Periodical Review - Summary from the Jihadi Forums - The First Half of May 2014

This report summarizes notable events discussed on jihadist Web forums during the first half of May 2014. Following are the main points covered in the report:

• Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri exposes a secret correspondence proving that the ISIS used to be an affiliate of Al-Qaeda in Iraq and had sworn allegiance to the organization. According to him, the ISIS began to take an unfortunate turn under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi when it decided to defy the dictates of Al-Qaeda’s leadership. Al-Zawahiri accuses the ISIS of irresponsible behavior that endangers the continued fight against the Syrian regime by causing a rift among the ranks of the mujahideen in Syria.
• Al-Zawahiri’s criticism of the ISIS evokes a wave of responses by jihad activists, led by the spokesperson for the ISIS. In their opinion, al-Zawahiri is mistaken in his attitude towards the ISIS, does not speak the truth, and must re-examine his attitude towards the ISIS.
• Sheikh Adam Gadahn, a senior Al-Qaeda official, complains about America’s interference in the internal matters of Arab countries, including Egypt, and demands an end to this unacceptable trend. According to him, young Muslims must act against this trend to curb the phenomenon.
• The Shura Council of the Islamic Emirates in Afghanistan announces its intention to carry out a wave of terrorist attacks against various targets in the Afghan government, such as military facilities, diplomatic compounds, etc.
• In light of the riots in Ma'an Jordan, ISIS militants call on the residents of Ma’an to revolt against the Hashemite regime, led by King Abdullah, and promises to assist them if possible. Jordanian military forces must come to their senses and stop defending the borders of Israel, and allow the mujahideen to operate more freely.
• Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) publishes a propaganda video in which it explains the modus operandi that the group used to attack a military facility that operates UAV’s in Aden, a city in southern Yemen, in the beginning of April 2014.
• Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram in Nigeria, claims responsibility for the abduction of Christian Nigerian girls from their school. According to him, most of the abducted students have declared their conversion to Islam. In addition, he expresses willingness to release the Christian students who have not converted in exchange for the release of Muslim prisoners in Nigeria. He also promises to spill Christian blood and fight against democracy.
• A prominent writer on a section of the Shumukh al-Islam jihadist Web forum dedicated to military issues suggests ways for jihad fighters to deal with the problem of UAV’s and how to destroy them.