Tag Archives: Iran

Spotlight on Global Jihad (August 20-26, 2015)

Published: 27/08/2015

Spotlight on Global Jihad

Photo of Fadhil al-Hiyali (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015).

Rocket parts containing mustard gas, allegedly used by ISIS in the town of Marea in northern Syria (Twitter account of Eliot Higgins, August 23, 2015)

Dozens of mortar bombs prepared by the Al-Nusra Front for launching at the Abu al-Duhur military airbase (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 20, 2015).

Mortar bombs being launched at the Abu al-Duhur military airbase

Al-Nusra Front operatives making preparations to block Syrian forces along the Arafit-Latakia route (Twitter account affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front, August 23, 2015

ISIS operative launching a mortar shell at a Syrian Army training ground near the village of Al-Huquf (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015)

Rockets and mortar shells being fired at an Iraqi Army base (Isdarat al-Dawla al-Islamiyya, August 20, 2015)

ISIS operative next to an ISIS flag in the middle of the base.

ISIS flag waving on the Al-Baraka Hotel in Baiji (Justpaste.it file-sharing website, August 22, 2015).

The oil refinery compound near the city of Baiji (Isdarat al-Dawla al-Islamiyya, August 22, 2015)

Mortar shell being fired from the oil refinery compound at Iraqi Army forces.

Abu Abdullah, the American suicide bomber who carried out a suicide bombing attack for ISIS in the city of Baiji (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 20, 2015)

Claim of responsibility for the attack in Cairo

Sa’id Mohammad Yahya from Jenin, who was killed in Syria in the ranks of ISIS, in a photo taken during his stay in Turkey

ISIS operatives at the headquarters of the electric company in the east coast area of Derna (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account; Justpaste.it, August 23, 2015).

Masked ISIS operative congratulating the IMU on its pledge of allegiance to ISIS (isdarat.tv website, August 21, 2015)

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Main events of the week

According to Turkish and Western media reports, the US and Turkey are planning to establish an “ISIS-free” buffer zone north of Aleppo, near the Turkish-Syrian border, in the area between the Jarabulus crossing and the town of Marea. This is an area of great importance to both ISIS and Turkey: ISIS’s vital logistics routes between Turkey and Syria pass through it. From a Turkish perspective, it serves as a buffer of sorts between the Kurdish-controlled areas to its east and west. It is now a battle zone between ISIS and several rebel organizations (some of which are apparently supported by Turkey and the United States). This week, according to Syrian sources, ISIS made use of mustard gas in the town of Marea. These reports require verification.
ISIS has called for a general mobilization of operatives to travel to Libya and carry out jihad in order to “defend Islam” in Libya. According to this call for jihad, Libya is the key to Rome. In the ITIC’s assessment, the call was made after the Tobruk government in eastern Libya asked the Arab countries to carry out airstrikes against ISIS targets and asked the UN Security Council to lift the arms embargo imposed on it. In the meantime, ISIS continues to establish its presence in the important city of Sirte, in north-central Libya, which has become its major stronghold in Libya and in North Africa in general.

The international campaign against ISIS

US and coalition airstrikes

This week, the US and coalition forces continued their airstrikes against ISIS targets. During the week, many dozens of airstrikes were carried out in Syria and Iraq by means of fighter planes, attack aircraft and UAVs.
Following are the main airstrikes (CENTCOM website):

Syria– this week the airstrikes were concentrated mainly in the area of Al-Hasakah, Aleppo, Al-Raqqah, Kobani and Ain Issa. The airstrikes damaged ISIS tactical units, battle positions, vehicles and checkpoints, among other things.
Iraq– the airstrikes were concentrated in the areas of Baiji, Fallujah, Kisik, Habbaniyah, Mokhtar, Mosul, Ramadi, Sinjar, Tal Afar, Rutba, Makhmur and Baghdadi. The airstrikes damaged ISIS tactical units, rocket launching positions, tunnels, weapons, vehicles, buildings and bunkers, among other things.

According to the US Air Forces Central Command, during the month of July 2015, in the campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, the United States carried out a record number of airstrikes. During the month, the Air Force carried out 2,828 airstrikes. The airstrikes in July 2015 represent a 66% increase compared to June (www.afcent.af.mil, July 31, 2015).

The killing of a senior ISIS operative

According to an announcement by the White House spokeswoman, Fadhil Ahmad al-Hiyali, aka Hajji Mutazz or Abu Muslem the Turkmen, was killed in a US airstrike on August 18, 2015. Al-Hiyali served as the senior deputy of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Fadhil Ahmad al-Hiyali was killed while driving his car near Mosul, along with a senior operative in ISIS’s media arm, codenamed Abu Abdullah.
According to the White House spokeswoman, Fadhil Ahmad al-Hiyali was a member of ISIS’s Shura Council and the “number 2” ISIS official. In this capacity, he coordinated the transfer of weapons, explosives, vehicles and operatives between Iraq and Syria. For over two years, he was also in charge of ISIS’s operations in Iraq, including the takeover of the city of Mosul in June 2014 (White House website, August 21, 2015)
Fadhil al-Hiyali, originally from the city of Tal Afar, was an officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Iraqi Republican Guard in the time of Saddam Hussein. He subsequently became an operative in Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and remained in the organization after it became ISIS (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015). According to the ITIC’s information, he served at the time as coordinator for the provinces of the Emirate of Iraq. According to the American announcement, Al-Hiyali’s importance in ISIS’s senior command apparently increased over the past year.^[1]

Fadhil al-Hiyali’s past as an officer in the Iraqi Army at the time of Saddam Hussein is characteristic of a widespread phenomenon. Many members of ISIS’s senior command, including members of the Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura) and the Military Council, were Iraqi Army officers or Ba’ath Party officials at the time of Saddam Hussein. The cooperation between the members of Saddam Hussein’s regime and ISIS began during the fighting against the US Army in Iraq, at the time of ISIS’s previous incarnation (while it was still Al-Qaeda’s branch in Iraq). As part of their cooperation, which is still ongoing, ISIS makes use of the military and bureaucratic skills of the former Army officers and party officials, skills that it sorely lacks.

