Shocking extract from the Caliphate's Rumiyah magazine https://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/rome-magazine-9.pdf,
Reprinted from the Middle East Media Research Institute here.
Issue 9 Of ISIS's 'Rumiyah' Magazine Promotes New Angle To Taking Westerners Hostages – Solely For Execution And Giving ISIS Publicity
May 05, 2017
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
Issue nine of the Islamic State (ISIS) magazine Rumiyah, which was released online on May 4, 2017, featured various suggestions to the group's sympathizers living in the West to kill non-Muslims amongst them.[1] One of the suggested tactics - taking Westerners hostage for the sole purpose of executing them thereafter – is detailed in the issue, and signals a new way through which ISIS is attempting to recruit Muslims in the West to carry out acts of violence on its behalf. The suggestion appeared in the magazine's "Just Terror Tactics," a recurring section of the magazine which had previously suggested other killing methods like arson, stabbing, and the use of trucks to "mow down" targets.[2]
On its face, the hostage taking tactic is nothing new to terrorist groups. In fact, the last decade is full of incidents where Westerners were taken hostages by jihadi groups from the Sahel to the Philippines – however, the main purpose from these operations was for prisoner exchange or for ransom. Al-Qaeda itself had called repeatedly to kidnap Westerners, for example, including to bring about the release of the late "Blind Sheikh," Omar 'Abd Al-Rahman.[3]
ISIS's call has an entirely different purpose, however. According to it, "The objective of hostage-taking in the lands of disbelief [i.e. West] – and specifically in relation to just terror operations – is not to hold large numbers of the kuffar hostage in order to negotiate one's demands. Rather, the objective is to create as much carnage and terror as one possibly can until Allah decrees his appointed time and the enemies of Allah storm his location or succeed in killing him [i.e. the attacker]."
ISIS goes on to detailing the best locations and scenarios for taking hostages, while reiterating the notion that any undertaken operation that aims to trap people within any confined space is not meant at taking those people as hostages per se, but at killing as many of them as possible and as fast as possible before authorities arrive. Any remaining people, it notes, can then be used as human shields or to add up to the terror effect of the operation until the inevitable occurs (i.e. authorities storm the place, attacker is killed, etc.). "It is also essential for one to know that the aim is to kill as many kuffar as one possibly can, and as quickly as one can before the initial police response. After killing those present one should keep a few of his victims alive as hostages to be used as human shields against the anticipated response of the kafir armed forces."
ISIS's image and any publicity gain from such operations is highlighted as well, where the article notes that after the initial killing spree comes to an end, any remaining "hostages" can then be used to buy more time to draw more attention to the attack and that it was carried out by a "soldier" of the Islamic State. It says: "However, in order for the operation to gain wide publicity and more effectively plant terror into the hearts of the disbelievers, one can keep some of his victims alive and restrained, making for a more lengthy and drawn-out hostage scenario. One may then notify the authorities, explaining to them that he is a soldier of the Islamic State and informing them of what he has just done."
The hostage killing act itself, the article says, is considered an act of worship to Allah, "The remembrance of Allah, and constantly reminding oneself that this action is worship, and that Allah has obliged us to 'kill the mushrikin' wherever we find them..." appears at the top of the list of things to remember before or during an operation.
Below are excerpts from the article:
"Ideal Target Locations
"Ideal target locations for hostage-taking scenarios include night clubs, movie theaters, busy shopping malls and large stores, popular restaurants, concert halls, university campuses, public swimming pools, indoor ice skating rinks, and generally any busy enclosed area, as such an environment allows for one to take control of the situation by rounding up the kuffar present inside and allows one to massacre them while using the building as a natural defense against any responding force attempting to enter and bring the operation to a quick halt. Similarly, characteristics of a good target location include low light conditions, as it grants one the ability to maneuver between the people, taking advantage of the confusion and killing as many of the kuffar as physically possible."
"Luring Targets
"Those residing in the lands of disbelief will surely note the ease and simplicity in achieving the confidence and trust of a disbeliever. Portraying oneself to them as harmless gives them the impression that they are secure and free from danger. This deceptive approach of luring the kafir is something that can be easily accomplished through various methods, some of which will be detailed.
"Advertising a Job: Advertising a fake job by way of posting one’s ad at a local unemployment center will undoubtedly attract a response, and one may then filter out one’s sought after target (i.e. any male kafir) by advertising a job that is likely to attract that type of person.
