United States – Page 3

The title of this release is in reference to Qur’anic verse 33:25. Here it is in full: “And God repelled those who disbelieved, in their rage, not having obtained any good. And sufficient was God for the believers in battle, and ever is God Powerful and Exalted in Might.”

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Source: Telegram

To inquire about a translation for this video message for a fee email: [email protected]

New statement from Ḥarakat al-Shabāb al-Mujāhidīn: “30 Years After Black Hawk Down”

Posted on October 26, 2023November 9, 2023 by Aaron Y. Zelin

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Ḥarakat al-Shabāb al-Mujāhidīn — 30 Years After Black Hawk Down

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Source: Telegram

New video message from Ḥarakat al-Shabāb al-Mujāhidīn: “Attacking and Seizing the Bases of the American-Trained Somali Special Forces ‘Danab’ in Ceel-Lahelay in Galguduud Province in Central Somalia”

Posted on October 2, 2023October 3, 2023 by Aaron Y. Zelin

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Source: Telegram

To inquire about a translation for this video message for a fee email: [email protected]

Check out my new ‘Policy Note’ with Sarah Cahn for the Washington Institute: “Exploiting a ‘Vast Jihad Arena’: The Islamic State Takes Territory in Mali”

Posted on September 26, 2023October 10, 2023 by Aaron Y. Zelin

In April, Islamic State fighters in Mali seized villages surrounding the city of Menaka, marking the group’s first territorial conquest since losing its final Syrian foothold in 2019. The human cost of these advances has been steep. By May, at least 150,000 individuals had reportedly been displaced, and civilians have been subjected to targeted killings, kidnappings, and looting. The offensive occurred amid a string of regional of security setbacks: namely, France’s August 2022 military withdrawal (which followed the Malian junta’s expressed preference for Russia’s Wagner Group), the April 2023 dissolution of the UN mission in Mali, and the junta’s decision earlier this month to form a tripartite alliance with Burkina Faso and Niger, thereby undermining the French-led G5 Sahel framework designed to thwart jihadist actors in the region.

In this amply illustrated Policy Note, Aaron Zelin and Sarah Cahn explain that while the United States may have limited room for maneuver in Mali today, it can promote regional stability and U.S. national interests by pursuing further sanctions against local Islamic State officials and exploring constructive arrangements with nearby African states.

Click here to read the paper in full.

Check out my new article with Devorah Margolin in CTC Sentinel: “The Islamic State’s Shadow Governance in Eastern Syria Since the Fall of Baghuz”

Posted on September 20, 2023September 27, 2023 by Aaron Y. Zelin

Abstract: Since losing its last semblance of control in Syria in March 2019, the Islamic State has spent the last four and a half years not only attempting to survive, but also working to create the conditions for returning to territorial control. While it is true that the organization’s insurgency has been degraded in recent years, only focusing on the Islamic State’s attack claims and propaganda misses an important trend happening at the local level: Despite the best efforts of the Global Coalition Against the Islamic State and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Islamic State has continued attempts to govern as shadow actors in eastern Syria. The Islamic State’s shadow governance efforts can be seen occurring on four main axes: taxes, moral policing, administrative documents, and retaking of territory (albeit for brief periods of time). The Islamic State’s level of governance today is nowhere near where it was when it controlled territory the size of Britain from 2014-2017. Yet, these governance attempts illustrate that the group may be stronger than many assume, while also highlighting that the group’s interest in governing and controlling territory has not waned in recent years.

Click here to read the research in full.