Training Syrian combatants to fight against ISIS

According to US officials, a second group of Syrian fighters, currently being trained in Turkey by instructors from the US Army and Britain, may be sent to Syria in the coming weeks. The US and Turkey are now cooperating in a new program, which should ensure that the new group of trainees will demonstrate far better capability than the first group. The two countries have pledged to provide air support to this group during combat. The United States refused to comment on the report and only confirmed the US’s commitment to the training program for Syrian combatants (Reuters, August 21, 2015).

The first group of fighters, numbering several dozen combatants, entered Syria from the training facility in Jordan in mid-July 2015. Shortly after entering the country, some of them were captured during clashes with the Al-Nusra Front in northern Syria. Some of them were released by their captors. The US has announced its intention to set up a force numbering about a thousand fighters but, judging by its slow progress, has apparently encountered major difficulties. The number of Syrian fighters who have participated in the training program to date is negligible in the Syrian arena. In addition, their professional level and motivation are also low.

An intention to establish a buffer zone in northern Syria

According to media reports, the US and Turkey have signed a memorandum of understanding under which the two countries will plan a military operation to take control of the region between Jarabulus and Marea (see map). After the area, which is approximately 98 km wide and 45 km deep, has been taken over, it will be “cleansed” of the presence of ISIS and handed over to the Free Syrian Army (World Bulletin, August 20, 2015). The agreement emphasizes that the areas that are “cleansed” of the presence of ISIS will be known as an ISIS-free zone and will not be transferred to the control of the Kurds under any circumstances (Hürriyet, August 20, 2015).

The buffer zone is situated in northern Syria, west of the Euphrates, south of Jarabulus and Kilis, where there have been battles in recent weeks between ISIS and rebel organizations (some of which are apparently supported by Turkey and the United States).^[2] This is an area of great importance to ISIS,since its main logistics routes between Syria and Turkey pass through it. From ISIS’s perspective, this area became even more important after other border crossings (Kobani, Tell Abyad) fell into the hands of the Kurdish forces. From a Turkish perspective, this region is of great importance, since it constitutes a kind of buffer between the Kurdish territorial contiguity along the eastern part of the Syrian-Turkish border and the Kurdish province of Afrin, in northwest Syria.

Australia joining in the airstrikes in Syria

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that his country was favorably considering the official request by the United States to participate in airstrikes against ISIS in Syria as part of the international coalition. Australia is a member of the coalition, and its air force was involved in airstrikes. However, until now, its airstrikes have been confined to Iraq (Reuters, August 21, 2015).

Main developments in Syria

Aleppo province

In the rural area north of Aleppo, fighting continues between ISIS and the rebel organizations.ISIS fired mortars at the town of Marea, which is controlled by the rebel organizations.
The director of the hospital in Marea said that ten casualties who arrived at the hospital were suffering from the effects of asphyxiation, red eyes, flushed skin and edema, all symptoms that are characteristic of chemical weapons attacks (Al-Durar al-Shamiya, August 22, 2015). Brig. Gen. Zaher al-Saket, who formerly served in the Syrian Army’s chemical warfare administration and subsequently defected from Syria, said that ISIS used mustard gas in its attack on the town of Marea on August 22, 2015. According to Al-Saket, the photos of the shells, the injuries and the fact that the symptoms are slow to appear all prove that chemical weapons were used, apparently from Iraqi Army warehouses (SNN, August 22, 2015).
At the same time, fighting continues in the area of the Kuweyres military airbase east of Aleppo: ISIS operatives detonated a car bomb by means of a suicide bomber at the Kuweyres military airbase (Aks al-Sir, August 24, 2015). An ISIS-affiliated Twitter account posted a claim of responsibility by ISIS’s Aleppo province for the suicide bombing attack carried out on August 21, 2015. According to the posting, the suicide bomber, codenamed Abu Bakr the Turkestani, was driving a booby-trapped APC, which he detonated in a concentration of Syrian Army forces at the airbase. The explosion killed and injured dozens of Syrian soldiers and officers (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015).

Idlib province

On August 24, 2015, clashes were reported near the Abu ad-Duhur military airbase south of Aleppo, between rebel forces led by the Al-Nusra Front and the Syrian Army. The Al-Nusra Front reportedly tried to take control of the airbase under cover of mortar fire. During the clashes, the Syrian Air Force attacked the Al-Nusra Front force (www.syriahr.com, August 24, 2015). Neither side apparently has the upper hand in the battle over the airbase.

In the ITIC’s assessment, ISIS and the Al-Nusra Front are trying to exert pressure from the ground on the Syrian regime’s military airbases in northern Syria. This may be in response to airstrikes carried out against them by the Syrian Army. The fighting is now concentrated east (Kuweyres military airbase) and south of Aleppo (Abu al-Duhur military airbase).

Latakia province

On August 23, 2015, a Twitter account affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front posted photos of its armed operatives making preparations to block Syrian forces along the Arafit-Latakia route, about 42 km northeast of Latakia (Twitter account affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front, August 23, 2015).

The town of Arafit lies next to the main highway from Latakia to the north, to the Syrian-Turkish border. Until now, the Al-Nusra Front and its allies have put pressure on the Latakia region from the northeast, from the Jisr al-Shughur area of the Idlib province. In the ITIC’s assessment, they are now tryingto increase this pressure and exert it from the north as well.

The Syrian-Lebanese border

Battles are reportedly taking place between ISIS and Hezbollah at the Jusia border crossing on the Lebanese-Syrian border (www.syriahr.com, August 18, 2015).

