AQAP continues to portray US-led bombing campaign as a 'Crusade'

[Valin]

Long War Journal:

Thomas Joscelyn & Oren Adaki

November 1, 2014

 

In a video released on Oct. 23, Harith bin Ghazi al Nadhari preached jihadist unity, but he also outlined a thinly-veiled criticism of the Islamic State's declared caliphate.

 

Two top al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) ideologues have released videos in recent weeks portraying the ongoing US-led bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria as part of a "Crusader" war against Islam.

 

Both AQAP officials preach unity against the West without explicitly mentioning, let alone praising, the Islamic State. Indeed, in one of the videos, AQAP implicitly criticizes the Islamic State's declared caliphate.

 

The messaging in the pair of videos is consistent with earlier statements made by al Qaeda's international network. [see LWJ reports: Al Qaeda branches urge jihadist unity against US and Al Qaeda portrays US-led bombing campaign as 'Crusade' against Islam.]

 

In a video released on Oct. 23, an AQAP official named Harith bin Ghazi al Nadhari criticizes the Islamic State's approach to declaring a caliphate. Nadhari does not mention the Islamic State, but part of his video is clearly aimed in its direction.

(Snip)