AQAP Calling for Lone-Wolf Jihad Attacks Targeting 'Populations'; Chemical and Biological Weapons

Introduction

On May 2, 2012, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released Issues VIII (Fall 2011, 63 pp) and IX, (Winter 2012, 62 pp) of its English-language online magazine Inspire on the main jihadi forums Shumoukh Al-Islam and Al-Fida'. These issues are dedicated to U.S.-born Al-Qaeda leader Anwar Al-Awlaki and to his protégée and fellow American jihadi Samir Khan (killed September 2011 in Yemen in a U.S. drone strike), including writings and statements by them and by others about them.

The issues' release was accompanied by an apparent attempt by Western governments just prior to publication to bring down the forums' websites, but the websites were back up a short time later, with the magazines posted.

In 2010, the British government had attempted to block the release of the summer issue of Inspire by corrupting the file. Since Al-Qaeda is aware of these Western attempts to prevent the distribution of the magazine, it notified readers, on the inside front cover of Issue IX in a notice titled "Media Advice": "Throw the magazine onto forums. Muslim and non-Muslim forums alike. The FBI might be trying to bring down sites that host the magazine, so mailing lists are an important way to get the magazine across."[1]

The main themes in these issues of Inspire are:

A) Instructions and calls for lone-wolf Al-Qaeda followers to carry out attacks in the U.S. This continues the development previously identified by MEMRI – that is, Al-Qaeda is striving to place the responsibility for jihad in America upon the Muslim community in the U.S. This is instead of having mujahideen come from other parts of the world to attack the U.S., and instead of recruiting American Muslims to fight on other jihadi fronts worldwide (see MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 639, "New Trend in Al-Qaeda's Recruitment Efforts: American Muslims Should Carry the Burden of Jihad in U.S.," October 19, 2010, http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/852/4685.htm).

As the Inspire staff wrote in Issue V of the magazine: "[B]ased on your ability, you choose the target [in your home area]. Your pool of targets is large, so make sure to think of all of the available options. An example of something local, easy, and effective is attacking an army recruiting center, nightclub, highway, or busy shopping mall". A much-discussed article in the magazine's first issue said: "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom." Khan reiterates and underlines this point in his last statement, published in Issue IX, in which he states: "So for Muslims to live in America, it is dangerous since America and the Western world are lands of war, giving Muslims the ability to freely attack them in whatever methods they choose."

Inspire has been translated from English into Spanish, German, French, as well as Arabic, Urdu, Bangladeshi, and Turkish. Indicative of the impact that the magazine has had is that a growing number of lone-wolf jihadis have been arrested throughout the West with copies of the magazine in their possession (see Appendix: Lone Wolf Jihadi Attacks in the West).

B) Justifying the targeting of "populations of countries at war with the Muslims," including non-combatants, and by every means, including with chemical and biological weapons.

C) Challenging claims by President Obama and other U.S. officials that Al-Qaeda is "devastated" or "decimated," and stressing that the organization, its magazine Inspire, and its attacks are continuing.

D) The issues also include eulogies for and glorification of the lives and deaths of Al-Awlaki and Khan, as well as writings by them, and various other topics.

The following is a review of Issues VIII and IX of Inspire:

A. Instructions and Calls for Al-Qaeda Followers to Carry Out Lone-Wolf Attacks

Individual Jihad "Workshop" for Martyrdom Seekers

An article titled "The Convoy of Martyrs," which is a workshop setting out the best way to carry out a "jihadi operation," states: "The objective of this workshop is to communicate with those who seek martyrdom operations or those who want to execute a slaughter to the enemies of Islam, those who have no means of contacting their Mujahideen brothers whatever the reasons, the aim is to activate them in the midst of the enemy weather the enemy was the Jews, the Christians or the apostates. It is becoming obvious to many that the concept of individual jihad which features have begun to appear recently has been called for by the leaders of jihad. It is briefly that one individual only carries out the entire jihadi operation. For more information about the concept of individual jihad, watch the film entitled 'You are not held responsible except for yourself' produced by al-Sahab jihadi foundation."

The workshop lists "required information" for the mujahideen for carrying out attacks, including identifying suitable targets, ways of contacting those seeking to carry out attacks, and detailed instructions, such as the use of encryption software and specific ways of emailing, including the blocking of possible "infiltrated e-mails."