The Jusia (Al-Qaa) border crossing is one of the five official border crossings between Syria and Lebanon. The border crossing is controlled by the Syrian regime and has not been taken over by rebel organizations up to now. Before the fighting in Qusayr (2013),^[3] there were many routes through the area, which were used by the jihadi organizations for sending supplies to Lebanon. After they were defeated in Qusayr, the supply lines were moved to other areas bordering on Lebanon (ISW, March 26, 2014).

As-Suwayda province

On August 22, 2015, the owner of an ISIS-affiliated Twitter account posted photos showing ISIS operatives launching mortar shells at a Syrian Army training ground near the village of Al-Huquf (located around 35 km northeast of the city of As-Suwayda) (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015). According to recent evidence, there is a presence of ISIS operatives in the area, which has a large Druze population.

Main developments in Iraq

Al-Anbar province

Ramadi

Clashes between ISIS and the Iraqi Army in the city of Ramadi continue. This week the Iraqi Army reportedly suffered heavy losses in these clashes:

On August 23, 2015, the Iraqi security forces confirmed that 17 Iraqi Army soldiers and six other fighters were killed in an attack carried out by ISIS suicide bombers in rural Jaramshah, near Ramadi (Daily Mail, August 23, 2015).
On August 21, 2015, 50 Iraqi Army soldiers were killed in two ambushes set by ISIS operatives in the Ramadi area. In consequence, according to British media reports, the Iraqi Defense Minister dismissed the Iraqi Army commander in the area (Daily Mail, August 23, 2015).

Haditha

On August 20, 2015, ISIS released photos documenting the firing of rockets and mortars at an Iraqi Army base near the city of Haditha (Isdarat al-Dawla al-Islamiyya, August 20, 2015).

Fallujah

ISIS posted a video documenting an attack carried out by its operatives against an Iraqi Army base in the area of Fallujah. ISIS reported that some soldiers from the base were killed while the rest fled for their lives, and that ISIS seized a large quantity of weapons (Isdarat al-Dawla al-Islamiyya, August 20, 2015).

Salah al-Din province

Baiji

The struggle over control of the city of Baiji continues. According to a report by ISIS, on August 21, 2015, its operatives took over most of the western part of the city. ISIS has released photos indicating its control over the area (Justpaste.it file-sharing website, August 22, 2015). In a video posted on August 22, 2015, ISIS claims to have control over the refinery compound near the city as well.
An American suicide bomber codenamed Abu Abdullah the American carried out a suicide bombing attack during an attack on an Iraqi Army checkpoint in the city of Baiji. The suicide bomber’s photo was posted on social networks. According to ISIS’s announcement, the American suicide bomber was driving a car loaded with explosives and blew himself up at a checkpoint in southwestern Baiji. Two other suicide bombers (one Tajik and one Iraqi) carried out simultaneous suicide bombing attacks against Iraqi Army checkpoints. This is not the first time that an American ISIS operative has been involved in a suicide bombing attack. In early 2015, ISIS announced that a terrorist codenamed Abu Daoud the American had carried out a suicide bombing attack near the city of Samarra, north of Baghdad (Al-Arabiya TV, August 19, 2015).

Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula

ISIS’s Sinai province’s campaign against the Egyptian security forces

During the week, the Egyptian security forces continued their intensive counterterrorism activities against operatives of the Sinai province of the Islamic State. As part of the operation, the Egyptian security forces have carried out numerous airstrikes, mainly against terrorist bases in the area of Al-Arish, Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid. The Egyptian forces hit car bombs and motorcycles, blew up several houses, neutralized IEDs, killed several dozen operatives and detained several dozen suspects.
On August 19, 2015, ISIS’s Sinai branch issued a statement claiming responsibility for attacks carried out during the past month. These attacks included, among others, attacks against the homes of Egyptian policemen in the area of Al-Arish; detonating IEDs against Egyptian Army tanks and vehicles in the area of Sheikh Zuweid and Al-Arish; an attack on an Egyptian Army checkpoint on the Sheikh Zuweid-Rafah highway; and the execution of the Croatian citizen who was abducted in Egypt (www.archive.org file-sharing website, August 19, 2015). In addition, on August 19, 2015, ISIS’s Sinai province claimed responsibility for a bomb blast against an Egyptian Army APC near the police station in Sheikh Zuweid (ISIS’s Twitter account, August 19, 2015).

Attacks in Egypt

ISIS’s branch in Egypt claimed responsibility for blowing up two government buildings in Cairo on August 20, 2015.According to preliminary reports, around thirty people were wounded in the explosions. The two buildings that were attacked were the courthouse and the National Security building. According to ISIS, the attack was carried out in retaliation for the execution of six people who, according to the Egyptian authorities, were members of a terrorist cell charged with killing a number of Egyptian soldiers in 2014 (The Guardian, August 20, 2015).

Palestinians and Israeli Arabs

Jenin resident killed fighting in the ranks of ISIS in Syria

The Palestinian media reported the death of Sa’id Mohammad Yahya from Jenin, while fighting in the ranks of ISIS in Syria. He was killed on August 17, 2015, near Aleppo, in an airstrike against one of ISIS’s strongholds. Sa’id Mohammad Yahya left Jenin seven months ago, on completion of his undergraduate studies, claiming that he intended to work in Sweden (where his brother was staying). He went to Turkey in order to enter Syria and join ISIS. According to reports by Palestinian sources, Sa’id Yahya made contact with his family through Facebook and told them that he had joined the fighting in the ranks of ISIS (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Kufiya Press, August 19 and 20, 2015).
Mixed reactions to the news of Yahya’s death in Syria were posted on a local Facebook page in Jenin. Some posters congratulated him on his action. Others asked why he went to fight in the ranks of ISIS, as Jerusalem is closer than Syria (Jenin al-Hadath Facebook page, August 19, 2015).

