1 Current Situation of the Jihadi Movement Open Interview With Ahmed Al-Hamdan 2 Foreword بسمميحرلانمحرلا هللا I have written the series titled (Current Situation of the Jihadi Movement) in a discontinuous manner and it continued for a year. Since 1st of April 2017 until the 3rd of April 2018, originally it was a collection of questions and their answers from certain people and I saw the appropriate opportunity to translate and publish these in the English language, and that because the Anglophones – perhaps- lacked the availability of basic references, of which most are in Arabic, and would need it more than those for which the original references suffice and could understand it without translation. Most questions as is very clear were about (The Islamic State), because this group perhaps benefited most from translating their productions and publishing them in the English language, therefor those that speak this language would speak about them more, let alone their expansion and their reach to many jihad arenas, this is what caused that most questions would surround it. I saw it appropriate to collect this subject in one file, especially with the deletion of links of these parts in a systematic and repeated manner. I also liked to note that the reviewers of this subject are many, and not merely a single person, therefor you might see a difference between the translation of one answer and another answer, I also liked to thank the brothers in Al Muwahideen Media whom contributed to the review of a part of this series. And meet you soon in another project In Sha Allah. Ahmad Al-Hamdan 21st April 2018 3 Question: Were there any objections from jihadi personalities regarding the operations of Al- Qaeda in Saudi Arabia? The answer: Yes there were objections, from the senior mujahideen within Saudi and some from outside, the situation in Saudi almost lost hold and derailed. And that because the security forces tried to stop any attempt against their western allies, with that the course of the battle changed from targeting the westerners to clashes with the local security forces. Many scholars and preachers who support and sympathize with jihad don’t see these actions as permissible; even if he saw this as permissible originally, but they see it as impermissible when the consequences are corrupt. Your entering in this battle made the people delay in themselves giving support to you, the reality is that the war of the USA on Afghanistan and Iraq generated large empathy and sway from a part of the people to the mujahideen. Because this war is understood and clear, but when a battle happens which he does not understand and sees it as believers against believers, he would withdraw his sympathy from the jihadi faction and takes the stance of the enemy or the uncaring (about the affair). As for the personalities whom objected to this operation, from the most notable among them: - Shaykh Atiyyatullah al-Lībī when saying: (As for Riyadh, the bombing in it ,without a doubt, do not recognize its legitimacy. And most of the scholars and preachers do not see it as legitimate, stopping this operation would not in any situation disrupt the jihad!! This is a mistake we disallow, and an expansion we renounce!)1. - And also Shaykh Sulaymān Al-'Ulwān in a letter (The reality of jihad and the internal events) And this letter I specify it to one of the notable personalities in Al-Qaeda organization in Saudi to respond to it and he is Sultan ibn Bajaad al-’Utaybī in the message with the title:( a quiet debate with Al-'Ulwān). - Also Shaykh Abu ‘Umar AlSayf, The judge of the Arab mujahideen in Chechnya, published a letter urging the brothers to target the US bases in the gulf, but when he saw the course of the battle was not like this he published an audio message ( To the mujahideen in Saudi) and said: (And I advise the brothers around this age to do that which has benefits and to head towards Iraq instead of busying themselves with confrontations with the government of Saudi). Commander in Al-Qaeda Salih Al’Aufi replied in the magazine “Voice of Jihad” on this call and said: (I and the required brothers firmly refuse to go to Iraq)2. 1 The Complete Works of Shaykh Atiyyatullah al-Lībī - Page 1380. 2 magazine: Voice of jihad, Issue 8, Page 25. 