My thesis.
What do you think?
Edit: Whoops. OK, does that work?
The Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Monitor, 29 Mar 07:
The New Issue of Technical Mujahid: A Manual for Jihadis
The al-Fajr Information Center, a jihadi organization, recently published the February 2007 issue of Technical Mujahid, a magazine released once every two months that is available online. The release marks the second issue of the publication. The various jihadi websites have posted links to different locations to download the publication, that way stifling any attempts by outside forces to remove the document from the web. According to the editor-in-chief of Technical Mujahid, Abu al-Mothanna al-Najdi, the objectives of the magazine are to eradicate the phobia and anxiety suffered by those who refrain from participating in jihad because they erroneously believe that intelligence services are monitoring their every move. Additionally, the publication aims to spread a sense of security, vigilance and self-confidence, in a scientific way, among members of jihadi forums by educating them in jihadi propaganda and enhancing their knowledge of field operations. To achieve these objectives, the magazine is organized into six sections of technical training that are aimed at helping the mujahideen carry out certain tasks.
Section 1: Covert Communications and Hiding Secrets Inside Images...
Section 2: Designing Jihadi Websites from A-Z...
Section 3: Smart Weapons, Short Range Shoulder-Fired Missiles...
Section 4: The Secrets of the Mujahideen, an Inside Perspective...
Section 5-6: Video Technology and Subtitling Video Clips...
Last edited by Jedburgh; 04-03-2007 at 09:21 PM.
My thesis.
What do you think?
Edit: Whoops. OK, does that work?
Last edited by SoiCowboy; 08-03-2007 at 01:17 PM.
Hi SoiCowboy,
Interesting. I noticed that you mentioned that most of the material was from the 80's and 90's. Does that include the material coming off the latest sites as well? Also, what sort of material is actually available on the tactics of use, outside of the videos? Have you found specifics on employment, etc.?
Also, is this published? I'm writing an article on virtual warfare right now and I'd like to reference this piece.
Marc
Sic Bisquitus Disintegrat...
Marc W.D. Tyrrell, Ph.D.
Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies,
Senior Research Fellow,
The Canadian Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies, NPSIA
Carleton University
http://marctyrrell.com/
Most of the materials is from the 1960s to the 1980s. It ranges from survivalist stuff to technical manuals. It got uploaded into text files by the first BBSs in the 1990s and the information has been degrading in quality since then. I used Internet Haganah and google translator to look at Irhabi sites. Al Qaeda in Maghreb was the one I looked at the most since it had the Al Qaeda brand name. It has since been taken down but they didn't appear to be the sharpest tools in the shed. Instructions like, don't use your real name, don't use your real town, use a proxy being said over and over again. Smart people would already being doing that and not need telling. As for the latest material, most terrorist literature is parasitical. They rarely come up with their own stuff. They tend to plagiarise and just insert religious statements all over the place. I only looked at three or four of their own in house pdf's from different places. There's only so much Islamic mumbo jumbo I can handle.Does that include the material coming off the latest sites as well?
Beyond videos, dvds and a handful of posts on boards, I haven't come across much written material. I guessed that its cheaper, quicker and easier to burn a DVD and show through images than write a file. Added advantage is that you don't have to worry about the readers literacy and that soon near enough everyone is going to be near an internet cafe.Also, what sort of material is actually available on the tactics of use, outside of the videos?
I made an assumption on employment. Newspapers report terrorists are captured in XXX, and among their materials were DVDs of bomb making material downloaded off the internet. Terrorists in the area suddenly have become twice as effective at making bombs. Iraqi bomb making videos are available for download from torrents. Whether those three dots actually join up is another thing. I haven't come across anything like "Hi I'm a terrorist, I downloaded this DVD, put it to use, and here's my results!" but then again I haven't been on any of their password protected members only BBSs. Judging by Irhabi007 and others, they love to boast about getting one over on the crusaders/infidels/etc.Have you found specifics on employment, etc.?
