The first issue of the English-language online magazine, called "Azan", was published on May 5, the SITE intelligence monitoring group said. It compared Azan to "Inspire" magazine, set up by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
In what appeared to be an acknowledgement of the effectiveness of US drone strikes, the magazine said these were affecting the war in the
Wazoo tribal areas of Pakistain -- where al Qaeda is based along with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) and Afghan Taliban fighters.Devoting a section of the 80-page issue to drones, it said these represented a challenge to the Moslem community, or Ummah.
"With the death of so many Moslem assets,
| Interesting phrase in this context. Are we to understand that jihadis and their friends ought to be considered assets to the Ummah? |
... who doesn't live anywhere anymore...
"Any opinions, thoughts, ideas and practical implementations to defeat this drone technology must be communicated to us as early as possible because these would aid the Ummah greatly in its war against the Crusader-Zionist enemy."
Western officials say drone strikes have been highly effective in disrupting the activities of al Qaeda and its allies in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan. Critics object to the secrecy of the drone programme, question its legality and raise concerns about civilian casualties.