Article: Becoming "An Effective Assassin"

The article, written by Uthman Ibn Al-Ightiyal, lays out seven best qualities a good assassin has which will bring "victory" to Islam. "These are some of the outstanding qualities of the urbanite assassin. There are different types of assassin roles available, however the role detailed here is meant specifically for those individuals who want to partake in a jihad that they intend to repeat through a series of operations until martyrdom. An individual [assassin] of any type can benefit from these aforementioned qualities. If the assassin can carry out his operations in this manner, then he will become a Nidal Hassan that is invisible to the public and enemy eye. The operations would be carried out on a consistent basis, shaking up the entire nation and making her deteriorate from within. That is just for one person; how about if ten or twenty Muslims took up this praiseworthy assignment in America alone, each of them not connected to one another?"

"Open Source Jihad" Series: Lessons on Training with Handguns, Remote Control Detonations

Every issue of Inspire so far has included a section on "Open Source Jihad," which is described as "a resource manual for those who loathe the tyrants, include[ing] bomb making techniques, security measures, guerilla tactics, weapons training and all other jihad related activities, [which] allows Muslims to train at home instead of risking a dangerous travel abroad." Previously published installments include articles with titles such as "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of your Mom," and "Training with the AK."

Issue VIII presents sections on "Training with the Handgun," and "Remote Control Detonation," while Issue IX provides detailed information on igniting firebombs, including details on the best location, best season of the year, and best method of execution.

Installment of "Jihad Experiences" Series: On "The Most Important Enemy Targets Aimed At By the Individual Jihad"

Also in the issues are further installments in the "Jihadi Experiences" series, which consists of excerpts from a book by one of Al-Qaeda's most prominent ideologues and strategists, Abu Mus'ab Al-Suri, who, according to reports, was released recently from prison in Syria.[2]

In Issue IX, in an installment titled "The Most Important Enemy Targets Aimed at by the Individual Jihad," Al-Suri discusses the best places to strike the enemy – in particular "the heart of America itself." The list includes:

· "Main political figures who lead the campaign against the Muslims such as the heads of states, ministers, military and security leaders.

· "Large strategic economic targets, such as: The Stock Exchange, power and oil installations, airports, harbors, railroad systems, bridges and highway intersections, tunnels on the highways, metro systems, tourist targets… and so on, [targeting] resources and sources for the economy.

· "Military bases and barracks where the armies are concentrated, especially the American military bases in Europe.

· "Media personalities and media centers that are leading the war against the Muslims and justifying the attacks on them, coming from the Zionist and Zionist-friendly Crusader media institutions.

· "Centralized information and computer centers that are in control of connecting the different institutions within the state, because this will completely paralyze the activity within that state.

· "Places where Jews are gathered, their leading personalities and institutions in Europe, avoiding places of worship and synagogues.

· "Official offices of the governmental institutions of those countries that are waging war, both on the state level and on the level of unions and political and military alliances, in the case where they participate in the aggression. Such as the offices of the NATO and the European Union… this requires decisions that have been studied carefully from a political perspective.

· "Buildings of the security services and the central intelligence in the capitals of America and allied Western states.

· "Striking civilians in general, to deter them or for retaliation (avoiding women and children when separated from men in places especially designed for them, like schools and the similar). This for example… is when responding to a brutal practice carried out by America and her allied forces. The type of attack, which repels states and topples governments, is mass slaughter of the population. This is done by targeting human crowds in order to inflict maximum human losses. This is very easy since there are numerous such targets such as crowded sports arenas, annual social events, large international exhibitions, crowded marketplaces, sky-scrapers, crowded buildings… etc."

Religious Justification for Setting Forest Fires "In the Land of the Kuffar Enemies"

Sheikh Harith Al-Nadari[3] provides religious justification for starting forest fires "in the land of the Kuffar enemies." He states: "Our war with the enemies of Allah is multifarious, but at the same time it is disciplined according to the Sharia of Islam. We obtain victory only from Allah and as long as we commit ourselves to the laws of the Almighty Allah, we are without a doubt victorious. Before burning the forests we must know the Sharia ruling regarding this action and my legitimate declaration is as follows: The burning of forests, farms, orchards and meadows in the land of the Kuffar enemies is a legitimate act. According to the book of Allah and the Sunnah of His messenger."

Follow the Example of the "Unremorseful Mujahid" – The Christmas Day Bomber

In an article in Issue IX titled "Unremorseful Mujahid," author Abu Muhammad sets Christmas Day 2009 "underwear bomber" Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab as an example for other lone-wolf jihadis to emulate. He writes: "Farooq marched solo without fearing dangers. No reason for you saying you have no supporters. He overcame his emotions and threw away his fears. Here is your example, make haste and be victorious." Abu Muhammad adds, "This is the life of the mujahid who confronts falsehood and its people. If he is killed he obtains martyrdom and if he is captured or imprisoned, the words of honor and steadfastness emerge from him. This is precisely what happened to our brother Umar al-Faruq when stood and replied to the criminals with full confidence and determination saying: 'The mujahideen are proud to kill in the name of God. And that is exactly what God told us to do in the Qur'an.'"

