Category: The Islamic State

Check out my new ‘Policy Watch’ for the Washington Institute: “A Year Since Baghuz, the Islamic State Is Neither Defeated nor Resurging (Yet)”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

A lot has happened for the Islamic State since it lost its last sliver of territory in Baghuz, Syria, a year ago this week. Most notable was the death of its first self-declared caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was killed in a U.S. Special Forces raid in Barisha, Syria, last October. IS subsequently announced his successor as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, and thus far, there have been no signs of any disruption in its activities as a result of this transition. Indeed, despite the U.S. government’s boisterous pronouncements that IS was defeated after the fall of Baghuz, the organization remains active.

Yet it is also too early to state that IS has rebounded. Rather, it is surviving and waiting for the right moments to take advantage—and not necessarily in the same manner it did in 2004-2006 (when it first became relevant) or 2012-2014 (when it resurfaced after major defeats in Iraq). Even so, many of the underlying sectarian and governance dynamics that led to its reemergence eight years ago persist in both Iraq and Syria.

Click here to read the rest.

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: “al-Nabā’ #226″

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #225, #224, #223, #222, #221, #220, #219, #218, #217, #216, #215, #214, #213, #212, #211, #210, #209, #208, #207, #206, #205, #204, #203, #202, #201, #200, #199, #198, #197, #196, #195, #194, #193, #192, #191, #190, #189, #188, #187, #186, #185, #184, #183, #182, #181, #180, #179, #178, #177, #176, #175, #174, #173, #172, #171, #170, #169, #168, #167, #166, #165, #164, #163, #162, #161, #160, #159, #158, #157, #156, #155, #154, #153, #152, #151, #150, #149, #148, #147, #146, #145, #144, #143, #142, #141, #140, #139, #138, #137, #136, #135, #134, #133, #132, #131, #130, #129, #128, #127, #126, #125, #124, #123, #122, #121, #120, #119, #118, #117, #116, #115, #114, #113, #112, #111, #110, #109, #108, #107, #106, #105, #104, #103, #102, #101, #100, #99, #98, #97, #96, #95, #94, #93, #92, #91, #90, #89, #88, #87, #86, #85, #84, #83, #82, #81, #80, #79, #78, #77, #76, #75, #74, #73, #72, #71, #70, #69, #68, #67, #66, #65, #64, #63, #62, #61, #60, #59, #58, #57, #56, #55, #54, #53, #52, #51, #50, #49, #48, #47, #46, #45, #44, #43, #42, #41, #40, #39, #38, #37, #36, #35, #34, #33, #32, #31, #30, #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, #4, #3, #2, and #1.

—

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: The Islamic State — al-Nabā’ Newsletter #226

________________

To inquire about a translation for this newsletter issue for a fee email: [email protected]

Check out my new article for the Global Network on Extremism & Technology: “How Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia’s Message Framing Primed Its Members To Become Recruits For The Islamic State”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

There are a number of reasons why Tunisians joined the Islamic State in Iraq, Syria, and Libya. One underappreciated aspect of this is the way Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia’s (AST) messaging primed members of the group and others in society that were exposed to, attended, or followed online AST activities and events. In my new book, Your Sons Are At Your Service: Tunisia’s Missionaries of Jihad, I describe this process, which I will examine in brief here. In particular, I will explore AST’s motivational framing, which “functions as prods to action.” The major themes AST crafted in its narrative was related to brotherhood, the defense of Islam, the creation of an Islamic state, and remaining as an entity.

Click here to read the rest.

New statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: “Regarding the Mischievous Group of Dā’ish”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

l_DzlA8Q

As the group named Daesh is a mysterious and oppressive group, The Islamic Emirate with the blessing of Allah (SWT) and support of the Afghan Mujahid nation expelled it from various areas of Afghanistan – limiting its presence to a few eastern areas of the country where clearance operations against them continued and their strongholds were finally cleared.

The Islamic Emirate has firm will to eliminate this group from the remaining areas and rescue its countrymen from their harm forever, inshaAllah.

The Islamic Emirate will never give Daesh the opportunity to turn Afghanistan into the center of mischief.

