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

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

• Ahmad al-Faruq, the head of Al-Qaeda’s branch in the Indian Subcontinent, accuses the Pakistani regime of persecutory policies against religious sages who express their support for the mujahideen. This is in addition to the regime’s collaboration with the United States, the enemy of Islam. For this reason, Muslims must act to topple the Pakistani regime.

• Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State, condemns the coalition offensive against his organization and promises that it is doomed to fail. According to him, the Islamic State is continuing to expand and annexing additional provinces and territories, like in North Africa. In addition, he declares that he welcomes the oaths of allegiance to the Islamic State taken by various jihadist groups, and he calls on Muslims to join the provinces of the Islamic State that are closest to where they live.

• Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the leader of the Al-Nusra Front, describes the offensive by coalition forces against the Islamic State as a war against Islam and Muslims. In addition, he describes the military achievements of the Al-Nusra Front in Syria and emphasizes that other jihadist factions in Syria should not be considered infidels, as the Islamic State considers them.

• Sheikh Abu Basir Naser al-Wuhayshi, the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, declares the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan to be a victory for the Afghan nation, and shows that the United States failed in its war against Muslims in Afghanistan just like it failed in Iraq and is destined to fail in other Islamic lands. In addition, he threatens that the United States and the American people will pay a heavy price for its persistent war against Muslims.

• Sheikh Ali al-Anasi, a senior commander in Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, gives a series of lectures on the topic of military strategy. In addition, he refers to the cooperation between Iran, the Houthis and the United States in the war against the Sunnis and the mujahideen in Yemen, and he calls on Sunnis to unite against this phenomenon.

• The Islamic State’s Finance Bureau publishes an announcement regarding the minting of coins to be used as the official currency in areas under its control. The announcement explains that the Caliph of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ordered the minting of gold, silver and copper coins.

• Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which operates in the Sinai Peninsula, swears allegiance to the Islamic State and changes his name to the Islamic State in the Sinai Peninsula.

• Sheikh Abu Musab al-Maqdisi, a senior member of the Islamic State, publishes a collection of tips for the mujahideen in Egypt. Al-Maqdisi claims that the war against the infidels should be moved to Cairo and other large cities, such that Sinai will serve as the base from which they go out to war. They should attack government targets and offices, and accept immigrants who come to wage jihad in the country. In addition, they should attack infidel groups like the Christians.