The Islamic State English-Language The Islamic State Online Magazine English-Language Rumiyah Online Magazine (Rome) Rumiyah Research Guide, Narrative (Rome) & Threat Analysis, and U.S. Policy ResponseResearch Guide, Narrative & Threat Analysis, and U.S. Policy Response Robert J. Bunker Pamela Ligouri Bunker Robert J. Bunker Pamela Ligouri Bunker The Islamic State English-Language Online Magazine Rumiyah (Rome) Research Guide, Narrative & Threat Analysis, and U.S. Policy Response Robert J. Bunker Pamela Ligouri Bunker Front Cover: The thirteen covers of the English-language edition of Rumiyah (Rome) published as an online magazine by the al-Hayat media center of the Islamic State between September 2016 and September 2017 are provided. The Islamic State is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) as of December 17, 2004 under the name Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (formerly al-Qa’ida in Iraq). See https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/. NO RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLICATION//FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION. i The Islamic State English-Language Online Magazine Rumiyah (Rome) Research Guide, Narrative & Threat Analysis, and U.S. Policy Response Robert J. Bunker Pamela Ligouri Bunker The Islamic State English-Language Online Magazine Rumiyah (Rome) Research Guide, Narrative & Threat Analysis and U.S. Policy Response Robert J. Bunker and Pamela Ligouri Bunker A Terrorism Research Center eBook ii The Islamic State English-Language Online Magazine Rumiyah (Rome) Research Guide, Narrative & Threat Analysis, and U.S. Policy Response Robert J. Bunker Pamela Ligouri Bunker The Islamic State English-Language Online Magazine Rumiyah (Rome): Research Guide, Narrative & Threat Analysis and U.S. Policy Response— A Terrorism Research Center eBook Copyright © August 2019 Robert J. Bunker and Pamela Ligouri Bunker Published in the United States Reston, VA 20190 All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. iii The Islamic State English-Language Online Magazine Rumiyah (Rome) Research Guide, Narrative & Threat Analysis, and U.S. Policy Response Robert J. Bunker Pamela Ligouri Bunker About the Terrorism Research Center The Terrorism Research Center (TRC) is non-profit think tank focused on investigating and researching global terrorism issues through multi-disciplinary collaboration amongst a group of international experts. Originally founded as a commercial entity in 1996, the TRC was an independent institute dedicated to the research of terrorism, information warfare and security, critical infrastructure protection, homeland security, and other issues of low-intensity political violence and gray-area phenomena. Over the course of 15 years, the TRC conducted research, analysis, and training on a wide range of counterterrorism and homeland security issues. ****** First established on April 19, 1996, the year anniversary of the Oklahoma City terrorist bombing, the TRC operated for 15 years as a commercial entity providing research, analysis, and training on issues of terrorism and international security. The three original co-founders, Matthew Devost, Brian Houghton, and Neal Pollard, are reconstituting a new board of directors, comprised of researchers, first responders and academic and professional experts. “The TRC had an incredible legacy as a commercial company,” says Matthew Devost. “We believe there is still a strong need to continue the research and collaboration on such critical topics in the public’s best interest.” From 1996 through 2010, the TRC contributed to international counterterrorism and homeland security initiatives such as Project Responder and the Responder Knowledge Base, Terrorism Early Warning Groups, Project Pediatric Preparedness, Global Fusion Center, and the “Mirror Image” training program. These long-standing programs leveraged an international network of specialists from government, industry, and academia. Reconstituting TRC as a non-profit will help establish the next generation of programs, research, and training to combat the emerging international security issues. “Thousands of researchers utilized the TRC knowledge base on a daily basis, says Brian Houghton. “Our intent is to open the dialog, provide valuable counterterrorism resources, and advance the latest thinking in counterterrorism for the public good.” iv The Islamic State English-Language Online Magazine Rumiyah (Rome) Research Guide, Narrative & Threat Analysis, and U.S. Policy Response Robert J. Bunker Pamela Ligouri Bunker “We want to put the 15-year legacy and goodwill of TRC to continuing benefit for the