Flashpoint Partners

Last Updated (Tuesday, 02 March 2010 20:54) Written by Laith Alkhouri Monday, 01 March 2010 12:19

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has released a new video, titled, “Towards a Life of Dignity.” In the video, the top commander of AQAP, Abu Basir al-Wahishi, assails Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, noting that “when he first took the podium of the presidency…[he] boasted about democracy and…Western law, but we have never seen any benevolence from him.. Al-Wahishi urges his fellow Muslims to “establish the rule of Allah’s sharia.” Al-Wahishi’s deputy, Saeed al-Shehri (a/k/a Abu Sufian al-Azdi), also appears in the video, promising “confrontation and defiance to establish the Sharia of Allah and support our brothers in Palestine.”

AQAP: "Nidal's Project in the Resistance"

Last Updated (Monday, 22 February 2010 11:36) Written by Laith Alkhouri Monday, 22 February 2010 11:32

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has released the 12th issue of its magazine, Sada al-Malahem, which includes an article titled "Nidal’s Project in the Resistance". The article discusses the November 5, 2009 attack at Fort Hood by U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan. According to AQAP, “The individual jihad model that Nidal represents is suitable for the upcoming period as security measures are being tightened. The individual operation is harder to discover and easier to execute.” AQAP also criticizes American Muslim organizations, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Public Affairs Council, for their “commentary on the works of the mujahideen.” AQAP counsels that “Muslims in the West are faced with two choices, either to migrate from there or wage jihad within."

Kavkaz Center: "Interview with Dokka Abu Usman, Leader of the Caucasus Emirate"

Last Updated (Monday, 22 February 2010 11:58) Written by Laith Alkhouri Monday, 22 February 2010 11:45

On February 14, 2010, Kavkaz Center released an interview with Dokka Abu Usman (a/k/a Dokka Umarov), the leader of the Caucasus Emirate, which was officially declared a terrorist organization by the Russian Supreme Court on February 8th. Kavkaz Center is the primary information hub for the Islamic Emirate of the Caucasus. In the interview, Usman vows to extend his attacks deep into Russian territory. “Blood will no longer flow only in our cities and villages,” he vows. “War is coming to their cities.” In addition, he evaluates the last year of fighting in the region, stating proudly, “Our losses in the last year are greater than those figures reported by those dogs at the Kremlin who are trying to suggest that there are supposedly 100 or 50 mujahidin in the Caucasus. Our losses for the year are greater than those figures.” In his estimation, “Out of all the years that I have been Emir, this year has been the most successful.”

AQAP: "Secrets of Developed Device"

Last Updated (Saturday, 20 February 2010 20:47) Written by Laith Alkhouri Saturday, 20 February 2010 20:35

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has released the 12th issue of its magazine, Sada al-Malahem, which includes an article titled "Secrets of the Developed Device". The article discusses "the bomb of the intended-martyr hero Omar al-Farooq", who targetedNorthwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day, and reveals that AQAP has closely studied airline security: "it is clear that every machine has a weakness point that can be undermined." AQAP also claims that "the mujahideen have acquired a highly-explosive material with power that exceeds the classic high explosives like 'PETN' and 'TNT' and 'RDX' and others, and it is being prepared and tested."