jihadists have been in business, one of their main goals has been to overrun an “apostate” Arab leader such as Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. But with the possible exception of Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat’s 1981 assassination, they never came close. That Tunisia’s protesters succeeded where the jihadists so often fail, and appear not at all driven by anything close to jihadist ideology or even general religious grievances, has left members of the online jihadist community unsure how to respond. The uprising, after all, fulfills a top jihadist goal, but it also rebukes their belief that only violent and pious struggle can bring down a man like Ben Ali.
Two days before Ben Ali’s ousting, the amir (leader) of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Abu Mus’ab ‘Abd al-Wadud, released a statement titled “In Support of the Intifadah of our People in Tunisia.” He appealed to Tunisians, selling AQIM as an ally in their protests. “I found it a fit chance to inform you, on behalf of my Mujahideen brothers in the Islamic Maghreb, our partisanship and consolation with you. And our stand alongside you in your problem and uprising, with advice, inspiration and affirmation,” he wrote. “Your battle you fight today isn’t alienated from the general battle the Muslim Ummah is engaged in against its external and domestic enemies. … And I encourage our people in Tunisia to be ready and prepare preparations and send their sons to us to train on weapons and gain military expertise. … My Muslim brothers in Tunisia: your Mujahideen brothers are with you, and your problem is our problem and your happening is ours, and the bereaved isn’t like the adopting.”
Read the rest here.

New statement from al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb: "Claiming Responsibility for Kidnapping Two French Citizens and Exposing the Folly of the French"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE 1/19 7:41 AM: Click here for an Urdu translation of the below message.
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UPDATE 1/16 8:59 AM: Anṣār al-Jihād English Blog translated the below message from Arabic into English and is unedited from the original:

