Flag of Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Now that Western countries such as Germany, the UK and US are increasingly breeding so-called “homegrown” Islamic terrorists, it’s at least marginally comforting that most of them are so incompetent that their explosive devices seldom detonate. Perhaps with this in mind, Al-Qaeda has launched an online magazine in English, instructing would-be jihadists on topics such as “Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom,” as reported by AP:
Al-Qaida launched its first online propaganda magazine in English on Tuesday, a move that could help the terror group recruit inside the U.S. and Europe.
The magazine, called Inspire, is being run by al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen, which has been linked to the failed Christmas Day bombing attempt of a U.S.-bound airliner.
The launch suggests that, as al-Qaida’s core has been weakened by CIA drone airstrikes, the group hopes to broaden its reach inside the U.S., where officials have seen a spate of homegrown terrorists.
“This new magazine is clearly intended for the aspiring jihadist in the U.S. or U.K. who may be the next Fort Hood murderer or Times Square bomber,” Bruce Riedel, a Brookings Institution scholar and former CIA officer, said.
Tuesday’s launch did not go smoothly. The magazine was 67 pages long, but all but the first three pages were just garbled computer code, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist websites and obtained a copy of the magazine.
The table of contents included articles such as “Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom,” which promised to be “a detailed yet short, easy-to-read manual on how to make a bomb using ingredients found in a kitchen.”
“We also call upon and encourage our readers to contribute by sending their articles, comments or suggestions to us,” the magazine’s introduction read.
At the heart of al-Qaida’s propaganda effort is Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical U.S.-born cleric now living in Yemen…
[continues at AP]
