The Yemen-based al Qaeda affiliate, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has released its 11th edition of the English-language magazine Inspire this week titled, “Who and Why?” This edition is displayed as a “Special Issue,” joining two other such editions: (1) Issue #3 which outlined the 2010 cargo bomb plot and (2) Issue #7 which focused on commemorating the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in 2011. This special issue has a particularly heavy emphasis on the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, which is highlighted as a successful terrorist operation carried out by naturalized U.S. citizens. The type of attack is the exact purpose of the Inspire series, which is to encourage Western individuals to conduct their own attacks wherever they live. AQAP does not claim responsibility for the Boston attacks; however, there is an article titled “Inspire by Inspire” which highlights how the brothers were motivated by the magazine “not only because Inspire offers bomb recipes, but also because of the contents of the magazine alone.” The Boston bombers likely utilized their “Open Source Jihad” instructions on how to build a bomb using easily obtainable materials. There are several articles featured in this edition of the magazine in which AQAP touts itself for providing bomb-making instructions in the infamous “Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of your Mom” article.
Overall Theme of Issue #11
There is also an overarching theme to this edition of the magazine that has been integrated into previous issues, but never before in such a central role. The majority of the content focuses on AQAP’s claim that it is America’s fault that they are targeted in attacks, based on political decisions and its “crusade” against the Muslim population. A famous quote from Osama bin Laden is featured at least twice in this issue which best summarizes the theme: “America will never enjoy peace until we live in peace.” The issue refers to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as drone strikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia as motivating factors for Islamic extremists to wage jihad against the U.S. An advertisement (pictured to the right) also simply displays this theme, stating that the U.S. government’s policies and its “bombarding” of Muslims led to the attacks at the Boston Marathon.
Boston Marathon Bombings
There is a significant presence of AQAP’s musings on the Boston Marathon bombings throughout the issue’s entirety, with several articles focusing on the attack and others briefly mentioning the Tsarnaev brothers.
- The cover story “Who and Why?” considers the Boston Marathon bombings and answers the questions of “Who would carry out such an operation and why would Muslims stand behind it?” The article cites numerous “atrocities” by the U.S. that they say only serve as inspiration for terrorist targeting of the homeland. AQAP discusses President Harry Truman’s support for the establishment of the State of Israel, as well as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. drone program and its interference in the political upheavals in the Arab world. In reference to the overarching theme of the magazine, this article aims to point out the reasons why America will continue to be targeted by lone wolf jihadists such as the Tsarnaev brothers.
- This edition focuses much less on the tactical guidance typically provided in previous issues of the magazine. This issue lacks an “Open Source Jihad” section, a recurring segment in Inspire which outlines overt instructions for methods of conducting attacks. However, in an article titled “The Inevitable,” AQAP highlights how the Tsarnaev brothers were successful in their attack by citing the tradecraft utilized in the bombings and explaining why lone wolf strikes are effective. For example, they point to how the bombers chose Boston as a target as it “is relatively out of the enemy’s attention,” as opposed to the high-profile target of New York City. Additionally, they seem to appreciate that the brothers chose April 15, or Tax Day, for the date of attack which led to initial beliefs that the attack might have been carried out by domestic extremists. They also praise the brothers for placing the devices near one another, with the second going off just moments after the first and targeting those running from the initial explosion. AQAP also highlights how the brothers “planned smartly to strike at a crowded time to guarantee maximum killing and injuring.” With this article, AQAP has eternalized the tradecraft utilized by the brothers to carry out a successful terrorist operation which may only help to serve other jihadists in their goal of attacking the U.S.
- The article titled “America’s Bitter Harvest” explains how the Boston bombings resulted in massive economic implications for the U.S. AQAP explains how cities nationwide tightened their security measures in the aftermath of the bombings. “The cost of the heightened security measures taken after the Boston explosions is expensive both domestically and globally.” This theme was also highlighted most prominently in Issue #3, which focused on how the $4,200 cargo bomb plot in 2010 would lead to the U.S. spending millions of dollars to bolster passenger and cargo airline security measures. They titled the plot “Operation Hemorrhage,” described as the “strategy of a thousand cuts” to the American economy. AQAP continues to value attacks that cause significant damage to the U.S. economy nearly as much as those that inflict mass casualties.
Additional Highlights
- AQAP continues to emphasize lone wolf terrorist operations. In this particular edition, AQAP stresses how it is the obligation of every Muslim to take things into their own hands to attack the U.S. One excerpt states, “The responsibility of fighting America and allies is not limited to al Qaeda, it is also the duty of every Muslim.” Furthermore, in an article titled “Dear American Muslim,” the writer states that the Boston bombers proved that lone wolf terrorist operations can be successful and that American Muslim youths should follow in their footsteps.
- The issue ends with a final message titled “Mujahid’s wish,” written by an author who goes by “Tamerlan 2” in reference to Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The writer lives in Yemen and expresses his desire to be in America to conduct an attack. He explains that at the training camps, many of those who have traveled from the U.S. abroad wish to be back within America to wage successful attacks in the homeland. “Brothers residing in the West, grab your chance and walk steadfastly towards your goal.” This message is a direct call to extremists living within the U.S. to conduct an attack.
- In each edition of the magazine, AQAP flaunts the amount of attention they receive from public sources in a section they call “Inspire Reactions.” This edition includes excerpts from Western media, such as Reuters, and MSA Security’s analytical brief on the tenth edition of Inspire.
Implications
With its 11th edition of Inspire, AQAP seems very pleased that they may have provided inspiration for the Tsarnaev brothers’ attack. From the onset of the magazine’s publication in 2010, “inspiring” extremists was clearly the intent of the propaganda. The editors also aim to remain relevant by citing recent events and including current trends and tactics. This issue references the slaying of the British soldier in London on May 22, showcasing just how recently this edition was produced. The suspects in the soldier’s death, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, are highlighted in this edition to underscore the overall theme of this edition of how extremists will continue to be influenced by the policies of Western governments. AQAP references another recent attack against the West in which a French anti-terror soldier was stabbed in the neck on May 25 while patrolling in Paris. The attack occurred five months into the French-led military intervention in Mali and is cited by AQAP to show how extremists will continue to target Western nations involved in conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa. AQAP demonstrates its awareness and ability to communicate relatively quickly by including these recent events.
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All images have been taken directly from Inspire magazine.