All praise be to Allah, the Lord and Protector of the Righteous. Indeed the final end will be for the pious. And there is no act of aggression except against the oppressors.  May peace and blessings be upon him who was raised with the sword as a mercy for the worlds, and upon all pure family and companions. To proceed: In context of the tyrannical policies of the French against the Muslims, their participation in the Christian Crusade in Afghanistan, and their meddling with the affairs andplundering the wealth of the Sahel as well as the Islamic Maghreb, a group of Mujahideen from the Mulathimeen (Masked) Battalion under the leadership of the our brother, commander Khalid Abul-Abbas, may Allah protect him, carried out a courageous operation on Friday, January 7 (2011), in the heart of the capital of Niger,Niamey, in which they launched an offensive against the heavily guarded diplomatic quarters and successfully kidnapped two Frenchmen, by Allah’s Grace. But due to the foolish way the French government in dealt with the Mujahideen and their obvious lack of care for their fellow Frenchmen led to the death of the captivesas well as the death and injury of 20 other French and Niger troops. Due to the fact that the French Government spun a fabricated tale about the actual events to sway pubic opinion, the time came has come for the Mujahideen, as the heros who carried out the operation have safely returned to their bases, to present this detailed report and the truth about the chain of events which took place after the successful kidnapping. So we say, seeking help from Allah: 1) During the retreat after the successful kidnapping, the Mujahideen entered a firefight with a Nigerien Army Patrol. They were successful by Allah’s Grace in killing and injuring 7 Nigeriens, from them their commander, and then retreating along with the kidnapped Frenchmen safely without suffering any losses or injuries worth mentioning. They entered the borders of Mali and continued their advance while French spy planes pursued them. 2) The Mujahideen sent an official telegram to the French and Nigeriens severely warning them from any military attempt to free the the French captives, and we confirmed the receipt of the telegraph at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning, through official means which they themselves know of. 3) The Mujahideen continued their retreat with the kidnapped and reached the region of Menaka inside Mali territory. 4) The French President foolishly decided on military intervention in attempt to free the two captives, despite the warnings of the Mujahideen, ordering the French paratroopers and their Nigerien lackeys to attack. Thus a fierce and courageous battle ensued between the small group of heroic Mujahideen and French troops who were flown in along with Nigerien troops in Hasi “Tikbirt” in Southwestern “Menaka”. 5) The battle commenced with French planes bombing the Mujahideen vehicles. The Mujahideen distanced one of the captives from the targeted vehicle, but were unable to reach the second one, who was later killed by the French in their air raid. He was not shot by the Mujahideen as the French claimed in their fabrications to sway the public opinion of their people. The French planes also bombed the Nigerien troops leading to a number of dead and injured! 6) The battled raged on, and the Mujahideen successfully killed and injured 4 French special forces and 12 other Nigerien soldiers, heavily damaged a French helicopter, and took 6 Nigerien soldiers as captives, some of them seriously injured by the French airstrike. One of our brothers from the “Azwad”, Muhammad Ould Hamdi, was martyred and another, Mustafa, a Nigerien Tuareg could not be located. We have no reports of his condition, and we consider as martyrs. 7) As the French paratroopers continued to descend from their planes, and as the vehicles of the Mujahideen were heavily damaged from the air raid, the Mujahideen believed that they could not escape alive, and so they decided to execute the second French captive with a bullet in the head. They also decided to execute the 6 Nigerien captives. And so they killed them, all praise be to Allah. 8) With the approach of nightfall, the Mujahideen were able to free themselves from the security noose around them and retreat by foot, protected from the heavens above, until they reached shelter and met up with their brothers in their bases safely, and all praise be to Allah. The heroic battle concluded, leaving the two captives dead, 22 dead and injured from the Nigerien and French forces, and heavily damaging a helicopter. Two brothers from the Mujahideen embraced martyrdom, while the rest of the heros reached their bases safely, and all praise be to Allah. We take this opportunity to congratulate and also send our condolences to the defiant tribes of the Azwad and the noble Tuaregs of Niger for the martyrdom of two of their lion cubs, Muhammad Ould Hamdi and Mustafa Al-Ansari, who honorably and bravely fought the Crusaders in the likes of the French, under the flag of Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. We say to Sarkozy and his government: Its seems you still have not learnt anything from the lessons of [the previous captive Michelle] Germano. Now you have learnt another hard lesson taught to you by the Mujahidoon. Will you now understand? You have added another utter defeat and and loss to your history… will revise yourselves and your policies and stop your oppression against the Muslim Ummah and meddling in their affairs? We say to the French masses: Indeed your government has lied to you to free themselves of the responsibility of the death of the two French captives. The Mujahideen have exposed the true facts about which there is no doubt, which can be confirmed by any detailed autopsy of the two bodies. If you seek safety and security, you only have to pressure your government to change their tyrannical and foolish policies against Islam and the Muslims. To the Nigerien army we say: Now you have seen the Crusader French bomb you despite your protection of their and their people’s interest, and despite of your presence in the front lines side by side with the Crusadersfighting the Muslims. Have you not learnt a lesson and will you not repent and cease to defending the French and their interests? And our final prayer is that all praise be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists. Al-Qaedah in the Islamic Maghrib

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NOTE: Click here for an overview of the kidnapping from AFP.
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Statement from al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb- “Claiming Responsibility for Kidnapping Two French Citizens and Exposing the Folly of the French”
[scribd id=46917231 key=key-192c79et8utc2anxvqj5 mode=list]

New statement from the Amīr of al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb Abū Muṣ’ab ‘Abd al-Wadūd [‘Abd al-Malik Drūkdīl]: "A Call to Our Revenging People in Algeria"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE 1/14 12:20 PM: Click here for an Arabic transcript of the below video.
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NOTE: For more background on the protests in Algeria see here, here, and here from Kal at the Moor Next Door.
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New statement from the Amīr of al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb Abū Muṣ'ab 'Abd al-Wadūd ['Abd al-Malik Drūkdīl]: "In Support of the Intifāḍah of our People in Tunisia"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE: Click here for an English language translation of the below message.
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NOTE: It should be noted that AQIM has nothing to do with the uprisings in Tunisia. They are trying to take advantage of the situation and attach themselves to the cause in a very cynical manner. One should therefore be weary of their reason for supporting this uprising.
For more background to the citizen uprising in Tunisia one should check out the following coverage, articles, and twitter accounts:
Brian Whitaker at al-Bab.
Foreign Policy’s Middle East Channel (Unfortunately, they do not have a specific Tunisia tag so you might have to search around a bit).
al-Jazeera maps the protests.
Global Voices coverage.
Kal at the Moor Next Door: Here and here.
Follow on Twitter: Nawaat, Weddady, jilliancyork, themoornextdoor, and ibnkafka among others. As well as the hashtag #sidibouzid
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Statement from the Amīr of al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb Abū Muṣ’ab ‘Abd al-Wadūd [‘Abd al-Malik Drūkdīl]- “In Support of the Intifada of our People in Tunisia”
[scribd id=46802445 key=key-97qkgpih5q7s37jd8tb mode=list]

