Internet Terror Monitor: CBSNews.com

Reactions to OBL"s Statement on the Jihadi Websites

Fri, 16 May 2008 10:01:17 EDT

A few hours after the new audio statement by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was posted on jihadi Internet forums, a transcript of the statement was viewed over a thousand times. Comments by forum members on the new message included the usual praise and prayers for al Qaeda"s leader and the mujaheddin," but there was no real discussion of the points he made in his statement which focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "May God bring victory to you, you Lion of the nation," said one post. "May God bring victory to Sheikh Osama and the rest of the jihadi Sheikhs," said another.

New Bin Laden Statement Expected Soon

Thu, 15 May 2008 22:58:11 EDT

(CBS) Al Qaeda"s leader Osama bin Laden will issue a new statement on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the creation of Israel, according to a banner posted on a number of websites often used by al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

It is unclear if the new statement will be a video or an audio release. However, the old picture of bin Laden used on the banner may be an indication that it is an audio. Bin Laden is expected to address the Israeli-Palestinian issue, as the statement is entitled "Message to the Western People: The Reasons for the Conflict.On the 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Occupier State of Israel."

As is the case with all of bin Laden"s and Ayman al Zawahri"s statements in recent years, the release was produced by the terror group"s media wing al Sahab.

Al Qaeda officials" statements are usually posted within one or two days of the announcement.

This will be Bin Laden"s 26th statement since the Sept. 11th attacks, including four videos and 21 audio messages. Bin Laden"s last statement was an audio tape released on March 20th. Al Zawahri"s last statement was a video released on April 22nd.

Forum Member Predicts Bush Will Visit Iraq, Calls on Militants to Prepare To Attack Him

Thu, 15 May 2008 13:23:06 EDT

A member of a popular militant Islamist Internet forum predicted in one of his posts that U.S. President George W. Bush would make a surprise visit to Iraq while touring the Middle East and called on the "mujaheddin" not to let this opportunity to attack him slip away.

"It is no secret to you, you heroic mujaheddin, that Bush would be scared to announce that he will sneak into Iraq, as has happened in previous times," the member says, noting that the U.S. president"s visit is usually announced after his departure. The writer says he has "very strong intuition" that President Bush will go to Iraq before or after visiting Israel and Egypt.

The message seems to have been based on the member"s speculation and not on any concrete information he has. Most members of militant Islamist forums sympathize with and support militant groups, but it is hard to determine how many have actual ties to those groups.

President Bush arrived in Israel Wednesday, where he started his six-day tour of the Middle East.

Jihadi Websites Up Again

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:43:38 EDT

Several jihadi Internet forums, including one of the most popular ones al Ekhlass, were down for a few hours Thursday morning. While most websites are back up, the reason for the problems is still unclear. According to a message posted on one of the forums that did not go down by al Ekhlaas" webmaster, this was due to a technical issue that the website managers worked on resolving.

This was not the first time that this has happened. In August 2007, almost all jihadi websites were shut down almost simultaneously in what seemed to have been an organized campaign against them.

Multilingual Jihadis Sought

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:42:57 EDT

The popular militant Islamist Internet forum al Ekhlaas is looking for volunteers to translate a document currently being put together by the management of the website as part of the campaign to support Prophet Mohammed. The request, posted by the website"s webmaster, received dozens of responses from forum members who said they were fluent in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, German and Malay.

Quds Brigades Release Pictures of Booty Seized From Israeli Troops

Thu, 15 May 2008 13:06:43 EDT

(Al Quds Brigades)Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, released still pictures of booty seized during an Israeli raid on Khan Younis. The pictures showed a Palestinian militant posing with a box of ammunnitions in his hand.

Video Gives Tips on How to Ambush Foot Patrols

Thu, 15 May 2008 13:02:52 EDT

( )A 5:54 minute video posted on the "military preparation" section of a militant Islamist website, explains different techniques used to ambush foot patrols. The video looks into the various devices that could be used, given advice on where to place them and detonation technique. The video is similar to releases produced by the militant Lebanese group Hezbullah.

Insurgent Group to Unveil New Enhanced Missile

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:39:10 EDT

(Islamic Army in Iraq)The "military commander" of one of Iraq"s most prominent insurgent groups claims his group developed a new missile that is currently being tested. "The new missile will be a major surprise for the occupation and its allies," said Aboul Abbas Ahmed al Baghdadi from the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI), in an interview published in the 16th issue of the group"s online magazine "Al Fursan." Al Baghdadi also explained that the decrease in the number of operations carried out against U.S. forces was a "tactical maneuver" that resulted from the growing tension with al Qaeda.
The tensions between IAI and al Qaeda in Iraq were clear in the words of the Islamic State of Iraq"s leader, who urged the leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq to reconsider their policies which "isolated the group from the rest of the jihadi groups and the whole of the Iraqi society."
The 49-page magazine covers a number of other issues including the latest operations carried out by the group, the rising cost of the war for the U.S. administration and the absence of Arab governments from the Iraqi scene.

Insurgent Group"s '100-Day" Campaign on Track

Wed, 14 May 2008 14:22:33 EDT

The Iraqi Islamic Resistence Front (JAAMI) released a new video showing an IED attack on what the group claims is a U.S. armoured vehicle in the released the the Buheshma area. This is the e 11th video that the insurgent group releases since the launch of a 100-day offensive against the U.S. on May 1st. The group said the goal of the campaign was to reinforce the idea that the Iraqi resistance will not stop until the last U.S. soldier leaves Iraq .

"Cyberspace Conquering" Unit Inundate Thousands of Inboxes with Bin Laden Messages

Wed, 14 May 2008 14:26:29 EDT

("The Cyberspace Conquering")A cyberspace-jihadi propaganda unit called "The Cyberspace Conquering" unit bombarded the inboxes of random users around the Arab world with thousands of emails containing links to download an old audio message by al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden. The message, entitled "May our Mothers be Bereaved of Us If We Fail to Help Our Prophet (pbuh)," had been distributed on the Internet on March 19th.