"It Is of Your Freedom to Ignite a Firebomb"

Another article in Issue IX, written by "the AQ Chef" and titled "It Is of Your Freedom to Ignite a Firebomb," calls on Muslims to set off mass fires in the U.S. The article mentions several mass fires from recent history, noting that they produced "heat energy equal to that of 23 nuclear bombs." It goes to describe how to ignite such destructive fires, detailing the materials needed to create a bomb to spark them, as well as how best to place, position, and time it for full effect.

Inspirational Image for Lone-Wolf Jihadis: "Yes We Can"

An image showing an armed individual on an escalator is accompanied by the caption "Yes We Can." The text below the image explains: "The following is a Fight in the West ad production. It seeks to inspire the believers to perform their duty of fighting for Islam's cause."

B. Inspire Justifies Attacks on Civilians, Including Women and Children, and Using Chemical and Biological Weapons

Issue VIII opens with an announcement by the magazine's editor-in-chief, Yahya Ibrahim, stating: "In the last few issue[s] of Inspire, we announced that we would be holding an exclusive video interview with Shaykh Anwar al-Awlaki where he will answer the questions of our readers. The question that was most frequently asked was the shari'ah view on killing 'civilians' in the operations of mujahidin. Because of the relevance and great importance of this issue, Shaykh Anwar devoted an article in this issue to answer the question. We encourage our readers to circulate this article on forums and to mailing lists to remove the doubts and confusions that surround this issue."

In the article itself, titled "Targeting the Populations of Countries that Are at War with the Muslims," Anwar Al-'Awlaki indeed justifies the targeting of non-combatant populations (i.e. women and children) in countries at war with Muslims, including with chemical and biological weapons, and supports his opinion with statements by Islamic imams and scholars.

Al-Awlaki: All Means Are Permissible in Targeting "Populations of Countries at War with the Muslims" Al-Awlaki writes: "The use of poisons or chemical and biological weapons against population centers is allowed and is strongly recommended due to its great effect on the enemy. Regarding the importance and permissibility of using such weapons, the classical scholars have said the following:

"Imam al-Mawardi: ...It is allowed to attack the enemy (in the place where they live such as their cities or villages) when they are not aware, like what the Messenger of Allah did with Bani al-Mustalaq, and it is allowed to attack them at night and set fire to their homes and throw on them fire, snakes or scorpions, demolish their homes with them inside, release floods onto them, cutoff their water supply, and do onto them all what would lead to their destruction without refraining just because of the women and children that are among them, even if that would lead to the deaths of their women and children. This is because the Messenger of Allah did not stop from attacking Bani al-Mustalaq or al-Taif because of their women and children. The instruction of the Messenger of Allah not to kill women and children is when they are intentionally executed; also when they fall as booty they should not be killed. However when they are residing in dar al-ĥarb, it is ĥalal to target them and they carry the same ruling as their men.'

"Imam al-Sarkhasi (a Hanafi scholar) quotes Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from Sharĥ al-Sayr al-Kabir: 'It is allowed for the Muslims to burn the fortresses of the disbelievers with fire, to flood them with water, or to put blood, feces or poison in their water until they contaminate it because Allah commanded us to subdue them and break their strength and all the methods of war which we mentioned that would lead to their weakening would be fulfilling the commands (of Allah) and would not fall under disobeying (of Allah). All of this also damages the enemy and that is a way to obtain rewards... None of the mentioned (methods of war) are prohibited [even] if there is among them Muslim prisoners of war, people who are given peace, young or old, men or women even if we know that, because there is no way to avoid them and at the same time fulfill the commands of subjugating the disbelievers and whatever is not possible to avoid is forgiven'...

"Imam al-Kharshi (a Maliki scholar): 'It is allowed to fight the enemy if they do not respond to what we call them to with all forms of war. It is allowed to cut off water from them to kill them from thirst, to release floods on them, to drown them according to the famous opinion, or to kill them with weapons such as a blow from a sword, a stab from a lance, a missile from a mangonel [catapult] or other weapons of war.'

"Imam al-Shafi'i: 'If the enemy protects himself in a mountain, a fortress, a trench, with thorn trees, or with any form of protection it is allowed to strike them with mangonels, catapults, fire, scorpions, snakes and all what harms them. It is allowed to flood them with water to drown them, or to get them hampered in mud. That is whether women, children and priests are among them or not because the land (of war) is not protected with Islam or with a covenant. It is also acceptable to burn their fruit trees or other trees, to destroy their buildings and all what doesn't have a soul from their belongings.'

