Newsweek: ISIS Supporters Suggest Helpful Ways to Make Forest Fires Worse

So far, there is no definitive evidence that the devastating fires that have been blazing across California were caused by orthodox Muslims. But, quoting from Newsweek:

The Islamic State militant group (ISIS) described the death and destruction associated with the recent California wildfires in its latest newsletter, days after supporters suggested laying gasoline-filled bottles in the woods to inflict further damage.

ISIS has not claimed responsibility for the raging blazes that have killed at least 41 people and injured 100 more across California, but the jihadis appeared eager to share the news of what they called "the worst fire disaster in the history of the United States."

ISIS in the past has encouraged its followers to use fire as a weapon against the West. Featuring a flaming cover, the fifth issue of the Al-Rumiyah English-language digital magazine, released in January, included instructions for "Arson Attacks" under the "Just Terror Tactics" section (see photo).

"Throughout history and until the present day, incendiary attacks have played a significant role in modern and guerilla warfare, as well as in 'lone wolf' terrorism. Such attacks have been behind the destruction of towns, neighborhoods, and public, private, and governmental property, while likewise claiming numerous lives," the article read.

The piece included instructions on how to create such flammable weapons as molotov cocktails and when to strike, in order to best target "Crusaders" and to send them from "the fire of this world to the inferno of Hellfire." It specifically includes "forest fires" as a method of attack.

Read the whole article here: ISIS Celebrates California Wildfires Death Toll As Supporters Suggest Ways to Make it Worse.

What is ISIS's purpose? Besides Islam's prime directive, there is a more specific strategy being executed: What Does ISIS Hope to Achieve With Random Violence?

Read more about ISIS's use of fire, which they recommend for the beginner jihadist: ISIS Has a New Weapon: Fire.

ISIS isn't the only one that has recommended fire as a jihadist weapon. According to an article in Wildfire Today back in 2012, "A magazine published by members of al Qaeda has called for Western Muslims to wage war within the United States, urging them to engage in lone wolf attacks, including setting forest fires. According to ABC News, a recent issue of Inspire magazine has surfaced on jihadi forums with one article titled 'It Is of Your Freedom to Ignite a Firebomb,' which gives detailed instructions on how to build an 'ember bomb' in a forest in the United States, and suggested Montana as a choice location due to the rapid population growth in forested areas.

"A previous issue of the magazine contained information on how to construct remote-controlled explosives, and helpfully listed the needed parts along with instructions and photos."

Read more about that here: 'Unleash Hell': New Al Qaeda magazine describes in detail how to start huge forest fires across the U.S. with instructions on how to make 'ember bombs'

William Scott, a former National Security Agency official, says that after U.S. Navy SEALs killed al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden, they “captured a treasure trove of material that provided some unprecedented insight into the al-Qaida plans. And one of those was a detailed campaign for starting fires throughout the [American] West.”

“U.S. officials have pretty much determined that some of the fires that burned in California [in 2011] were ignited by al-Qaida operatives,” Scott said. (Source)

Terror funding expert Rachel Ehrenfeld says that Russia’s security chief, Aleksandr Bortnikov, has warned, “Al-Qaida was complicit in recent forest fires in Europe” as part of terrorism’s “strategy of a thousand cuts.”

“Since then, more fatwas advocating that ‘fire is a cheap, easy and effective tool for economic warfare’ have been issued,” Ehrenfeld wrote. “They’ve included detailed instructions for constructing remote-controlled ember bombs, and how to set fires without leaving a trace.”

Read the rest of the article: Are Terrorists Setting U.S. Wildfires?

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ISIS and Al Qaeda Urge Muslims to Kill People for Christmas

Christopher Holton makes some points worth reading (as usual) in his latest post, More on the Jihad Threat this Christmas and New Year's Season. But his main point is a warning. Here are some excerpts:

Both the Islamic State and Al Qaeda have issued audio, video or online threats to attack the West this Christmas.

These threats focus on European population centers, such as Paris and London, and New York City in America, though the possibility of Jihadi attacks in other places in the West can certainly not be discounted. History has shown that places as diverse geographically as Brussels, Berlin and San Bernardino have all been targeted, especially at Christmas time.

Warnings in Jihadist literature and on Jihadi social media aren’t meant to give us a heads up. They are meant to inspire individual Jihadis to rise up and attack, in this case during the Christmas season. If recent history is any indication, we will see an act of deadly jihad somewhere in the West as a result of these communications.

The Christmas and New Year season is a particularly high-risk period as it offers unusually large numbers of potentially high-value and high-casualty targets, not just in places like New York, London, Paris and Berlin, but in just about every major city in the West.

The holiday season brings large crowds at sporting events, Christmas celebrations and ceremonies, churches, parks, restaurants and other gathering locations. In addition, the holiday season is also characterized by high volumes of leisure travel leading to large numbers of travellers in airports and train depots. The vast number of potential targets makes it virtually impossible for homeland security and law enforcement agencies to deploy enough personnel to successfully prevent every possible attack.

The Western holiday season is particularly attractive to Islamic jihadists because any successful attack, even a minor one, becomes a propaganda victory that can inspire others to follow suit and aid in Jihadist organization recruitment (despite what the U.S. government has said, Jihadis don’t recruit based on the prison at Gitmo; they recruit based on their successful attacks).

Read Holton's whole article here (and subscribe to his updates): More on the Jihad Threat this Christmas and New Year's Season.

Along the same lines, he also reports that a pro-ISIS group has called for attacks on Western children.

Do you know what orthodox Muslims hope to accomplish with this kind of random violence? It's worth knowing and sharing with people. Find out here: What Does ISIS Hope to Achieve With Random Violence?

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