The conduct of the Islamic State

Murder of an archaeologist and destruction of antiquities in Palmyra

According to a report by a Syrian human rights organization, ISIS operatives beheaded a well-known archaeologist in the city of Palmyra and hung his body on a pole in the city square. The reason for his execution was apparently his refusal to reveal to his ISIS captors the location of the antiquities that were smuggled to safety before ISIS took over the city. Archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad, 82, was in charge of the antiquities of Palmyra for over 50 years. He was held by ISIS for over a month. He was initially interrogated and tortured and, after refusing to cooperate, he was executed (www.syriahr.com, August 23, 2015)
ISIS operatives blew up an ancient temple in the old city of Palmyra.They placed a large quantity of explosives in the Baal Shamin Temple, one of the largest well-preserved temples in the city, causing very serious damage (www.syriahr.com, August 24, 2015).

This is not the first time that ISIShas destroyed historic sites and rare archaeological items from the beginning of human civilization. The destruction of antiquities is due to ISIS’s perception that this is an infidel culture of idol worshippers. Nevertheless, ISIS trades in antiquities, including via the Internet, for the purpose of accumulating financial gains. To this end, ISIS has even set up an office of antiquities, whose activity is designed to maximize ISIS’s profits from the sale of antiquities that were seized by it in the territories that it has taken over in Syria and Iraq.

Stopping the flow of the Euphrates River to Iraq

According to reports by Iraqi sources, ISIS has dammed a large quantity of water of the Euphrates River in the Tabqa Dam in the city of Raqqa, which is under its control. The Iraqis say that they have asked Turkey to increase the flow of the Euphrates to Iraq. Turkey assented to the request and released large quantities of water, but ISIS stopped the flow of water to Iraq in the Tabqa Dam. According to the Iraqis, a delegation from the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources is currently in Syria in order to settle the issue (Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, August 18, 2015).

The global jihad in other countries

Libya

Overview

The Tobruk government in eastern Libya, which is recognized by the international community,called on Arab countries to carry out airstrikes against ISIS targets in Libya. At the same time, the government asked the UN Security Council to lift the arms embargo imposed on it because ISIS continues to take over large parts of it. According to the Libyan minister of information, if the embargo is lifted, ISIS could be defeated by the end of the year (The Guardian; Sputnik, August 21, 2015).
In response, ISIS called for a “general mobilization” of operatives for jihad in Libya. ISIS-affiliated Twitter accounts recently called for migration to Libya in order to “defend Islam in Libya”. On August 23, 2015, ISIS’s branch in Libya –the Tripoli province posted a video showing a senior ISIS operative codenamed Abu Ali al-Jazrawi. The senior operative called for a “general mobilization” of ISIS operatives to fight in Libya. He called the “general mobilization” “jihad” against the Tobruk government which is supported by the West. He noted that the call for jihad in Libya is more important than the call to join the jihad in the Arabian Peninsula, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. This is because of the need to “support Islam in Libya” (Al-Arabiya TV, August 23, 2015).

Sirte

According to AP reports, 80-200 Boko Haram operatives, who came from Nigeria, are now fighting in the city of Sirte alongside ISIS operatives, making an effort to establish their control over the city. Boko Haram pledged allegiance to ISIS in March 2015, and became the West Africa province of the Islamic Caliphate (AP, August 22, 2015). This report requires verification.

Derna

On August 23, 2015, an ISIS-affiliated Twitter account posted a link to photos of ISIS operatives after they took over part of the east coast area of the city of Derna (northeast Libya). The photos show, among other things, the building that contained the headquarters of the region’s security committee, the regional headquarters of the electric company and other headquarters, which are now in the hands of ISIS (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account; Justpaste.it, August 23, 2015). The city of Derna has fallen into the hands of a local jihadi group, and ISIS is now trying to regain control over it.

Yemen

On August 23, 2015, a UAE force managed to release British hostage Douglas Robert Semple, held in Aden by Al-Qaeda operatives. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that the hostage was fine and thanked the Gulf States for their help in his release. Douglas Robert Semple worked as an oil engineer in Yemen. He was abducted in February 2014 in Hadramawt, eastern Yemen (aawsat.com, August 23, 2015).
According to British media reports, state security officials in Yemen said that on August 22, 2015, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) operatives seized key positions in and around the city of Aden. According to these security officials, they are expanding their control over the region (independent.co.uk, August 23, 2015).

Uzbekistan

On August 21, 2015, ISIS posted a video entitled Message to the Army of Khorasan. The video shows ISIS operatives, one of them masked, with Asian-Muslim features. The Uzbek-language speaker congratulates the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) on its pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He also calls on Muslims from Khorasan to join ISIS. The speaker expresses the hope that all Muslims will unite under one flag (isdarat.tv website, August 21, 2015). On August 6, 2015, ISIS’s branch in Khorasan published a video documenting the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan’s pledge of allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (see Spotlight on Global Jihad, August 6-12, 2015).

Counterterrorism and preventive activity

Shooting attack in France (initial report)

On a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris, aman emerged from the toilet armed with Kalashnikov assault rifle and a knife, and opened fire on the passengers. Three passengers were injured. A number of passengers overcame the assailant and prevented mass killing. The passengers who overcame the attacker included two American citizens. One of them is a soldier who recently returned from Afghanistan and the other is a US Air Force paramedic.
The perpetrator was identified as Ayoub el-Khazani, 26, from Morocco, who had lived in Spain until last year. According to Spanish media reports, Ayoub el-Khazani is well known to the security agencies of France, Belgium and Spain as a member of radical Islamic movements. He left for Syria in 2014 and apparently served for some time in the ranks of ISIS (The Telegraph, August 22, 2015).

Turkey

Turkish security forces in the city of Kilis near the Syrian border detained 16 individuals suspected of attempting to join the ranks of ISIS. According to the security forces, 14 of the detainees are foreign nationals.They were detained two days after the detention of 22 suspected ISIS operatives by the Turkish security forces in the Elbeyli region (www.syriahr.com, August 22, 2015). These detentions may indicate a tightening of Turkish security measures against the foreign operatives who try to join ISIS.