"Imam al-Bahuti (a Hanbali scholar): 'It is also allowed to strike them (the disbelievers) and put fire, snakes, or scorpions in the scales of the mangonel, to fill their tunnels with smoke, to release floods on them in order to drown them, and to destroy their fortresses and buildings. But if we can defeat them without the use of fire then we shouldn't use it.'

"Imam al-Shawkani: 'Allah has commanded us to kill the disbelievers without specifying the methods of doing so. Allah did not command us to do this or not do that. Therefore there is no preventing from killing them with every means of killing whether it is shooting, stabbing, flooding, demolishing buildings on them or throwing them from heights.'"

Al-Awlaki concludes: "These statements of the scholars show that it is allowed to use poison or other methods of mass killing against the disbelievers who are at war with us. In addition to that, there are many other important insights in their statements that the reader may benefit from. The populations of the nations that are at war with the Muslims and especially those who are at the lead such as the U.S., Britain and France should be targeted by the mujahidin in operations that employ explosives, poisons, firearms and all other methods that lead to inflicting the greatest harm on them and this is among the greatest deeds a Muslim can worship Allah with in our day and time."

The Actions of the Toulouse Shooter Were Justified Because He Was Pursuing a Sacred Goal

Another article, titled "Do the Mujahideen and Christian Terrorists Have Similar Goals?" compares the Norwegian mass killer Anders Breivik (who killed dozens of teens at a summer camp in July 2011) to Toulouse shooter Muhammad Merah (who also killed children). The article stresses that the difference between them is "night and day," because Christian terrorists "seek mere bloodshed" while the Muslim mujahideen fight for the sacred goal of instating shari'a worldwide and in retaliation for crimes perpetrated against the Muslims: "The right wing extremists are the real Crusaders who seek mere bloodshed whereas the mujahidin of the al Qaeda organization seek the establishment of a just socio-political order throughout the globe: the shari'ah. The difference is night and day. Our war with America and the West may appear to some that we are out to kill for the sake of killing since all we do to them is just that. The reason behind it is – as we've previously stated – because of the crimes these governments have perpetrated on our lands and continue to perpetrate. Had that not been the case, the entire Western world wouldn't be living in fear from an al Qaeda attack."

What Would Obama Do If Muslims Killed His Daughters?

It is interesting to note that while providing religious justification for the killing of women and children, the magazine harshly condemns the killing of Muslim women and children. An article titled "They Killed Father, They Killed Son," on the killing in a U.S. drone attack of Al-Awlaki's son Abdur-Rahmaan Bin Anwar Al-Awlaki, states that the U.S., not Al-Qaeda, is the real terrorist. It says: "One should wonder what Obama will do, what Obama would feel if Muslims kill his daughters... We do not see al Qaeda planes above the U.S. but we see U.S. drones killing women and children of Yemen."

C. Challenging Claims of Al-Qaeda's Demise

The magazine argues that Al-Qaeda has been neither "decimated" nor "devastated" by the U.S. As evidence, it points to two facts: the continued publication of Inspire, despite America's attempts to prevent this, and the continuation of the jihad attacks.

Editor Yahya Ibrahim: "Issue 9 of Inspire Magazine Is Out Against All Odds"

The issue's editorial, by editor Yahya Ibrahim, focuses on the first of these points. It states: "To the disappointment of our enemies, issue 9 of Inspire magazine is out against all odds al-Hamdolilah. The Zionists and the crusaders thought that the magazine was gone with the martyrdom of Shaykh Anwar and brother Samir, may Allah have mercy upon their souls. Yet again, they have failed to come to terms with the fact that the Muslim ummah is the most fertile and most generous mother that gives birth to thousands and thousands of the likes of Shaykh Anwar and brother Samir. They will be displeased to know that we have been inundated with emails and requests by young inspired Muslims who are persistently offering their help, not just intellectually, but with whatever the mujahideen need in the West."

AQAP Mufti Ibrahim Al-Rubaish: "The Long List of the Martyred Mujahideen Hasn't Weaken[ed the] Jihad"

AQAP Mufti Ibrahim Al-Rubaish stresses that, despite the war on the mujahideen, their attacks continue and have even increased: "America wanted to deceive its nation by portraying its war as a war against particular individuals so with death of individuals war will ended. In that way America's administration feel some sort of victory by killing certain individuals. Just like what happened when they killed Shaykh Usama Bin Laden. Those miserable people haven't yet realized that their war is waged against a nation that has principles and fundamentals. These principles gain life in the Muslims' heart when their supporters are martyred for their sake. The clearest of evidence is the long list of the martyred mujahideen that hasn't weaken[ed] jihad. Instead, jihad operations often increase."