"As an example, one might advertise a job vacancy that Muslims would not seek, or that may only appeal to men. After garnering a significant amount of applicants, one can then arrange the 'job interview' location and times, spacing out the applicants' appointment times so as to give oneself time to subdue classified sections, or by means of online sites for classified advertising, or by simply writing or printing out 'For Rent' advertisement posters which can be stuck on walls, lampposts, or in local store windows within the vicinity of the property in question, leaving a contact number that one can be reached on. In order for the advertisement not to attract large families – thus making it difficult to initiate an attack, especially if one is alone in his operation – the advertisement should be for a small single room or studio apartment. This will help ensure that the viewer comes alone. It might even help to include in the ad that the apartment is 'ideal for students.'
"Second-Hand Buy and Sell Groups: Online sales by way of buy and sell websites such as Craigslist, Gumtree, eBay, the Loot, and others are an alternative means to luring one’s victims. In many cases, the collection of the product must be done in person – when the buyer and seller reside in the same country – especially when the product being advertised for sale is high in value or large in size. The advertisement should specify that collection and payment is only available in person and that only cash is accepted. Also, the item being advertised should be something that requires the victim to enter one’s property. For example, a car wouldn’t require the target to enter the seller’s property as the vehicle would be expected to have been parked in the driveway or in front of the property.
"It is likewise important to be realistic when advertising and not advertise something far below its valued price, as this can attract the attention of authorities searching for stolen goods or possibly attract other suspicions. The viewing and collecting of the item should be arranged to be at the location where one seeks to carry out his operation. Upon the target’s arrival, one can then proceed to initiate his attack."
"Execution
"In order to ensure the success of the operation there are a few important points to remember and some prior measures to be taken:
" The remembrance of Allah, and constantly reminding oneself that this action is worship, and that Allah has obliged us to 'kill the mushrikin' wherever we find them, and to 'fight the disbelievers who are closest' to us.
"Having a location in which to execute an operation is a necessary requirement and every site where one is intending to initiate his massacre should have the appearance of the location which was used as a method by which to lure them. In practical terms, this means that if the method used to lure them was a false advertisement for a house or apartment for rent then the location should be a house or an apartment, and if the method used to lure them was a job application then the location should resemble, in some way, a place that relates to work, such as an office, even if that requires renting the premises.
"Having a room specifically reserved for the disposal of the bodies of the targets is also important for the obvious reason of not alerting those intended victims entering the property after them. One must space out the arrival times of one’s victims, thus granting him the ability to initiate his attack while they are alone. One should not initiate his attack until the target has fully entered the property and is comfortable, so as to avoid any struggle and prevent the chance of him fleeing.
"It is essential to have a suitable weapon for one’s operation, i.e. a strong, sharp knife,1 and possibly a bat or a small club that one may use to subdue the victim by striking them over the head before slaughtering them.
"One should have present with him at the location some easy means of restraining the targets, such as handcuffs, which are widely available for sale to the general public. A more discrete alternative is to purchase what are known as plastic cable ties ('zip ties'), which are also commonly used as restraints.
"One should ensure that if there are any screams from his victim, they do not result in the operation being compromised. This can be resolved by simply having a background noise that drowns out any other sounds, such as raising the volume of the television, radio, etc..."
Endnotes:
[1] See MEMRI JTTM report Issue 9 Of ISIS's 'Rumiyah' Magazine Suggests Buying Weapons At Gun Shows To Carry Out Attaks, Lists Top Hostage-Taking Sites Such As Campuses, Movie Theaters, Swimming Pools, And Posting Fake Job, Real Estate Ads On Craigslist, eBay To Lure Victims, May 4, 2017.
[2] See MEMRI JTTM report Issue 3 Of Islamic State Magazine 'Rumiyah' Instructs Lone Wolves On Use Of Trucks To Target Outdoor Conventions, Markets, Parades, And Political Rallies, November 10, 2016.
[3] See MEMRI JTTM report Al-Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahiri Commemorates Veteran Jihadi Sheikh Rifai Taha, Urges Mujahideen To Attack Interests Of U.S., Jews, 'Crusaders' Coalition – Part II In Video Series, February 23, 2017; Al-Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahiri Says Americans Will Suffer 'Severe Consequences' If U.S. Executes Boston Bomber, Calls For Kidnapping Of Westerners, June 30, 2016.