4 - Shaykh Nasir Al-Fahd said: ( As for confronting the state (saudi arabia) I used to advise the brothers to stay away from it because of the inequality in power and that the state will use these events to finish off the brothers one after the other and will fill the prisons with them and with others, and what I expected happened exactly like I thought)3. - And a personality close to Shaykh Usamah ibn Laden sent him a letter in which they objected to the military work in Saudi Arabia (which is the letter nr.: SOCOM-2012-0000018 in the Abottabad documents). These were the most notable people that objected. Note: One of the best book regarding Al-Qaeda organization in Saudi Arabia in the English language is (Jihad in Saudi Arabia: Violence and Pan-Islamism since 1979) by the author (Thomas Hegghammer), this because of two reasons, firstly that the researcher was proficient in the Arabic language and secondly because his proficiency in Arabic he laid bare the official sources that were published by Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and he read the information directly without medium. It is one of the best book published in this field whether in the Arabic or the English language. 3 Retraction from the alleged retraction – Page 4. 5 Question: What is your opinion regarding the leaks of Wikileaks on the subject of Spy agencies hacking many devices and phones? The answer: I have the conviction that merely using technology in secret work will compromise you, and the more primitive means of communications you use the more you will be far from being spied on or followed! Large countries such as Russia, China and the US spend millions of dollars on espionage systems and protection from infiltration, even then they still infiltrate each other! And they use the newest devices and technologies and they are used by the most notable and skilled technicians in the country! How can a mujahid, maybe he doesn’t know much about technology and maybe doesn’t even use an antivirus, and when he uses it he’ll use the freeware! If you could hack fortified systems then for sure you could hack this person with ease! Shaykh Usamah knew that the west is superior on the field of technology, surveillance and spying, thus he utterly forbade using the internet and even programs specific to send secret messages to use on external operations or big issues. He said: As for anything dangerous, we should never use any modem devices, especially for the external operations. Also, just because something can be encrypted doesn't make it suitable for use. The enemy can easily monitor all incoming letters to areas where there are Mujahidin and can access all their messages. As you know, this science is not ours and is not our invention. That means we do not know much about it. Based on this, I see that sending any dangerous matter via encrypted email is a risky thing. It is expected that whoever made the program can open the encrypted letters no matter how it's encrypted. Encrypting a message is done so that the general public is not able to open the message)4. And he said in another point: (With respect to the communication over the internet,. However, even with what the brothers had mentioned regarding al-Asrar al- Mujahidin program, the secrecy of the external work does not allow its use. I recommend confirming with the interested brothers that the external work would only be through the trusted messengers)5. Even if the Shaykh did not forbid internet or using devices or phones to communicate completely but he did forbid it in highly secret and dangerous issues. 4 Document: 432-10-CR-019-S-4-RJD-Original. 5 Letter to Shaykh Mahmud 26 September 2010. 6 ‘Abdullah Al’Adam, responsible for security in Al-Qaeda, said: (Al-Qaeda has returned to the stone age regarding its communications operations as if we are using homing pigeons, this of course helps misinform the enemy and bar him from reaching the places of the mujahideen, and stops him from locating and identifying their locations. And if there was anything we have our specific ways to give information to each other. As for the communications means, that try to identify us, we are the farthest people from using it)6. 6 Series creating terrorism, lesson:11. 7 Question From Tore Hamming: what do you know about the initial opposition within Al- Qaeda to the 9/11 attacks and to focus on the west instead of local regimes? I know Saif Al’Adl, Abu Al Yazid and Abu Hafs Al Mauritani were against the attack. Do you know if anyone else were? The answer: Yes, like Shaykh Abu al-Walid al-Ansari, I have (an unpublished) letter from him speaking to one of the leaders: (although the attacks of 9/11 was the disobedience, without a doubt if it was without the permission of the imam). As for the attacks of 9/11, it seems there was confusion or lack of clarity from Al-Qaeda to the Taliban. The commander of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, whom is Shaykh Abu Baseer al- Wuhayshi, was a companion to Shaykh Osama bin Laden and he has a memo titled: ( The untold tale of the 9/11 event), in it he said that Shaykh Osama sent pictures of the victims in Palestine to Mullah Umar, when he looked at them he became angered and sad.