"Dress up as Santa Claus and blow yourself up"

20/03/14

"The September 11 attacks represented a turning point in American history. Those United States of America, an empire in ruins ". This is the cover and editorial of the new issue of INSPIRE, online magazine, written in English and published by Al Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula.

The contents of this magazine, which appeared for the first time in 2010, for those who decide to read it even just once, freeze the blood. It is one of the many tools used by Al Qaeda, to elicit reaction from fundamentalists around the world. Not having a real army to fight in the open, Al Qaeda aims at creating small untraceable units, completely unsuspected cells that make their anonymity the best weapon. The Boston marathon bombings have once again demonstrated the effectiveness of asymmetric attacks.

The online magazine was first discovered in July of the 2010 by SITE, the national research institute for international terrorist entities. It was born as a tool to translate Osama Bin Laden's messages for Muslims in England and America into English. But not only. The goal of Inspire magazine is to justify the attacks, producing an alternative literature to reality told by Westerners.

In the section called "Open Source Jihad", the authors of Inspire try to motivate and educate aspiring jihadists, those who do not have the possibility of receiving specific training. The "Lone Wolf" or lone wolf is probably one of the most lethal weapons of asymmetric strategy. In fact, the "Lone Wolf" is almost always the neighbor next door. In this edition, aspiring jihadists will explain how to organize a car bomb attack.

The attacks on the Boston marathon in April last year - writes the publisher of the magazine Yahya Ibrahim - was carried by elements that received minimal training, but you too can emulate these actions, without any training. Ibrahim taunts counterterrorism officials, adding that the US government has failed to stop the Boston Marathon attacks, with bombs housed in pressure cookers. We have many brothers ready - adds Ibrahim - and everyone must know how to make car bombs "... and fulfill their duty in jihad".

The author, nicknamed "AQ Chef" (terrorists never lacked a sense of humor), explains how to assemble a grenade with simple household items such as gas cylinders and nails. The device can be set by the "martyr", by a timer or by a remote detonator.

But in this issue of Inspire, the authors also offer advice on how to avoid being discovered by the authorities. Prepare the car bomb a few hours before the operation - the "Chef" writes - so no one can accuse you of preparing an attack and remember to distribute all the "ingredients" for the house.

The car bomb - adds the "Chef" - is used to kill people, but not to destroy buildings. Therefore, look for specific opportunities such as election campaigns or charity parties.

America, continue on Inspire - it's our first goal, followed by the United Kingdom, France and other Western countries. Washington DC, New York, Northern Virginia, Chicago and Los Angeles are all listed as the preferred cities to carry out an attack. But if Al Qaeda is infamous for its willingness to hit high-profile targets or symbolic goals, Inspire recommends hitting trivial locations.

Restaurants and bars in Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia, are visited by "high profile personalities" over the weekend and are excellent targets. In the United Kingdom and in France the targets are the stadiums and the tourist destinations.

Inspire also suggests the best times of the year for a terrorist attack and suggests Christmas as a favorable opportunity to kill infidels. Dress yourself up as Santa Claus - we read - and blow yourself up.

In the magazine, available only online and in PDF format despite the attempts of American hackers to block all its dissemination, other articles like the posthumous post of the martyr Anwar al Awlaki, killed by a US drone in September of the 2011, then find room.

Freelance journalist Abdulilah Shaye tries to show the influence of Al Qaeda propaganda. Shaye, who was detained in Yemen for three years, accuses President Obama. Shaye claims that Obama ordered his incarceration to keep secret an alleged "American massacre" of women and children in southern Yemen.

Finally, theologian Ibrahim Rubaish analyzes Obama's statement "... that Al Qaeda would be on its way to defeat." Rubaish cites the closure of more than 20 US diplomatic facilities last August, proof of the falsity of Obama's statements .

Franco Iacch