Spain

According to Spain’s Interior Minister, during a joint operation with the Moroccan police, 14 people were detained in Morocco and Spain on suspicion of being part of a network of operatives who recruited civilians to join ISIS in Syria and Iraq and to carry out terrorist attacks in Morocco. One suspect was detained in a city outside Madrid, where he operated. Another 13 suspects were detained in several cities in Morocco (Fez, Casablanca, Nador, etc.). According to Spain’s Interior Minister, 126 civilians left Spain to join ISIS in recent years, and 25 of them were killed. An additional 25 have already returned to Spain. Ten of them were arrested and arrest warrants have been issued for the others (CNN; L’Express, August 25, 2015).

Germany

In an interview, German Interior Minister Thomas de Mazière said that since 2012, around 700 German nationals had joined the ranks of ISIS: around 100 German nationals were killed in the fighting and around a third of them managed to return to Germany. According to him, those who returned from the fighting are a source of concern among the German security services. He noted that the large number of those traveling from Germany reflects the difficulties in tracking people traveling to Syria and Iraq. This is because most of them use an alias and conceal their true identity. The German government plans to confiscate the documents of all those who left for the battle zones. The German authorities are also attempting to deal with all those who finance terrorist activities in Syria and Iraq (Daily Mail, August 23, 2015).

The battle for hearts and minds

Italy

In light of ISIS’s call for a “general mobilization” of Muslims to fight in Libya (see section on Libya), it has embarked on a campaign which stresses that Libya is “the key to Europe and the road to Rome”. In the ITIC’s assessment, this campaign is designed primarily to encourage foreign fighters to join ISIS in Libya, but it also embodies a threatening message against Italy. Here are some examples:

A Twitter account affiliated with ISIS in Libya: Masked ISIS operative saying “we will conquer Rome, Allah willing, this is a promise by our Prophet [Muhammad], Allah’s prayers upon Him and His blessing of peace” (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 23, 2015)

Call by an ISIS-affiliated Twitter account on Muslims in Tunisia, Algeria, Chad and Sudan to turn to Libya, because it is “the key to Europe and the road to Rome, Allah willing” (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 23, 2015)

An ISIS-affiliated Twitter account posted a picture of an ISIS flag waving on a building in Rome, under the caption “Oh soldiers of the Caliphate, come in your masses to the gate of the conquest of Rome” (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015)

A threatening message from ISIS to the Turkish leadership

SIS posted a Turkish-language video in which a Turkish-born operative addresses the residents of Turkey and threatens the President of Turkey and the PKK as well. The speaker, codenamed Abu Yusuf or Abu Ammar, a father of three from the city of Bursa, is a Turk who moved to Al-Raqqah (ISIS’s “capital city” in Syria). Two other Turkish nationals appeared with him in the video (Taraf, August 19, 2015).
In an interview given from the city of Al-Raqqah where he now lives, the operative says that the video was produced in order to convey messages to Turkish President Erdogan, the PKK and the Turkish people. He claims that the video was produced on their own initiative without any orders from on high, adding that they are now preparing a longer film. He says that around 2,000 Turks live in the area of Al-Raqqah, along with their families. There are also many Turks among the ISIS’s fighting forces (Taraf, August 19, 2015).

Turkish residents of Al-Raqqah, being used to convey propaganda threatening messages in Turkish (Taraf, August 19, 2015)

In the ITIC’s assessment, the threatening message was voiced in light of the Turkish security forces’ increased counterterrorism activities against foreign fighters attempting to reach Syria in order to join ISIS. Also in the background is Turkey’s intention to establish an “ISIS-free” zone in northern Syria, near the Turkish-Syrian border. In the ITIC’s assessment, this threatening message may be translated by ISIS into terrorist attacks against Turkey.

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^[1]The death of Al-Hiyali requires additional verification. According to previous Arab media reports, he was killed in an airstrike on Mosul on November 7, 2014.
^[2]The most prominent organization among them is the Ahrar al-Sham Islamic movement, an umbrella framework of Salafist-jihadi organizations that do not belong to ISIS or Al-Qaeda. Turkey reportedly intends to deploy the Islamic Ahrar al-Sham movement in northern Syria to create an ISIS-free zone in the region north of Aleppo (and south of the Turkish city of Kilis).
^[3]On May 19, 2013, Hezbollah began an attack on the Syrian city of Qusayr, which ended on June 5. During the fierce battles, Qusayr was cleansed of the presence of jihadi organizations. Following the takeover of Qusayr, Hezbollah established its security control in the northern Bekaa Valley and in the Qusayr area (in Syria), thereby enabling the Syrian Army to take control of the Jusia border crossing.

Spotlight on Global Jihad (August 20-26, 2015)

Published: 26/08/2015

Spotlight on Global Jihad

Photo of Fadhil al-Hiyali (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015).

Rocket parts containing mustard gas, allegedly used by ISIS in the town of Marea in northern Syria (Twitter account of Eliot Higgins, August 23, 2015)

Dozens of mortar bombs prepared by the Al-Nusra Front for launching at the Abu al-Duhur military airbase (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 20, 2015).

Mortar bombs being launched at the Abu al-Duhur military airbase

Al-Nusra Front operatives making preparations to block Syrian forces along the Arafit-Latakia route (Twitter account affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front, August 23, 2015

ISIS operative launching a mortar shell at a Syrian Army training ground near the village of Al-Huquf (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015)

Rockets and mortar shells being fired at an Iraqi Army base (Isdarat al-Dawla al-Islamiyya, August 20, 2015)

ISIS operative next to an ISIS flag in the middle of the base.

ISIS flag waving on the Al-Baraka Hotel in Baiji (Justpaste.it file-sharing website, August 22, 2015).

The oil refinery compound near the city of Baiji (Isdarat al-Dawla al-Islamiyya, August 22, 2015)

Mortar shell being fired from the oil refinery compound at Iraqi Army forces.

