Terrorism - Bin Laden Inheritance - الإرث من بن لادن

May 6 UPDATE further down !

At the time when U.S. special forces killed Osama Bin Laden in Abottabad, Pakistan, lots of Al-Qaeda documents were captured and that have now been partly released to the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC). The 17 documents consist of electronic letters or draft letters, totaling 175 pages in the original Arabic and 197 pages in the English translation. The earliest letter is dated September 2006 and the latest April 2011. A general description of these declassified documents captured in the Abbottabad raid and released to CTC is available under the following link:
Description of the Abbottabad Documents Provided to the CTC

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Quotation from Document SOCOM-2012-0000019:

This is a letter authored by Osama Bin Laden and it is addressed to "Sheikh Mahmud" [`Atiyya `Abd al-Rahman], another high-ranking leader of Al-Qaeda. It can be assumed that this document came into being not before May 2010.

Bin Ladin’s letter is concerned with the mistakes committed by regional Jihadi groups, which have resulted in the unnecessary deaths of thousands of Muslim civilians. Bin Laden indicates that he would like to start a “new phase” so that the Jihadis could regain the trust of Muslims. He directs `Atiyya to prepare a memorandum to centralize, in the hands of Al-Qaeda's Command, the media campaign and operations of regional Jihadi groups.

Bin Laden's evaluation of certain regional Jihadi operations might have influenced his decision to decline a request for formal unity with Al-Qaeda by Somalia's Al-Shabab group. In fact, Al-Shabab only merged with Al-Qaeda after the death of Osama Bin Laden [Document SOCOM-2012-0000005].

Logo of Al-Shabab

The above mentioned quotation from document SOCOM-2012-0000019 is available in the original Arabic version as well as in the English translation on the following four screenshots:

رسالة من أسامة بن لادن




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Quotation from Document SOKO-2012-0000016:

Its a letter written either by Osama Bin Laden or `Atiyya `Abd al-Rahman and addressed to “Abu Basir” [Nasir al-Wuhayshi], the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. It is about Al-Qaeda's evaluation of Yemen under the rule of President Abdullah Saleh. Yemen is being regarded as some kind of safe haven for members of Al-Qaeda, and there is no use throwing over Saleh's weak government immediately:

" We do not see escalation as necessary at this point because we are in the preparation stage; therefore, it is not in our interest to rush in bringing down the regime. In spite of this regime's mismanagement, it is less dangerous to us than the one America wants to exchange it with. Ali Abdallah Saleh has been unable to suppress the Islamic activity and has been considered to be a non-Muslim man and supporter of the West during the past years. On the contrary, the Salafists and the Jihadist Salafists were able to take advantage of his regime and target America from Yemen, as some of the Mujahidin went to Somalia or traveled to us, which allowed us to assign our brothers to conduct international operations. "

Al-Qaeda Flag in Southern Yemen (February 2012)

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Shortly after the Abottabad raid, Bin Laden's widows and their children, living in the same place, were put under arrest by Pakistani authorities. They have been released on April 27, 2012, and flown to Saudi Arabia.

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Latest News on Al-Qaeda - May 6, 2012:

In the frame of most violent demonstrations in the Abassiya neighbourhood of Kairo on Saturday, May 5, a prominent figure related to Al-Qaeda appeared among many protesters in support of Islamist candidate Hazem Abu Ismael, who is among a number of candidates disqualified from the May 23 presidential election.

Here now the latest news from Al-Arabiya TV cited from their website on Sunday, May 6, 2012. English translation provided by Ulysses / W.W.:

شقيق زعيم "القاعدة" يظهر في ميدان العباسية
الأخ الأكبر للظواهري شارك في الاحتجاجات ورفعت إلى جواره رايات التنظيم السوداء

Headline: Brother of al-Qaeda leader appeared on Abassiya Square [original: Field of the Abassides].

Headline: The eldest brother of [Ayman] Zawahiri participated in the protests [where], for his protection, banners of the "Black Society" were raised.

Info: Ayman Zawahiri is the successor of Osama Bin Laden as leader of Al-Qaeda organization. He originally came from Egypt and is considered to be connected with the country's Muslim Brotherhood.

أظهرت مشاهد من أحداث العباسية أمس مشاركة محمد الظواهري، الشقيق الأكبر لزعيم القاعدة أيمن الظواهري، في التظاهرات. ورفعت إلى جواره أعلام تنظيم القاعدة. وكان الظواهري أُطلق سراحه بعد شهر واحد من تنحي الرئيس السابق محمد حسني مبارك، حيث كان معتقلاً على خلفية تورطه في عملية اغتيال الرئيس الراحل أنور السادات

Yesterday, a witness appeared with news from Abassiya Square [i.e. Abassides field], [claiming] a participation of Mahmud al-Zawahiri, the eldest brother of al-Qaeda's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, in the demonstrations where, for his protection, banners of al-Qaeda organization were raised. And Zawahiri mentioned his liberation one month after the retreat of former president Mohammad Hosni Mubarak, [under whose rule] he was imprisoned on the background of being involved in an operation [directed] at the assassination of deceased president Anwar al-Sadat.

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Al-Qaeda in Mali

Military equipment of Al-Qaeda in Mali

News of the day from Al-Arabiya TV on Saturday May 5, 2012. English translation provided by Ulysses / W.W.:

تنظيم القاعدة يهدم مقاماً دينياً في شمالي مالي

Headline: Al-Qaeda organization fighting a spiritual center in Northern Mali.

هدمت عناصر من تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي، أول من أمس الجمعة، مقاماً دينياً في تمبكتو، المدينة السياحية في شمال مالي، والمدرجة على لائحة "اليونسكو" للتراث العالمي، ما أثار "صدمة" لدى السكان، كما أعلن مسؤول محلي السبت

Destruction of a religious place in Timbuktu, town of tourism in Northern Mali, by elements belonging to the Islamic Maghreb [branch] of Al-Qaeda organization, yesterday, Friday [May 4]. [The place] is being enrolled on a UNESCO list for global [cultural memorials]. There was "no shocking" [or: disturbing] of the inhabitants [during the destruction] declared a local responsible on Saturday.