KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) released a joint statement responding to several statements Islamic State have been making directed at Al Qaeda terrorist organization.
Unlike the apocalyptic Islamic State faction that has bestowed itself as the ‘caliphate’ and its leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi is known to rule its members with iron fist unlike the Al Qaeda’s Ayman al-Zawahiri who seem to be playing a long card game proving himself as a more resilient leader than their rival Islamic State’s emir.
ASSESSMENT & ANALYSIS
Islamic State in mid-October released an audio “Say to Those Who Disbelieve: ‘You Will Be Overcome.’ where Islamic State spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani extends his criticisms at the Muslim ‘factions’ that resists the forces of the caliphate (meaning Islamic State).
al-Adnani directly mocks Al Qaeda emir Ayman al-Zawahiri for his pledge of bayat (allegiance) to the deceased Mullah Omar and later to the Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour.
The IS spokesman goes ahead and recites poetry implicitly calling Al Qaeda’s emir — al-Zawahiri a senile old man. He further mocks and dismisses the decrees of Al Qaeda’s “scholars” as the “verdicts of the donkeys and mules.”
Al Qaeda on November 1 released their video audio to respond to Islamic State damaging statements.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) spokesman Khalid al-Batarfi, delivered the message for both AQAP and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) where he cites the jihadist group (ISIS/ISIL) to have strayed away from the true path of jihad.
Throughout the video statement, he refuses to address al-Adnani the Islamic State spokesman by name but instead referred him as the “Baghdadi Group,”
The Al Qaeda’s statements reject to recognize the legitimacy of Islamic State purportedly declaring itself as the right ‘caliphate’.
Al Qaeda which in the video want to portray itself as mature jihadist group ridicules Islamic States citing their decisions are neither guided based by shura nor by consent. Islamic State compels members to pledge bayat (oath of allegiance) out of fear rather than out of loyalty the statement went on to bruise the Islamic State.
SUMMARY & FORECAST
Throughout the video by Al Qaeda it seems to try bringing jihadist groups together while on the other hand Islamic State is weakening the jihadist unity for their own gain.
Though Al Qaeda has not declared any kind of revenge in terms of targeting Islamic State members, if this supremacy battles continues in the coming days it’s likely the two jihadist groups will do even the unthinkable to clinch the top spot in the global jihadi sphere.