public, rather than focus on a specific business model,” says Neal Pollard. “TRC was founded in the wake of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and made its most significant contributions to the nation and the world after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Now that the War on Terrorism has evolved and the United States is entering a new era of transnational threats, the TRC will maintain its familiar role as the vanguard of next- generation research into these emerging threats.” For more information visit www.terrorism.org. v The Islamic State English-Language Online Magazine Rumiyah (Rome) Research Guide, Narrative & Threat Analysis, and U.S. Policy Response Robert J. Bunker Pamela Ligouri Bunker The Strategic Studies Institute of the US Army War College External Research Associates Program financially supported the research and writing of this book. The views expressed in this book are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice, or the U.S. Government, or any other U.S. armed service, intelligence or law enforcement agency, or local or state government. vi The Islamic State English-Language Online Magazine Rumiyah (Rome) Research Guide, Narrative & Threat Analysis, and U.S. Policy Response Robert J. Bunker Pamela Ligouri Bunker Contents Foreword…………………………………………………………………………… viii About the Authors…………………………………………………………………. x Introduction: The Islamic State and Rumiyah (Rome)………….…………………. 1 Chapter 1: Rumiyah Overview…………………………...………...……………… 4 Chapter 2: Comparative Analysis of Rumiyah Themes and Narratives………..….. 13 Chapter 3: Selected Radical Islamist Terrorist Attacks Directed at the West and Rumiyah………………………..……………………………..……. 41 Chapter 4: Rumiyah TTPs—Just Terror Tactics……….…………………..………. 59 Conclusion: U.S. Governmental Recommendations…………………...…………... 63 Glossary of Arabic Terms…………………….……………………………………. 72 Appendix 1. Rumiyah (Just Terror) and Inspire (Open Source Jihad) TTPs………. 100 End Notes………………………………………………………………………….. 102 vii The Islamic State English-Language Online Magazine Rumiyah (Rome) Research Guide, Narrative & Threat Analysis, and U.S. Policy Response Robert J. Bunker Pamela Ligouri Bunker Foreword This new Terrorism Research Center ebook represents a follow-on to an earlier Radical Islamist English-Language Online Magazines (August 2018) SSI USAWC (Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College) book also written by Robert J. Bunker and Pamela Ligouri Bunker—both noted international security specialists focusing on 21st century threats. Rather than addressing the wide constellation of radical Islamist English language magazines (and eBooks) that have been produced—as was done in the earlier work—it focuses this new analytical effort on the Islamic State’s magazine Rumiyah (Rome). Rumiyah takes on the mantle of the older IS magazine, Dabiq. Dabiq was forced to be discontinued given the then-imminent loss of its namesake (and eschatologically- linked) Syrian town soon to be retaken from the territorial Caliphate as it entered its final period of decline. The new Rumiyah (Rome) magazine is quite different than its predecessor. Over time, it shifts the Islamic State narrative away from one of fighter and family emigration (hijrah) into Syria and Iraq to bolster its growing armies to one of either engaging in migration to other lateral battlefields found in Africa, the Middle East, or South-East Asia or directly participating in terrorist actions at home in the West—with the emphasis of taking the fight to the lands of the Romans. Rumiyah also includes a new component related to engaging in terrorist attacks against the West with how-to instructions for ‘Just Terror’ tactics (mimicking al-Qaeda’s ‘Open Source Jihad’ tactics found in its Inspire magazine) yet retains many of the radicalization narratives found in the earlier Dabiq magazine. The work is divided into an introduction to this subject matter, the placing of Rumiyah in context with an overview of the magazine and the new Islamic State eBooks promoted within it, a comparative analysis of the themes and narratives found within each issue focusing on the topical areas of end state, enemy, recruitment, and TTPs (generalized), and a selected study of IS attacks directed against the West and their interrelationship to Rumiyah. It also provides a discussion of the ‘Just Terror’ tactics promoted in the magazine, and provides U.S. governmental recommendations to counter and mitigate the production and distribution of the magazine as well as its effects upon its readership and the violent outcomes expressed in terrorist actions. A comprehensive glossary of Arabic terms and jargon