Abu Abdullah, the American suicide bomber who carried out a suicide bombing attack for ISIS in the city of Baiji (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 20, 2015)

Claim of responsibility for the attack in Cairo

Sa’id Mohammad Yahya from Jenin, who was killed in Syria in the ranks of ISIS, in a photo taken during his stay in Turkey

ISIS operatives at the headquarters of the electric company in the east coast area of Derna (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account; Justpaste.it, August 23, 2015).

Masked ISIS operative congratulating the IMU on its pledge of allegiance to ISIS (isdarat.tv website, August 21, 2015)

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Main events of the week

According to Turkish and Western media reports, the US and Turkey are planning to establish an “ISIS-free” buffer zone north of Aleppo, near the Turkish-Syrian border, in the area between the Jarabulus crossing and the town of Marea. This is an area of great importance to both ISIS and Turkey: ISIS’s vital logistics routes between Turkey and Syria pass through it. From a Turkish perspective, it serves as a buffer of sorts between the Kurdish-controlled areas to its east and west. It is now a battle zone between ISIS and several rebel organizations (some of which are apparently supported by Turkey and the United States). This week, according to Syrian sources, ISIS made use of mustard gas in the town of Marea. These reports require verification.
ISIS has called for a general mobilization of operatives to travel to Libya and carry out jihad in order to “defend Islam” in Libya. According to this call for jihad, Libya is the key to Rome. In the ITIC’s assessment, the call was made after the Tobruk government in eastern Libya asked the Arab countries to carry out airstrikes against ISIS targets and asked the UN Security Council to lift the arms embargo imposed on it. In the meantime, ISIS continues to establish its presence in the important city of Sirte, in north-central Libya, which has become its major stronghold in Libya and in North Africa in general.

The international campaign against ISIS

US and coalition airstrikes

This week, the US and coalition forces continued their airstrikes against ISIS targets. During the week, many dozens of airstrikes were carried out in Syria and Iraq by means of fighter planes, attack aircraft and UAVs.
Following are the main airstrikes (CENTCOM website):

Syria– this week the airstrikes were concentrated mainly in the area of Al-Hasakah, Aleppo, Al-Raqqah, Kobani and Ain Issa. The airstrikes damaged ISIS tactical units, battle positions, vehicles and checkpoints, among other things.
Iraq– the airstrikes were concentrated in the areas of Baiji, Fallujah, Kisik, Habbaniyah, Mokhtar, Mosul, Ramadi, Sinjar, Tal Afar, Rutba, Makhmur and Baghdadi. The airstrikes damaged ISIS tactical units, rocket launching positions, tunnels, weapons, vehicles, buildings and bunkers, among other things.

According to the US Air Forces Central Command, during the month of July 2015, in the campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, the United States carried out a record number of airstrikes. During the month, the Air Force carried out 2,828 airstrikes. The airstrikes in July 2015 represent a 66% increase compared to June (www.afcent.af.mil, July 31, 2015).

The killing of a senior ISIS operative

According to an announcement by the White House spokeswoman, Fadhil Ahmad al-Hiyali, aka Hajji Mutazz or Abu Muslem the Turkmen, was killed in a US airstrike on August 18, 2015. Al-Hiyali served as the senior deputy of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Fadhil Ahmad al-Hiyali was killed while driving his car near Mosul, along with a senior operative in ISIS’s media arm, codenamed Abu Abdullah.
According to the White House spokeswoman, Fadhil Ahmad al-Hiyali was a member of ISIS’s Shura Council and the “number 2” ISIS official. In this capacity, he coordinated the transfer of weapons, explosives, vehicles and operatives between Iraq and Syria. For over two years, he was also in charge of ISIS’s operations in Iraq, including the takeover of the city of Mosul in June 2014 (White House website, August 21, 2015)
Fadhil al-Hiyali, originally from the city of Tal Afar, was an officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Iraqi Republican Guard in the time of Saddam Hussein. He subsequently became an operative in Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and remained in the organization after it became ISIS (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015). According to the ITIC’s information, he served at the time as coordinator for the provinces of the Emirate of Iraq. According to the American announcement, Al-Hiyali’s importance in ISIS’s senior command apparently increased over the past year.^[1]

Training Syrian combatants to fight against ISIS

According to US officials, a second group of Syrian fighters, currently being trained in Turkey by instructors from the US Army and Britain, may be sent to Syria in the coming weeks. The US and Turkey are now cooperating in a new program, which should ensure that the new group of trainees will demonstrate far better capability than the first group. The two countries have pledged to provide air support to this group during combat. The United States refused to comment on the report and only confirmed the US’s commitment to the training program for Syrian combatants (Reuters, August 21, 2015).

An intention to establish a buffer zone in northern Syria

According to media reports, the US and Turkey have signed a memorandum of understanding under which the two countries will plan a military operation to take control of the region between Jarabulus and Marea (see map). After the area, which is approximately 98 km wide and 45 km deep, has been taken over, it will be “cleansed” of the presence of ISIS and handed over to the Free Syrian Army (World Bulletin, August 20, 2015). The agreement emphasizes that the areas that are “cleansed” of the presence of ISIS will be known as an ISIS-free zone and will not be transferred to the control of the Kurds under any circumstances (Hürriyet, August 20, 2015).

Australia joining in the airstrikes in Syria

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that his country was favorably considering the official request by the United States to participate in airstrikes against ISIS in Syria as part of the international coalition. Australia is a member of the coalition, and its air force was involved in airstrikes. However, until now, its airstrikes have been confined to Iraq (Reuters, August 21, 2015).