New statement from al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb: "Response on the Recent Lies for Mauritania's Client [France]"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE: The following is an English translation of the below statement in Arabic via Flashpoint Partner.
Click here for a safe Pdf copy: Statement from al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb- “Response on the Recent Lies for Mauritania’s Client [France]” (English)
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NOTE: AQIM blasts Mauritania for taking a deal with the “devil” [France] and they are following in the footsteps of Algeria by fighting the mujāhidīn. AQIM does not believe Mauritania’s claim that on two occasions in the past month, a group of six and then twenty-eight men surrendered as former AQIM fighters. AQIM asks Mauritania to release their identities. These actions according to AQIM shows France’s true colors as dirty liars who are trying to stop the mujāhidīn tide. AQIM calls on the journalists of Mauritania not to get swept up in these hypocrisies and lies. AQIM continues by stating Mauritania’s [and France’s] actions are futile and that it will not weaken the mujāhidīn on the front lines. They conclude by calling out the President of Mauritania who they describe as a “tyrant” and a client of France. They previously wrote a letter to him in late August, which you can see here.
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Click here for a safe Pdf copy in Arabic: al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb — Response on the Recent Lies of Mauritania’s Clients
[scribd id=44364619 key=key-10ayvmv4dvnsa7mptryq mode=list]

New statement from al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb: "Innocence of the Mujāhidīn from the Recent Crimes of Kidnapping & Killing in the Kabylia Region"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE: Below is an English translation via Flashpoint Partners. It should be noted, though, that Flashpoint Partners mistranslates the title. It should not be tribal regions, but rather Kabyila Region. This is an understandable mistake if one does not know the area because on its own that’s what the word would translate out to, but in this case that is the actual name of the place and is referred to in English by its Arabic name not a translation of it.
Click here for a safe Pdf copy in English: Statement from AQIM- “Innocence of the Mujāhidīn from the Recent Crimes of Kidnapping and Killing in the Kabylia Region” (English)
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For more on this statement see here.
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Click here for a safe Pdf copy in Arabic: al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb — Innocence of the Mujāhidīn from the Recent Crimes of Kidnapping & Killing in the Kabylia Region
[scribd id=43706493 key=key-11v0f3ekfah3233tt304 mode=list]

New audio message from the Emir of al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb Abū Muṣ'ab 'Abd al-Wadūd: "Any Negotiations For French Hostages Must Be Conducted With Bin Lāden Himself"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE 3: The Anṣār al-Mujāhidīn English Forum has translated the below audio message into English.

Abū Muṣ’ab ‘Abd al-Wadūd- “Any Negotiations For French Hostages Must Be Conducted With Bin Lāden Himself”
[scribd id=43938522 key=key-axyhz2x4t7e13gd2lxi mode=list]
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UPDATE 2: Abū Muṣ’ab ‘Abd al-Wadūd’s audio message has been officially released to the forums.

[wpvideo JfoQaQA6]
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UPDATE: Here is the key quote from the below audio translated:

If you don’t stop intervening in our affairs and the oppression of Muslim people, and if you want peace for your citizens that we hold hostage, you must withdraw your forces from Afghanistan as soon possible according to a set timetable that you will announce publicly.

This is almost word for word what Usāmah Bin Lāden said in the below referenced audio:

Is it fair that you intervene in the affairs of Muslims, especially in North and West Africa, support your agents against us, and take a lot of our wealth in suspicious deals, while our people suffer various forms of poverty and despair?
The way for preserving the security of your is to remove all your injustice and its effects off our people and most importantly, withdrawal of your forces from Bush’s wicked war in Afghanistan.

