Here’s what I said in my Foreign Policy piece last week about the trend I’m seeing of web jihadists increasingly upgrading their keyboards for suicide vests:
The recent phenomenon of Web jihadists joining the physical fight, culminating with Balawi, seems to have provided just the kind of role model for which al Qaeda Web users have been longing. If so, countries across the world — and particularly the United States — should brace themselves for an exodus from the Web forums and onto the battlefield by self-styled al Qaeda armies of one.
My argument was that we are only going to see more and more web jihadists crossing over the proverbial threshold and going operational. Well, almost on cue, the al-Qaida forums are reporting that two jihadist web users are dead. No date or details for how they died are given but will likely follow soon.
1. Mohammed Ali Mohammed Al-Mutlaq, who went by the kunya, “Qahir al Saleeb” [ Defeater of the Cross], is number 74 on the Saudi’s list of 85 Most Wanted from FEB 2009. Al-Faloja calls him a writer/pundit on their forum. He was born on 15 September 1985, got mixed up with AQ in Saudi where he was linked to a kidnapping/murder plot before leaving on 28 March 2008 for Bahrain. From there he either went to Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iran. Here is his info and picture:
2. Saleel al Syouf [Saber Rattling], was a member of the Al-Faloja Forum and was active and known by the jihadist community on Paltalk. Here’s an audio that he made before heading to Afghanistan that was posted on 5 May 2009 to the As-Ansar Arabic forum:
salil ansar1 – The audio is fairly typical. It’s excerpted from an audio lecture he gave in the Ansar al-Mujahideen room in Paltalk. It’s just provoking other Muslims to join the jihad.
On Ana al-Muslm, Asad al-Jihad (not sure if it’s Asad al-Jihad2) composed a memorial poem to honor the contributions that Saleel al-Syouf has made through his beautiful poetry, analysis and his Paltalk lectures. The poem also included a link to another audio poem actually given by Saleel al-Syouf himself in the Ansar al-Mujahideen Paltalk room, which I’ve uploaded here: SALIL
I’ll try to keep monitoring this as it breaks but for now, add two more datapoints in support of my argument for web jihadist exodus over to the dark side.
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UPDATE: Here is the English announcement of their death that was posted to Al-Faloja:
Salaam Alaykom Wa Rahamtulahi Wa Barakatu
Members and guest of this forum
Allah says in the Quran: But do not think of those that have been slain in God’s cause as dead. Nay, they are alive! With their Sustainer have they their sustenance, exulting in that [martyrdom] which God has bestowed upon them out of His bounty. And they rejoice in the glad tiding given to those [of their brethren] who have been left behind and have not yet joined them, that no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve: – they rejoice in the glad tiding of God’s blessings and bounty, and [in the promise] that God will not fail to requite the believers who responded to the call of God and the Apostle after misfortune had befallen them. A magnificent requital awaits those of them who have persevered in doing good and remained conscious of God: those who have been warned by other people, “Behold, a host has gathered against you; so beware of them!” - Whereupon this only increased their faith, so that they answered, “God is enough for us; and how excellent a guardian is He!”
With happines and longing we announce to you the great news of the martyrdom of 2 dear brothers
Qahar Al-Saleeb also known as (Mohammed bin Ali Al-Tamimi) member of Al-Faloja Forum and one of the big writers on the jihad forums.He is also one of the 85 wanted muslims by the tyrant Aal-saud (King of saudi arabia)
And brother Saleel Al-Soyoof: who was also a member of Al-faloja and he was also one of the speakers on Paltalk room (Minbar Al-Ansar)
We ask Allah to accept them in the ranks of the martyrs
And remember brother: Victory comes with an hour of patience
Source: Private