Main developments in Syria

Aleppo province

In the rural area north of Aleppo, fighting continues between ISIS and the rebel organizations.ISIS fired mortars at the town of Marea, which is controlled by the rebel organizations.
The director of the hospital in Marea said that ten casualties who arrived at the hospital were suffering from the effects of asphyxiation, red eyes, flushed skin and edema, all symptoms that are characteristic of chemical weapons attacks (Al-Durar al-Shamiya, August 22, 2015). Brig. Gen. Zaher al-Saket, who formerly served in the Syrian Army’s chemical warfare administration and subsequently defected from Syria, said that ISIS used mustard gas in its attack on the town of Marea on August 22, 2015. According to Al-Saket, the photos of the shells, the injuries and the fact that the symptoms are slow to appear all prove that chemical weapons were used, apparently from Iraqi Army warehouses (SNN, August 22, 2015).
At the same time, fighting continues in the area of the Kuweyres military airbase east of Aleppo: ISIS operatives detonated a car bomb by means of a suicide bomber at the Kuweyres military airbase (Aks al-Sir, August 24, 2015). An ISIS-affiliated Twitter account posted a claim of responsibility by ISIS’s Aleppo province for the suicide bombing attack carried out on August 21, 2015. According to the posting, the suicide bomber, codenamed Abu Bakr the Turkestani, was driving a booby-trapped APC, which he detonated in a concentration of Syrian Army forces at the airbase. The explosion killed and injured dozens of Syrian soldiers and officers (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015).

Idlib province

On August 24, 2015, clashes were reported near the Abu ad-Duhur military airbase south of Aleppo, between rebel forces led by the Al-Nusra Front and the Syrian Army. The Al-Nusra Front reportedly tried to take control of the airbase under cover of mortar fire. During the clashes, the Syrian Air Force attacked the Al-Nusra Front force (www.syriahr.com, August 24, 2015). Neither side apparently has the upper hand in the battle over the airbase.

Latakia province

On August 23, 2015, a Twitter account affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front posted photos of its armed operatives making preparations to block Syrian forces along the Arafit-Latakia route, about 42 km northeast of Latakia (Twitter account affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front, August 23, 2015).

The Syrian-Lebanese border

Battles are reportedly taking place between ISIS and Hezbollah at the Jusia border crossing on the Lebanese-Syrian border (www.syriahr.com, August 18, 2015).

As-Suwayda province

On August 22, 2015, the owner of an ISIS-affiliated Twitter account posted photos showing ISIS operatives launching mortar shells at a Syrian Army training ground near the village of Al-Huquf (located around 35 km northeast of the city of As-Suwayda) (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015). According to recent evidence, there is a presence of ISIS operatives in the area, which has a large Druze population.

Main developments in Iraq

Al-Anbar province

Ramadi

Clashes between ISIS and the Iraqi Army in the city of Ramadi continue. This week the Iraqi Army reportedly suffered heavy losses in these clashes:

On August 23, 2015, the Iraqi security forces confirmed that 17 Iraqi Army soldiers and six other fighters were killed in an attack carried out by ISIS suicide bombers in rural Jaramshah, near Ramadi (Daily Mail, August 23, 2015).
On August 21, 2015, 50 Iraqi Army soldiers were killed in two ambushes set by ISIS operatives in the Ramadi area. In consequence, according to British media reports, the Iraqi Defense Minister dismissed the Iraqi Army commander in the area (Daily Mail, August 23, 2015).

Haditha

On August 20, 2015, ISIS released photos documenting the firing of rockets and mortars at an Iraqi Army base near the city of Haditha (Isdarat al-Dawla al-Islamiyya, August 20, 2015).

Fallujah

ISIS posted a video documenting an attack carried out by its operatives against an Iraqi Army base in the area of Fallujah. ISIS reported that some soldiers from the base were killed while the rest fled for their lives, and that ISIS seized a large quantity of weapons (Isdarat al-Dawla al-Islamiyya, August 20, 2015).

Salah al-Din province

Baiji

The struggle over control of the city of Baiji continues. According to a report by ISIS, on August 21, 2015, its operatives took over most of the western part of the city. ISIS has released photos indicating its control over the area (Justpaste.it file-sharing website, August 22, 2015). In a video posted on August 22, 2015, ISIS claims to have control over the refinery compound near the city as well.
An American suicide bomber codenamed Abu Abdullah the American carried out a suicide bombing attack during an attack on an Iraqi Army checkpoint in the city of Baiji. The suicide bomber’s photo was posted on social networks. According to ISIS’s announcement, the American suicide bomber was driving a car loaded with explosives and blew himself up at a checkpoint in southwestern Baiji. Two other suicide bombers (one Tajik and one Iraqi) carried out simultaneous suicide bombing attacks against Iraqi Army checkpoints. This is not the first time that an American ISIS operative has been involved in a suicide bombing attack. In early 2015, ISIS announced that a terrorist codenamed Abu Daoud the American had carried out a suicide bombing attack near the city of Samarra, north of Baghdad (Al-Arabiya TV, August 19, 2015).

Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula

ISIS’s Sinai province’s campaign against the Egyptian security forces

During the week, the Egyptian security forces continued their intensive counterterrorism activities against operatives of the Sinai province of the Islamic State. As part of the operation, the Egyptian security forces have carried out numerous airstrikes, mainly against terrorist bases in the area of Al-Arish, Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid. The Egyptian forces hit car bombs and motorcycles, blew up several houses, neutralized IEDs, killed several dozen operatives and detained several dozen suspects.
On August 19, 2015, ISIS’s Sinai branch issued a statement claiming responsibility for attacks carried out during the past month. These attacks included, among others, attacks against the homes of Egyptian policemen in the area of Al-Arish; detonating IEDs against Egyptian Army tanks and vehicles in the area of Sheikh Zuweid and Al-Arish; an attack on an Egyptian Army checkpoint on the Sheikh Zuweid-Rafah highway; and the execution of the Croatian citizen who was abducted in Egypt (www.archive.org file-sharing website, August 19, 2015). In addition, on August 19, 2015, ISIS’s Sinai province claimed responsibility for a bomb blast against an Egyptian Army APC near the police station in Sheikh Zuweid (ISIS’s Twitter account, August 19, 2015).

