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Takfiri tug of war

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 03:41 PM PDT





Unverified video of a jovial tug of war contest "between Jabhat al Nusra and Islamic state in Aleppo." Al Qaeda and its rebranded offshoots have attempted to burnish their bloody, intolerant image in Syria with a series of family-friendly events.

See Threat Matrix: Ice cream with al Qaeda.


Ice cream with al Qaeda

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 12:09 PM PDT




Circulating video of a friendly "tug of war between Jabhat al Nusra and Islamic state in Aleppo."



Al Qaeda is attempting to burnish its image in Syria with a family-friendly public relations campaign. The Washington Post reports:
The jovial tug o' war and children's ice-cream-eating contest wouldn't look out of place at any town fair. But the family festivities in the battle-scarred Syrian city of Aleppo had a surprising organizer: al-Qaeda.

The media arm of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, an al-Qaeda affiliate, has been churning out videos featuring community gatherings in Syria during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as the group battles to win hearts and minds. It is a far cry from the organization's usual fare of video offerings, which includes public executions.

The attempt to soften Islamic State's image comes as it struggles to win support in the areas of Syria that are outside government control. Many residents view the group as a foreign force more concerned with imposing Islamic law than with fighting against President Bashar al-Assad and his allies.

"They are well aware that people out there on principle don't like lots of foreign fighters coming in to fight jihad in their country. They are aware they need to reassure people their presence isn't negative," said Charles Lister, an analyst at IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Center. "Ramadan parties and ice-cream-eating competitions are one localized example of that. Whether they will be successful remains to be seen, will depend on other armed groups and how they portray them."



The Islamic State of Iraq seems to have learned a few lessons from the disastrous public image it developed during the Iraq war, a failure that morphed a majority in one of its most amenable target markets -- relatively conservative Sunni Muslims from Anbar province -- into bitter enemies. Even so, it's doubtful the group and like-minded takfiris will be able to restrain their natural radical impulses for long. Nor is it likely that a little ice cream and the establishment of a complaints department will win Syrian popular opinion, as al Qaeda's tendency to assassinate competitors, claim territory, impose draconian courts, and kill civilians, including children, for blasphemy becomes even more manifest.


Security from a CH-53E

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 06:51 AM PDT



[click on photo for larger image]

US Marine Sgt. Eric R. Wagner provides aerial security from the back of a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter during an operation over Helmand province in Afghanistan, July 18, 2013. Wagner, a crew chief, is assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461. US Marine Corps photo by Corporal Ashley E. Santy.


US drones kill Taliban, 'Arab' fighters in strike in North Waziristan

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 07:32 AM PDT


The US killed eight "militants" in an area of Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan that is known to serve as a gateway for terrorist groups entering Afghanistan. The drone strike is the first in Pakistan in two weeks.

The CIA-operated, remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired a pair of missiles at a compound last night in the village of Shinkai Narai in the Shawal area of North Waziristan. The strike took place as the fighters were preparing to break their fast and eat their Iftar dinner, Geo News reported.

Tribesmen said that four "Arab fighters" were among those killed in the strike, while Dawn reported that "there is a possibility that a high profile figure was killed." The identities of the Arabs and the "high profile figure" were not disclosed, however.

The Pakistani government, in a statement released by the Foreign Ministry, immediately protested the attack, which it described as "counter-productive."

"The Government of Pakistan strongly condemns the US drone strike that took place in Shawal Area in North Waziristan on the night of 28 July 2013," the Foreign Ministry said. "These unilateral strikes are a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Pakistan has repeatedly emphasized the importance of bringing an immediate end to drone strikes."

The Shawal Valley, where last night's strike took place, is a known haven for al Qaeda and other terror groups operating in the region. A host of Taliban, Pakistani, and foreign terrorist groups gather in the Shawal Valley and then enter Afghanistan to fight US, NATO and Afghan government forces.

The last US drone strike to hit the Shawal Valley took place on on June 7. That strike killed a "key Pakistani Taliban commander" who was known as Mutaqi and Bahadar Khan. The compound where Muqati and his followers were staying was struck "when a pick-up truck arrived from the bordering area of Afghanistan,according to Dawn. Mutaqi and his fighters "were planning to cross over into Afghanistan."