The Islamic Emirate leadership asks its Mujahid people to further stand shoulder to shoulder with the Islamic Emirate Mujahidin and not allow the aforementioned group in any way to recruit, train, fundraise, or do other activities so that they are not able to spill the blood of innocent people of Afghanistan, create hatred and conflict among people, or pose a threat to the Afghans and internationals from Afghanistan.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

19/07/1441 Hijri Lunar

24/12/1398 Hijri Solar               14/03/2020 Gregorian

_______________

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: “al-Nabā’ #225″

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #224, #223, #222, #221, #220, #219, #218, #217, #216, #215, #214, #213, #212, #211, #210, #209, #208, #207, #206, #205, #204, #203, #202, #201, #200, #199, #198, #197, #196, #195, #194, #193, #192, #191, #190, #189, #188, #187, #186, #185, #184, #183, #182, #181, #180, #179, #178, #177, #176, #175, #174, #173, #172, #171, #170, #169, #168, #167, #166, #165, #164, #163, #162, #161, #160, #159, #158, #157, #156, #155, #154, #153, #152, #151, #150, #149, #148, #147, #146, #145, #144, #143, #142, #141, #140, #139, #138, #137, #136, #135, #134, #133, #132, #131, #130, #129, #128, #127, #126, #125, #124, #123, #122, #121, #120, #119, #118, #117, #116, #115, #114, #113, #112, #111, #110, #109, #108, #107, #106, #105, #104, #103, #102, #101, #100, #99, #98, #97, #96, #95, #94, #93, #92, #91, #90, #89, #88, #87, #86, #85, #84, #83, #82, #81, #80, #79, #78, #77, #76, #75, #74, #73, #72, #71, #70, #69, #68, #67, #66, #65, #64, #63, #62, #61, #60, #59, #58, #57, #56, #55, #54, #53, #52, #51, #50, #49, #48, #47, #46, #45, #44, #43, #42, #41, #40, #39, #38, #37, #36, #35, #34, #33, #32, #31, #30, #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, #4, #3, #2, and #1.

—

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: The Islamic State — al-Nabā’ Newsletter #225

_______________

To inquire about a translation for this newsletter issue for a fee email: [email protected]al

New nashīd from The Islamic State: “The People of Determination and Courage”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

The Islamic State: “The People of Determination and Courage”

____________________

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

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: “al-Nabā’ #224″

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #223, #222, #221, #220, #219, #218, #217, #216, #215, #214, #213, #212, #211, #210, #209, #208, #207, #206, #205, #204, #203, #202, #201, #200, #199, #198, #197, #196, #195, #194, #193, #192, #191, #190, #189, #188, #187, #186, #185, #184, #183, #182, #181, #180, #179, #178, #177, #176, #175, #174, #173, #172, #171, #170, #169, #168, #167, #166, #165, #164, #163, #162, #161, #160, #159, #158, #157, #156, #155, #154, #153, #152, #151, #150, #149, #148, #147, #146, #145, #144, #143, #142, #141, #140, #139, #138, #137, #136, #135, #134, #133, #132, #131, #130, #129, #128, #127, #126, #125, #124, #123, #122, #121, #120, #119, #118, #117, #116, #115, #114, #113, #112, #111, #110, #109, #108, #107, #106, #105, #104, #103, #102, #101, #100, #99, #98, #97, #96, #95, #94, #93, #92, #91, #90, #89, #88, #87, #86, #85, #84, #83, #82, #81, #80, #79, #78, #77, #76, #75, #74, #73, #72, #71, #70, #69, #68, #67, #66, #65, #64, #63, #62, #61, #60, #59, #58, #57, #56, #55, #54, #53, #52, #51, #50, #49, #48, #47, #46, #45, #44, #43, #42, #41, #40, #39, #38, #37, #36, #35, #34, #33, #32, #31, #30, #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, #4, #3, #2, and #1.

—

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: The Islamic State — al-Nabā’ Newsletter #224

_________________

To inquire about a translation for this newsletter issue for a fee email: [email protected]

New video message from The Islamic State: “Answering the Call #3 – Wilāyat al-Ṣūmāl”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts in this video series see: #2 and #1.

—

__________________

Source: Telegram

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