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NOTE: The below audio was released through al-Jazeera Arabic TV. On October 27, Usāmah Bin Lāden released an audio message titled “A Letter for the People of France.”
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Click the below link to play the audio:
‘Abd Al-Wadoud- Any Negotiations For French Hostages Must Be Conducted With OBL

As-Saḥāb Media presents a new video from Usāmah Bin Lāden: "A Letter for the People of France"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE 4: Here is a German translation:

Von Osama bin Laden an das französische Volk:
Frieden sei mit denen, die den Rechtleitung folgen.
Das Thema meiner Rede ist über die Gründe für die Bedrohung eurer Sicherheit und die Entführung eurer Söhne.
Die Entführung von euer Experten in Niger, während eure Offiziere sie bewacht haben, ist eine Reaktion auf das Unrecht, das ihr den islamischen Nation zufügt.
Ist es fair, dass sie in dem Besatzung unseren Landes teilgenommen haben und neben den Amerikanern stehen wenn sie Kinder und Frauen töten, und danach wollen sie in Frieden und Sicherheit leben?
Wie könnt ihr euch vorstellen, dass ihr euch in den Sachen der Muslimen einmischt, besonders in Nord- und Westafrika, ihre Offiziere gegen uns unterstützt, und viel aus unseren Reichtum nimmt in verdächtigen Geschäften, während unser Volk unter Armut und Elend leidet?
Wenn ihr zu Unrecht denkt, dass es euer Recht ist, freien muslimischen Frauen das Tragen des Gesichtsschleiers zu verbieten, ist es dann nicht auch unser Recht, eure eindringenden Männer rauszuwerfen und ihnen die Kehle durchzuschneiden? Natürlich tun wir das.
Die Gleichung ist einfach: Wenn ihr tötet, werdet auch ihr getötet werden; wenn ihr Geiseln nimmt, werdet ihr selbst als Geisel genommen, wenn ihr unsere Sicherheit bedroht, werden wir eure Sicherheit zerstören; die Schuld lastet auf den, der anfingt.
Das einzige Mittel, eure Sicherheit zu bewahren, ist all das Unrecht und seine Wirkungen auf unseren Volk zu stoppen und am wichtigsten, eure Kräfte aus den bösen Krieg von Bush in Afghanistan zurückzuziehen. Es ist Zeit, dass die sogenannte direkte und indirekte Kolonisation beendet wird.
Ihr solltet Konsekvenzen daraus ziehen, wie tief Amerika gefallen ist wegen diesen unrechten Krieg, es ist am Rande der Kollaps an allen wichtigen Fronten und wird bald an die andere Seite der Atlantik zurückfallen, wenn Allah es so will.
Glücklich ist, wer von den Fehler von anderen lernt, und Frieden sei mit denen, die den Rechtleitung folgen.

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UPDATE 3: Check out Andrew Lebovich’s thoughts on why UBL was targeting France.
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UPDATE 2: Here is the English translation:
English translation of audio message from Usāmah Bin Lāden- “A Letter for the People of France”
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UPDATE: Check out Leah Farrall’s take on the UBL audio.
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NOTE: The main highlights of this video include Usāmah Bin Lāden discussing France’s ḥijāb ban that he states should be cancelled. In addition, the hostage taking by al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb in Niger is a justifiable act due to France’s transgressions and support for the American-led Afghan war, which he says they should withdraw from. Most importantly, Bin Lāden affirms, France should stop interfering in Muslim-related issues or affairs.
Nothing of significance here, just typical rhetoric. Previously, Dr. Ayman aẓ-Ẓawāhirī also discussed the issue of the ḥijāb on July 27, 2010 in a video statement eulogizing the death of Shaykh Muṣṭafā Abū al-Yazīd who was killed in a U.S. drone strike on May 21, 2010. He stated:

What France is waging … must push us to tightly hold onto our truthful faith to counter their deviational doctrines. We must call our daughters and sisters and mothers to wear ḥijāb and to support them and defend them. As every ḥijāb-wearing and niqāb-wearing female Muslim, who defends her ḥijāb, is a mujahid who defends the rulings of Sharia against the Crusade, secular, Western invasion.

Other than that, the only thing one can take away from this video is that As-Saḥāb Media is in a fairly safe area and has not been disrupted by the droning campaign since As-Saḥāb has released many videos in the past month.
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