Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

On 26 April, a jihadist website posted a commentary entitled "Jihad Press Opinion: Maritime Terrorism Is Strategic Necessity". In the commentary, the Jihad Press conveys its opinion that maritime terrorism is a strategic necessity for the mujahidin in conducting its global campaign to restore the Islamic Caliphate and to rule the world. The commentary details the mujahidin`s previous achievements in the several attacks that they undertook from the air on 11 September 2001, that they undertook by land in Madrid, London, Bali, Sharm al-Shaykh, and Taba, and that they undertook underground through the London subway bombings. The commentary argues that it is essential that the mujahidin also should command the sea, particularly around the Arabian Peninsula.

A translation of the posting follows:

"In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

"The CrusaderZionist campaign has nothing left besides roaming the sea. For more than a year, one after the other armed battalions off the beaches of Yemen have started to hunt commercial, tourism, and oil ships. In the current phase, it has become a necessity to the mujahidin in conducting a global campaign to restore the Islamic Caliphate and to rule the world through it that the next step is to control the sea and ports, starting with that surrounding the Arabian Peninsula.

"The operations by the gunmen who seized the French yacht and struck the Japanese oil tanker, the Spanish yacht, and commercial ships that ply between the coast of Somalia and Yemen, revealed that the area is beyond the control of the arsenal of the Crusader Zionist campaign, whose fleets and warships patrol the sea and those important passages due to their geographical nature and the activity of the mujahidin in Yemen and Somalia.

"In a short time, the mujahidin were able to terrorize the Crusader Zionist campaign in the air, on land, at sea, and underground. On 11 September 2001, the mujahidin were able to terrorize the leaders of the Crusader Zionist campaign in the air and by the means of flying. This was done by proving their ability to penetrate its technology and by using the enemy's most advanced technological civilian aircraft and converting them into a weapon to serve the mujahidin in achieving their goals.

"On 11 March 2004 and 7 July 2005 in the conquests of Madrid and London, they subdued the campaign leaders while they were gathered in their major industrial summit. They accomplished their terror underground and above the ground through striking at the trains, which are the ground transportation that they are most proud of in terms of industry and technology.

"In July 2005, the same month as the London conquest, they struck at the enemy's tourist resorts, which they use as a safe place for recreation in the land of Muslims in Sharm al-Shaykh. Before that, they struck the safe rear garden for the Jews in the alleged Jewish umbrella holidays in Taba in 2004, as well as in Bali in Indonesia in 2002.

"The mujahidin succeeded in Yemen by striking Zionist Crusader targets in the sea twice. The first was the preparation for the two blessed conquests in New York and Washington by striking the American destroyer Cole in October 2000; then, there was the French oil tanker Limburg in 2002. The mujahidin remained in control of the sea south of the Arabian Peninsula until a week ago, when a French exercise involving all marine sectors took place on the Yemeni island of Socotra. This lasted for three days and was attended by the French and American military high commands, who supervise the security of the sea in the Zionist Crusader campaign.

"Now approaching is the mujahidin`s decisive hour to bring the leadership of the Zionist Crusader campaign to their knees and to the mujahidin`s table to impose upon them their terms: to leave the Muslim lands and surrender their weapons to the mujahidin; to stop their sup port for the Jewish occupation in Palestine; and non-interference in Muslim affairs or support for its rulers and the unjust, immoral, and corrupt regimes there.

"It becomes necessary to develop the battle to include the sea, and as the mujahidin have managed to form martyrs brigades on the ground, the sea remains the next strategic step toward ruling the world and restoring the Islamic Caliphate.

"The beaches of Yemen are considered the links between the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The latter overlooks the Strait of Bab al-Mandab in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

"This region represents a strategic point to expel the enemy from the most important pillars of its battle. If it is unable to protect itself in this strategic region, then it cannot protect itself on the ground and its naval bases under the blows of the mujahidin.

"The Zionist Crusader enemy understands the seriousness of the matter. Hence, it has bought a number of Yemeni islands, the most important of which are: Socotra, the link between the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden and the best location for control and monitoring; the Hanish archipelago in the Red Sea off the western coast of Yemen; and Ras Amran, the point of the Strait of Bab al-Mandeb and the most important in the Red Sea.

"Today, the battle is at the carnage gates and by God they are the conquests. History will not turn back, the era of humiliation and tyranny has gone. My nation, remove humiliation and begging, remove your sleeping and relaxation gown, life is only a dignified life or a wide wound. May there be no rest for the cowards."

TDC Analysis:

"The sea remains the next strategic step toward ruling the world and restoring the Islamic Caliphate".

This posting serves to remind us that the sea remains legitimate battleground in the jihadist mind. The strategic waters off Somalia and Yemen has been the scene of many attacks on a variety of vessels from yachts to supertankers. While most have been categorized as piracy we have always argued that a form of "jihadist piracy" was involved here. This posting puts those attacks and others in a different light. While many of the incidents are probably opportunist pirates others bear the hallmarks of harassing jihadist sea attacks as stated above. The seemingly random attack with RPG's on a Japanese tanker and other unexplained fires on ships in the area could have been jihadist ambushes to harass shipping. In the recent past one of the small boat attackers opened fire on a US Navy warship and was destroyed. That did not fit the profile of a pirate/criminal who would generally retreat in the face of overwhelming firepower. Generally AQ repeats successful attack methods and very often publishes its philosophy strategy and tactics. Vessels transiting this area should be aware of this "jihadist threat" and take all prudent precautions. (1360 – 20080502 / Compiled by the TDC Maritime Team)

•About TDC

Tactical Defense Concepts (TDC) was created by Joseph Tenaglia, a United States' Naval Commander who recognized the importance and urgency of providing threat awareness and security services to the maritime sector.

Tenaglia has trained thousands of maritime personnel in the government sector. The foundation for TDC's threat awareness and security training also includes developing and instructing an anti-terrorist course for Department of Defense operated and contracted vessels. Tactical Defense Concept's services are in compliance with:

•The United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO);
•The International Ship and Port and Facility Security (ISPS) Code Amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS Convention);
•Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Contact TDC at jtenaglia@tdconcepts.com
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