Yahya Ibrahim Lists Jihad Attacks in Recent Years

In an article titled "Wining [sic] On the Ground," editor Yahya Ibrahim mocks the West's claims of victory over the mujahideen, and enumerates successful jihad attacks over the recent years: "Obama's wrong thinking have been repeated previously by those who preceded him in office. In the 2003, the U.S. president George W. Bush, in a ridiculous scene of an illusionary victory, was celebrating the end of the military operations in Iraq which was actually the ignition for jihad. Iraq then emerged to be one of the fiercest centers for jihad. The celebrations had no impact on the movement of jihad. However, the media broadcasted the celebrations in a dexterous way and that's how America wins; through baseless claims. On 29th Oct. 2011 the world was engaged in a ceremony just like that of Bush, but this time it was Obama's. The same way Bush was celebrating, unaware of the long tough war. Obama was trying to shorten the fate of the ongoing conflict through a decade in an ambiguous speech."

Giving details on AQAP's ability to produce body bombs, the article continues: "...[L]et us review the year 2009 where a very modest and small laboratory in a rural area prepared a bomb which penetrated all checkpoints and could not be detected by the advanced detecting machines. The first was carried by brother Abul Khayr as he executed a martyrdom operation inside the castle of America's agent, Muhammad bin Naif al-Saud – the head of the intelligence wing of the war against the mujahideen. Obama wasn't worried when his servant bin Naif explained to him what happened. Bin Naif travelled to Washington days after he had miraculously survived just to inform his master on the undetectable bomb.

"Later, came the operation of Omar Farouq which required only $5,000. At the time, the mujahideen couldn't provide more than half of the amount. The other half was borrowed from one mujahid's pocket. The operation costed the world over $40,000,000,000. Once more another operation of the air-cargo from the same modest lab. It shocked all the crusade countries and caused economic losses and discomfort to the American cargos in the air.

"Two year after the operation of Abul Khayr, the New York Times reports on the mujahideen's preparations in Yemen and their advanced labs. Especially after A.Q.A.P has obtained a large deal of chemicals from military laboratories after the conquered Zinjibaar and other cities and town in the south of Yemen. Of course, the modest lab has transformed into a modern one. Hence, no wearisome measures are taken anymore to attain the needed large amount of chemicals for explosives. Also, the operations do not lack money as before.

"The account of Allah is always full – by His grace. This is what Obama forgot to mention in his fascinating speech at that party. It is an extremely difficult challenge."

Ibrahim goes on to note attacks and attempted attacks by failed Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab, Khost CIA base bomber Abu Dajana Al-Khorsani, and failed Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, and hints at of future attacks inside the U.S.: "When you talk about security, you tend to talk about money and wealth in the time of need. Unlike Obama, when he speaks of American security, he talks about its deteriorated economy. If anyone was to talk about the assassination of Shaykh Anwar Al Awlaki, his talk will synchronize with the congestion of the streets of New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago with tens of thousands of Americans who criticize the politics of capitalism and banks. All of that is firstly through the favor of Allah and then through the worldwide jihadi operations."

Stating that Al-Qaeda's jihad against America has come full circle, from the pre-9/11 training camps in Afghanistan to Inspire, he notes: "The fact that Shaykh Anwar was martyred after we have reached this level in our jihad – by the grace of Allah – is considered a victory by itself. Now, our capabilities and skills have developed from being in the military camp of Khaldun in Khowst to be transferred now to Virginia. And the idea that the military camp of al-Farouq has now become portable in a section of our magazine which is easily accessible online. Now, all you need to make explosives is the kitchen of your mum as instructed in the open source jihad."

Ibrahim concludes with a promise of future attacks, to be carried out by homegrown followers of Al-Qaeda: "We congratulate the grave which comprised the remains of these great martyrs. America should know that those remains will ignite a jihadi revolution with a unique style which they can't withhold. By the martyrdom of our leaders, their ideology which they lived calling to, is revived and their followers realize how fruitful that ideology is. They become enthusiastic to join their convoy, the convoy of martyrs – By Allah's will...

"We pray that Allah have mercy on Shaykh Anwar and his brothers and resurrect them in the company of the martyrs. May Allah make their blood together with their predecessors among the mujahideen a curse upon America, the West and their allies. May Allah grant success to our brothers in the West and in America particular in retaliating against the crusaders. O Allah, You are the Omnipotent. All praise due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds."

D. Miscellaneous

1. Eulogies, Memoirs and Writings of Anwar Al-Awlaki and Samir Khan

Abu Yazeed On Samir Khan: "The Face of Joy"

Issue IX of Inspire includes an article on Khan penned by Abu Yazeed[4], titled "The Face of Joy," which could constitute an attempt by Yazeed to enshrine Khan in jihadi history. This article includes excerpts from Khan's last will and testament, which was found on the hard drive of his computer after his death.