In the past, the US has focused its operations on the Shawal Valley. Last year, 10 of the 46 drone strikes in Pakistan, or 22%, hit targets in the Shawal Valley. Targeting in the area was heavy during the summer of 2012; at one point in time, seven of 10 strikes took place there.

Al Qaeda, the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, and Taliban fighters under the command of Hafiz Gul Bahadar, the leader of the Taliban in North Waziristan, are all known to operate in the Shawal Valley, which is near the Afghan border. The area is used to launch attacks across the border in Afghanistan. Additionally, Central Asian terror groups are known to operate in the area. On July 1, 2012, a US drone strike killed several members of the Turkistan Islamic Party, an al Qaeda-affiliated group that operates in Pakistan, China, and Central Asia.

Bahadar administers the Shawal Valley. In 2009, after the Pakistani military launched an offensive in the Mehsud areas of South Waziristan, Bahadar sheltered the families of Hakeemullah Mehsud, the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, and Waliur Rehman [see LWJ report, Taliban escape South Waziristan operation]. The US killed Waliur Rehman along with his deputy Fakhar-ul-Islam, two Uzbeks, and three Taliban fighters in a drone strike in North Waziristan on May 29.

Despite the known presence of al Qaeda and other foreign groups in North Waziristan, and requests by the US that action be taken against these groups, the Pakistani military has indicated that it has no plans to take on Hafiz Gul Bahadar or the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network. Bahadar and the Haqqanis are considered "good Taliban" by the Pakistani military establishment as they do not carry out attacks inside Pakistan. In June 2012, Bahadar banned polio vaccinations in North Waziristan, in protest against US drone strikes.

Today's strike is the first since July 13, and just the fourth since President Barack Obama's speech at the end of May outlining a reduced US counterterrorism role in the world. Obama said that the drones, which are currently operated by the CIA, will eventually be turned over to the military, and that the pace of the strikes will be reduced. Even though al Qaeda has expanded its operations in Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Egypt, and in North and West Africa, Obama claimed that the terrorist organization has been sufficiently weakened.

The US has launched 18 drone strikes in Pakistan so far this year, according to data compiled by The Long War Journal. The number of strikes in Pakistan has decreased since a peak in 2010, when 117 such attacks were recorded. In 2011, 64 strikes were launched in Pakistan, and in 2012 there were 46 strikes.

The US has targeted al Qaeda's top leaders and its external operations network, as well as the assortment of Taliban and Pakistani jihadist groups operating in the region. The strikes have been confined mostly to North and South Waziristan. Of the 343 strikes recorded since 2004, 326, or 95%, have taken place in the two tribal agencies.


Is one of the Burgas terror suspects actively using Facebook?

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 08:05 AM PDT




Hezbollah operatives Meliad Farah, left; and Hassan El Hajj Hassan, right.


On July 25, Bulgarian authorities released the names and photos of two Hezbollah operatives, Hassan el Hajj Hassan and Meliad Farah, who are wanted in connection with the July 2012 terror attack in Burgas that killed five Israeli tourists and one Bulgarian national. Subsequent press reports have made a few new claims regarding the suspects, whose names were known to investigators since at least February, such as that the suspects received $100,000 in money transfers from Hezbollah and that they smuggled parts of the bomb on a train from Poland.

Yet an interesting detail about the elder suspect appears to have gone relatively unnoticed. Farah, an Australian national who is believed to have built the bomb in Bulgaria, may still be active on Facebook as authorities search for him.

One Facebook account possibly attributable to Farah states that the user studied at the Lebanese International University (LIU) and lives in Australia. According to press reports, the printer utilized to create the forged licenses carried by the Hezbollah cell responsible for the Burgas terror attack was based at LIU, where the suspects are said to have studied engineering.

The user of this account, who has 'liked' an array of celebrities and athletes, including Usher and David Beckham, appears to have used online chat services, such as Tohla and Omegle, among others. The user of the account was also involved in online poker via Facebook.