The thesis gets published September-ish. Feel free to reference now.Also, is this published? I'm writing an article on virtual warfare right now and I'd like to reference this piece.
Last edited by SoiCowboy; 08-03-2007 at 05:39 PM.
Sic Bisquitus Disintegrat...
Marc W.D. Tyrrell, Ph.D.
Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies,
Senior Research Fellow,
The Canadian Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies, NPSIA
Carleton University
http://marctyrrell.com/
PM sent.
For some reason I can't edit my first post.
This is the final edition, all polished up.
Sic Bisquitus Disintegrat...
Marc W.D. Tyrrell, Ph.D.
Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies,
Senior Research Fellow,
The Canadian Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies, NPSIA
Carleton University
http://marctyrrell.com/
From my post with excerpts from the UK Telegraph:
I'm sure our intel guys will be eager to get their hands on it, although they seemed to have done a pretty good job of figuring out their doctrine. If you follow the link back to the Telegraph they also have photos of some of the pages of the manual.The Taliban has published its first military field manual detailing how to spring ambushes, run spies and conduct an insurgency against coalition forces in Afghanistan.
At 144 pages, Military Teachings - for the Preparation of Mujahideen, is a minutely detailed "how to" book on subjects ranging from tactics and weapons to building training camps and spycraft.
The guide, which is similar in its aims to British and American military field manuals, was obtained by The Daily Telegraph from a source in Pakistan who claimed to be close to the Taliban. Its cover bears the image of two crossed swords and the Koran, the arms of the Taliban's ousted government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
...
The military manual is divided into 10 chapters and appears to be the result of a collaboration between religious scholars and specialists in terrorist, logistical and intelligence tactics. It is illustrated with simple formulas for the preparation of explosives, pictures and diagrams of light and heavy weaponry, ammunition and communication equipment.
The bulk of the manual details basic military skills such as firing positions and how to use different weapons. It advises on how to carry out remotely controlled attacks on enemy vehicles, and shows how to strike aircraft and armoured vehicles by targeting weak points.
It shows with diagrams how to target vehicles passing through rough terrain at low speed and how telegraph poles and trees can be used to range in on a target.
It also explores methods of blowing up bridges, railway tracks and power and telephone lines.
Last edited by Merv Benson; 08-17-2007 at 02:45 AM.
"Give a good leader very little and he will succeed. Give a mediocrity a great deal and he will fail." - General George C. Marshall
And if it wasn't already easy, you get this kind redirect during your search for the free download
FAS Note: This “final draft” of FM 3-24 on Counterinsurgency has
been superseded by the final version of the document dated 15
December 2006 and posted here: http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-24.pdf
Use the link on my post to get to the Telegraph story. There is a link to several pictures from the manual. I have not been able to copy the link directly but it reads "In pictures: Taliban 'how to' manual."
Hey Sarajevo !
Thanks for the pics !
This image looks as if it came directly out of a manual for the Army Corps of Engineers. .500 to 1.0 kg explosives placement, shape charges et al.
Nonetheless, fairly basic stuff found on the internet.
I'd be interested in the IED construction sections if any.
Regards, Stan
N/p Stan. You are welcome... About other stuff, I do not know much about engineering, mines or explosives so I will not be able to help you. Sorry. Once you guys get hand on the manual maybe you will be able to learn more.
bye
AQ & affiliates have published many megs of .pdf manuals on the web. Much is translation of U.S. Mil documents (n.b. much of the survival and weapons stuff in Al-Battar). If this sample is representative, the media is making much ado again.
The two really scary ones were the Jihadi encyclopedias of poisons and explosives. I'd really like to hear if the processes in those manuals are good or would leave dead kitchen chemists lying around (but that could be an up side).
http://www.e-prism.org/articlesbyotherscholars.html
has many such pubs online, and some in translation.
Still can't edit.
Last one, with bibliography.
Thanks for your help.
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