Yazeed called Khan his "closest friend in Jihad." He told of how when he arrived in Yemen, Khan had helped him acclimate, and had even taught him computer skills: "During his company, he taught me everything he knew about presentation of certain material, special designing for the magazines, how to work in certain visual design programs. He taught me how to use the best from my skills. His generosity was unmatched. He was considered one of the best Muhajreen in AQAP. I ask Allah to gift him with the best of akhira."

Yazeed provided insight into how Samir Khan communicated with AQAP before coming to Yemen: "One of the stories he told me was his. After arriving to Sana', Yemen's capital he was in touch with a brother who – by Allah's will – had facilitated his connection with the mujahideen. However, after informing the brother that he [had] arrived he was faced with the first test when he lost his phone. He was heartbroken as this was the only mean of communication between him and the mujahideen. Despite that, he never thought about turning back. He was at this point, asking Allah sincerely for a way out.

"After a period of time and when he was making dua'a after the ish'a prayer in one of Sana'a's masajid, someone tapped his shoulder and asked if he was Samir. At this point, he told Samir that he was the brother who was communicating with him. Later, he backed his luggage and was on his way to join the mujahideen. He explained to me how he was in the U.S. under heavy surveillance by the C.I.A but by Allah's will he was able to escape their wicked plots."

Excerpts from Samir Khan's Last Statement

An article in Issue IX, by Abu Yazeed, features excerpts from Samir Khan's last statement, allegedly obtained from Khan's computer:

"In the post-September world, the most honorable of deaths has been looked down upon in the Muslim public as it is now linked with the enemy's charge of terrorism. We must be reminiscent of the fact that the sunnah of Allah never changes, no matter what time one is in. When one thinks more about death, the more he will think about dying in the most noblest of ways since the chances of entering the hell-fire are much less than dying a normal death."

Quoting a Hadith on the rewards awaiting a martyr, Khan wrote: "The Prophet said: 'The shaheed will be granted seven rewards: he will be forgiven of his sins with the first drop of his blood, he will see his place in paradise, he will be saved from the punishment of the grave, he will be saved from the great terror on the day of Judgment, a crown will be placed on his head with jewels that are more beautiful than the earth and everything in it, he will be wedded to 72 from the hoor al-'ayn, and he wil be able to intercede on behalf of 70 members of his family.['] This hadith is graded between Hassan and Saheeh and can be found in Ahmad, Ibn Majah and at-Tirmidhi."

After discussing the rewards for martyrs, Khan goes on to justify Al-Qaeda's collateral killing of Muslims: "In the politics of warfare, when the Muslims are fighting the disbelieving enemies and there are Muslims residing amongst the enemy, this causes unintentional deaths amongst the Muslim population. For instance, the 9/11 operation in New York City killed around 500 Muslims as some reports suggested. Is that the fault of the mujahideen? They were merely targeting the economic infrastructure and symbol of America as they are the ones who use their economists as an advantage to build a global empire where the world becomes subservient to them. So for Muslims to live in America, it is dangerous since America and the Western world are lands of war, giving Muslims the ability to freely attack them in whatever methods they choose."

Abu Yazeed concludes by saying, "This was Samir's Wasiya. Samir who will always be remembered for his euphoric smile that came with his warm greeting. Whenever I would advise the brothers, I would cite examples of Samir. His optimism, kindness, generosity, humility, and bravery were what set him apart from many others. He was a role model for the mujahideen and will forever reside in our hearts as such."

AQAP Mufti Eulogizes Samir Khan

Also in Issue IX is an article by AQAP leader and frequent Inspire contributor AQAP mufti Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Rubaish. He writes: "Many inquiries have been brought forward regarding the fate of Inspire. Some assumed the magazine won't be issued anymore. Mistakenly, a lot consider the magazine to be Shaykh Anwar's. Hence, they thought that the Shaykh is the magazine and vice versa. Accordingly, they assumed that the magazine will be buried along with him. As a matter of fact, Shaykh Anwar was the guest writer and the most active one was brother Samir Khan who exploited all of his energy and effort for this sake. In other words, the Shaykh was the spirit of Inspire where Samir was its tongue. Their martyrdom means that their written work will be transformed into reality because their writing with the ink is replaced now with writing with their blood. And this is what will have a greater impact – insha'Allah."

Samir Khan: One Cannot Be a Muslim and a Proud American

An article in Issue VIII by Samir Khan criticizes the Muslim community in the U.S. for largely sacrificing its religion for the sake of a comfortable life there. He claims that a loyal Muslim cannot be "proud of being American," adding that there is nothing about America in which Muslims can take pride. He calls on the American Muslims to emulate members of their community who became mujahideen.