Interestingly, none of the publicly available photos linked to the account provides a match to the photo released by Bulgarian authorities. In fact, the user has used photos of Turkish actor Necati Şaşmaz and Iranian actor Mostafa Zamani as profile pictures. A photo of Zamani is currently adopted as the user's profile picture.

The last public activity for this account, which has 62 friends, was today, July 29, when the user became friends with a few women based in Bulgaria, including at least one in Burgas.



A second account potentially tied to the wanted Meliad Farah shares a few Facebook friends with the first account. In addition, the account, which says Farah is married, lists his hometown and current location as Sydney, Australia.



Coincidentally, the second account, which currently has 65 friends and 'liked' a page about the AK-47, has uploaded a few of the same photos used by the first Meliad Farah account.



The user also appears to have played online poker via Facebook similar to the first account. In addition, the second account 'liked' a number of the same pages as the first account. The second account 'liked' nearly twice as many pages as did the first suspect account, however, including one honoring former Hezbollah spiritual guide Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah.

Also, while the first account used a photo of Iranian actor Mostafa Zamani as its profile picture, the second account appears to use a photo of the aforementioned Necati Şaşmaz.

Of further note is the fact that the second account, which was used as recently as July 26, became friends lately with a number of women in Bulgaria, at least one of whom is also friend of the first account. It is also eye-catching that a couple of the friends of the second account have hardcore Hezbollah material on their own Facebook accounts.



Finally, a third account potentially tied to Farah, who allegedly returned to Lebanon a day before the attack in Burgas, was started on June 12, 2012. Within a day of starting the account, the user changed its profile picture to an image seen on a number of websites and videos sympathetic to Hezbollah.

This account appears to have taken greater steps to limit how much of the profile can be viewed by the public, so not much else can be gleaned.



While it is currently close to impossible to definitively say that any of these accounts are tied to the Meliad Farah wanted in connection with the Burgas terror attack, there are lots of coincidences.

Almost too many.


Afghan forces kill Taliban shadow district governor in Faryab province

Posted: 28 Jul 2013 08:15 PM PDT


Afghan security forces have continued their push against Taliban strongholds in the increasingly restive northern province of Faryab. Senior Afghan officials revealed earlier today that their forces killed a Taliban shadow district governor, Mullah Shafiq, along with a Taliban military leader in an operation yesterday near the border with Turkmenistan.

More details were provided by Afghan TOLOnews:

Local officials on Sunday confirmed the killing of Taliban shadow district governor, Muallah Shafiq and a Taliban leader during an Afghan Security Forces' operation in northern Faryab province Saturday. Officials further added that there were no Afghan Forces casualties.



The incident took place in the Qurghan district after the Security Forces targeted Mullah Shafiq and the Taliban leader in the area.

"We had information that the Taliban shadow district governor for Qurghan and the commander were passing through the area. The Security Forces were ready to target them," said Gen. Nabi Jan Mullahkhil, Provincial Police chief.



The killing of Mullah Shafiq marks the sixth time that a Taliban-designated shadow administrator has been killed since June.

Clashes in northern Afghanistan's Jawzjan, Balkh, and Faryab provinces on July 6 resulted in the deaths and capture of numerous Taliban fighters and commanders. Among those killed were the Taliban-designated provincial shadow deputy governors for Jawzjan and Balkh provinces, Mullah Ahmad Shah and Mullah Ismail, according to Afghan National Army commander Jagran Merza, who spoke with Ariana News. [See Threat Matrix report, Senior Taliban commanders killed in northern Afghanistan.]

On June 29, Afghan security forces killed Mullah Fatiullah, the district shadow governor for the Kashrud-Chakhansour districts of Nimroz province. [See Threat Matrix report, Taliban shadow district governor killed in Nimroz province.]

A couple of weeks earlier, a joint Afghan and Coalition night raid on June 13 in northern Kunduz province left seven militants dead, including the Taliban's shadow governor for the Dasht-e-Archi district, Qari Mohammad Halim. [See Threat Matrix report, Taliban shadow district governor killed in Afghan security operation.]

And on June 8, a senior Taliban commander and acting shadow district chief for the Narai district in Kunar province was reportedly gunned down during a dispute among local Taliban militants, according toPajhwok Afghan News.