Anwar Al-Awlaki: "Spilling Out the Beans"

An article, apparently authored by Al-Awlaki himself, titled "Spilling Out the Beans: Al-Awlaki revealing his side of the story," gives details of his life. It states, "The FBI is putting out a lot of information about myself, some true, most lies. But they are blacking out some parts of the record."

It continues with details of Al-Awlaki's experiences in the U.S. as a college student and as head of the Muslim Student Association, and of his move to San Diego. He talked about his arrest for soliciting a prostitute, claiming that this was a set-up by the U.S. government, and discussed being in Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001:

"September 11 was a Tuesday. By Thursday the FBI were knocking on my door. The questions revolved around the attacks. They visited me again but this time they were asking for cooperation which I made it clear that they shouldn't expect and the third meeting which was the last I had my lawyer attend the meeting. This is what I know about the US from experience and you want to tell me to vote for these people?! For those who believe Obama is the savior. Do you think he can rein in the FBI, CIA and the other alphabet soup of intelligence agencies that have been carrying on with their behind the scenes plots since the day of their inception while presidents come and go? Do you really believe he can reform the US foreign policy that has been consistent on issues that concern us for decades? If Obama tries to go against the tide, the tide will engulf him. JFK was killed on American soil by an American citizen."

Al-Nadari On "My Story With Al-Awlaki" – On 9/11 and Drone Attacks

In an article titled "My Story with Al-Awlaki," in Issue IX, Sheikh Harith Al-Nadari, who is also identified as Muhammad Al-Murshidi, discusses books, authored by Sayyed Al-Qutb and others, that inspired Al-Awlaki in his youth.

Al-Nadari describes a conversation he had with Anwar Al-Awlaki about 9/11: "I remember that I had a dialogue with him at that time about it. I mention here what I remember from his words: 'These events have already took place and the United States has already identified its enemies. Aggression against the Muslims have occurred and the legitimate duty now is to look at the Islamic ruling today. Disbelievers occupied Muslim lands, they are killing Muslim masses and their leading personalities, they hunt and displace Muslims and their families, they captures the mujahideen, the preachers and the scholars, they freezing funds of the traders and people of wealth of the Muslims. This is what is happening today so what is the Islamic ruling on it? The Islamic ruling which is not disputed by anyone of the Muslims is the need of Jihad in the way of the Almighty Allah and this ruling isn't agreed upon weather the mujahideen did the right thing in targeting America or made a mistake. The matter of the Muslims affairs today should be in working not in debating. Working to fulfill the legitimate duty of jihad and defending Muslims against the people of injustice and godlessness and repelling the infidels' fierce war against the Messenger of Allah."

Al-Nadari also relates Al-Awlaki's description of a drone attack against him: "He said: 'While we were traveling on the way, we felt the wave of explosion near the car that shattered the windows. We even saw a flash of light, so we thought that we were ambushed and under fire. We thought a rocket was fired on us. I said to the brother who was driving to speed up to pass the danger zone and I quickly inspected the brothers and I saw nobody was hurt. I thanked Allah for their safety but I wondered how we were affected with such a strong wave which actually broke the glass and shaped a smoky cloud around us. No harm has befallen us, even though we were carrying barrels of gasoline. All this happenings increased my certainty that no human being will die until they completed their livelihood and appointed time.'

"He said to me: 'We tried to find the cause of this explosion and when we looked up, we saw the flying of U.S. drones. I asked the brother who was driving not to pass near the houses in order to preserve the lives of the Muslims. The brother then turned into a valley with few trees in it. We came out of the car and went into different directions. The aircrafts drones continued to fly over our heads and then targeted our car which exploded. Air strikes continued in the different areas, but I was directed by one of the brothers to one of the numerous cliffs in a mountains. I slept the rest of the night until the morning dawn, I prayed Fajr and then the brothers brought me to you.'"

2. News Flash on American Lone-Wolf Jihadi

A "News Flash" section includes details about lone-wolf jihadi Naser Jason Abdo, a Muslim in the U.S. Army who refused orders to deploy to Afghanistan. He was arrested in July 2011 for planning an attack on Fort Hood military personnel, similar to the shooting by Major Nidal Hasan. He was found in possession of an article from Inspire titled "How to Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom," which he used to make the bombs he planned to use in his attack. The article wrote of Abdo as "[t]he Mujahid hero from America, Nasir Abdo, may Allah free him, [who] intended to pull off a Fort Hood incident similar to that of Nidal Hasan. Nasir converted to Islam while in the Army and had previously expressed his anger with invading a Muslim country."

3. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to Readers: "How to Communicate With Us" Securely Via Gmail, Yahoo, and Fast Mail

As in previous issues, Issues VIII and IX offer readers encryption codes for directly contacting the magazine. They also notify readers, in several places, that the magazine has changed its public encryption code.[5]

4. Help Wanted

Additionally, issue VIII calls on readers in the West for help, saying that they are looking for:

· "People who can preserve permanent Internet links for all of the magazine issues

· "Sisters who can write on women-related issues

· "Persons who can help the Inspire team with research & translation."

Appendix: Lone Wolf Jihadis Arrested in the West and in Possession of Inspire

A growing number of lone-wolf jihadis, inspired by Al-Awlaki and Khan and their da'wa for jihad, have been arrested throughout the West. The ones who have been linked with Inspire include:

1. Jose Pimentel, arrested November 19, 2011. A Manhattan resident, Pimentel planned to target U.S. servicemen, post offices, and police. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, conspiracy, and soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism. Pimentel was influenced by Inspire.

2. Naser Jason Abdo, a Muslim U.S. in the Army, arrested in July 2011. Abdo was planning an attack on Fort Hood military personnel, similar to the shooting by Major Nidal Hasan. He was found in possession of an article from Inspire titled "How to Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom," which he used to make the bombs he planned to use in his attack.

3. Nine suspects in the U.K.: British officials conducted coordinated raids in three separate cities after concluding that the suspects were "researching, discussing, carrying out reconnaissance, and agreeing on potential targets," and "igniting and testing incendiary material"; one target was the U.S. Embassy in London. The fact many of the suspects were Bangladeshi – who are likely more familiar with English than Arabic – were using Inspire is "proof that the magazine works," according to a terrorism specialist at the University of Geneva.

4. Hakan Ertarkan, arrested April 12, 2011. Ertakan, 21, from the Edmonton neighborhood of London, was found to be in possession of a CD issue of Inspire. He was charged with "possessing a record of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism."

5. Christian Emde and Robert Baum, arrested July 15, 2011. German citizens Emde, 28, and Baum, 24, were arrested when they tried to enter Britain in possession of electronic copes of Inspire. Emde was jailed for 16 months, and Baum for 12, as part of their punishment for violating the Terrorism Act.

6. Zahid Iqbal, Mohammed Sharfaraz Ahmed, Umar Arshad, and Syed Farhan Hussain, arrested in Britain on April 24, 2012. The four, all aged 21 to 30, are suspected of plotting to drive a toy car loaded with explosives under the gates of a military base. Iqbal is accused of leading a terror network under the instruction of Al-Qaeda masterminds in Pakistan; all are accused of working to recruit others, of taking their lead from Inspire, and of possessing copies of it.[6]

* Steven Stalinsky is Executive Director of the Middle East Media Research Institute.

Endnotes:

[1] Issues VIII and IX are among the magazine's larger releases; it is noteworthy that both issues are rife with misspellings and poor grammar – for example, "wining" instead of "winning" on the cover of Issue IX. They include content dated prior to the killing of Al-Awlaki and Khan. Also included is a declaration by AQAP that the publication of the magazine will continue.

[2] See MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 796, "The Release of top Al-Qaeda Military Strategist/Ideologue Abu Mus'ab Al-Suri from Syrian Prison – A Looming Threat," February 8, 2012, http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/6068.htm. See also, MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 698, "Al-Qaeda Military Strategist Abu Mus'ab Al-Suri's Teachings on Fourth-Generation Warfare (4GW), Individual Jihad and the Future of Al-Qaeda," June 22, 2011, http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5395.htm.)

[3] Nadari is introduced in Issue IX as follows: "Shaykh Harith Al Nadari, better known as Muhammad al-Murshidi. Holder of a master's degree in Islamic studies from al-Eman university of Sana'a. He served as the speaker of the university's masjid in Sana'a. He was jailed twice in the Yemeni political security prison with the accusation of urging the masses to perform jihad."

[4] Abu Yazeed, first emerged in a December 2011 AQAP video – the first English-speaker besides Al-Awlaki to have done so. See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 4373, "Al-Awlaki In Previously Unreleased Video Message To Muslims In the West: 'You Have Two Choices... Leave and Live Among Muslims, Or... Stay Behind and Follow the Example of Nidal Hassan and Others,'" December 20, 2011, http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5932.htm.

[5] For more on Al-Qaeda's use of encryption, see MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis Series - No. 704, "Al-Qaeda's Embrace of Encryption Technology: 2007-2011," July 12, 2011, http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5457.htm.

[6] Daily Mail, U.K., April 30, 2012.