Attacks in Egypt

ISIS’s branch in Egypt claimed responsibility for blowing up two government buildings in Cairo on August 20, 2015.According to preliminary reports, around thirty people were wounded in the explosions. The two buildings that were attacked were the courthouse and the National Security building. According to ISIS, the attack was carried out in retaliation for the execution of six people who, according to the Egyptian authorities, were members of a terrorist cell charged with killing a number of Egyptian soldiers in 2014 (The Guardian, August 20, 2015).

Palestinians and Israeli Arabs

Jenin resident killed fighting in the ranks of ISIS in Syria

The Palestinian media reported the death of Sa’id Mohammad Yahya from Jenin, while fighting in the ranks of ISIS in Syria. He was killed on August 17, 2015, near Aleppo, in an airstrike against one of ISIS’s strongholds. Sa’id Mohammad Yahya left Jenin seven months ago, on completion of his undergraduate studies, claiming that he intended to work in Sweden (where his brother was staying). He went to Turkey in order to enter Syria and join ISIS. According to reports by Palestinian sources, Sa’id Yahya made contact with his family through Facebook and told them that he had joined the fighting in the ranks of ISIS (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Kufiya Press, August 19 and 20, 2015).
Mixed reactions to the news of Yahya’s death in Syria were posted on a local Facebook page in Jenin. Some posters congratulated him on his action. Others asked why he went to fight in the ranks of ISIS, as Jerusalem is closer than Syria (Jenin al-Hadath Facebook page, August 19, 2015).

The conduct of the Islamic State

Murder of an archaeologist and destruction of antiquities in Palmyra

According to a report by a Syrian human rights organization, ISIS operatives beheaded a well-known archaeologist in the city of Palmyra and hung his body on a pole in the city square. The reason for his execution was apparently his refusal to reveal to his ISIS captors the location of the antiquities that were smuggled to safety before ISIS took over the city. Archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad, 82, was in charge of the antiquities of Palmyra for over 50 years. He was held by ISIS for over a month. He was initially interrogated and tortured and, after refusing to cooperate, he was executed (www.syriahr.com, August 23, 2015)
ISIS operatives blew up an ancient temple in the old city of Palmyra.They placed a large quantity of explosives in the Baal Shamin Temple, one of the largest well-preserved temples in the city, causing very serious damage (www.syriahr.com, August 24, 2015).

Stopping the flow of the Euphrates River to Iraq

According to reports by Iraqi sources, ISIS has dammed a large quantity of water of the Euphrates River in the Tabqa Dam in the city of Raqqa, which is under its control. The Iraqis say that they have asked Turkey to increase the flow of the Euphrates to Iraq. Turkey assented to the request and released large quantities of water, but ISIS stopped the flow of water to Iraq in the Tabqa Dam. According to the Iraqis, a delegation from the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources is currently in Syria in order to settle the issue (Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, August 18, 2015).

The global jihad in other countries

Libya

Overview

The Tobruk government in eastern Libya, which is recognized by the international community,called on Arab countries to carry out airstrikes against ISIS targets in Libya. At the same time, the government asked the UN Security Council to lift the arms embargo imposed on it because ISIS continues to take over large parts of it. According to the Libyan minister of information, if the embargo is lifted, ISIS could be defeated by the end of the year (The Guardian; Sputnik, August 21, 2015).
In response, ISIS called for a “general mobilization” of operatives for jihad in Libya. ISIS-affiliated Twitter accounts recently called for migration to Libya in order to “defend Islam in Libya”. On August 23, 2015, ISIS’s branch in Libya –the Tripoli province posted a video showing a senior ISIS operative codenamed Abu Ali al-Jazrawi. The senior operative called for a “general mobilization” of ISIS operatives to fight in Libya. He called the “general mobilization” “jihad” against the Tobruk government which is supported by the West. He noted that the call for jihad in Libya is more important than the call to join the jihad in the Arabian Peninsula, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. This is because of the need to “support Islam in Libya” (Al-Arabiya TV, August 23, 2015).

Sirte

According to AP reports, 80-200 Boko Haram operatives, who came from Nigeria, are now fighting in the city of Sirte alongside ISIS operatives, making an effort to establish their control over the city. Boko Haram pledged allegiance to ISIS in March 2015, and became the West Africa province of the Islamic Caliphate (AP, August 22, 2015). This report requires verification.

Derna

On August 23, 2015, an ISIS-affiliated Twitter account posted a link to photos of ISIS operatives after they took over part of the east coast area of the city of Derna (northeast Libya). The photos show, among other things, the building that contained the headquarters of the region’s security committee, the regional headquarters of the electric company and other headquarters, which are now in the hands of ISIS (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account; Justpaste.it, August 23, 2015). The city of Derna has fallen into the hands of a local jihadi group, and ISIS is now trying to regain control over it.

Yemen

On August 23, 2015, a UAE force managed to release British hostage Douglas Robert Semple, held in Aden by Al-Qaeda operatives. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that the hostage was fine and thanked the Gulf States for their help in his release. Douglas Robert Semple worked as an oil engineer in Yemen. He was abducted in February 2014 in Hadramawt, eastern Yemen (aawsat.com, August 23, 2015).
According to British media reports, state security officials in Yemen said that on August 22, 2015, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) operatives seized key positions in and around the city of Aden. According to these security officials, they are expanding their control over the region (independent.co.uk, August 23, 2015).

Uzbekistan

On August 21, 2015, ISIS posted a video entitled Message to the Army of Khorasan. The video shows ISIS operatives, one of them masked, with Asian-Muslim features. The Uzbek-language speaker congratulates the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) on its pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He also calls on Muslims from Khorasan to join ISIS. The speaker expresses the hope that all Muslims will unite under one flag (isdarat.tv website, August 21, 2015). On August 6, 2015, ISIS’s branch in Khorasan published a video documenting the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan’s pledge of allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (see Spotlight on Global Jihad, August 6-12, 2015).

Counterterrorism and preventive activity

Shooting attack in France (initial report)

On a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris, aman emerged from the toilet armed with Kalashnikov assault rifle and a knife, and opened fire on the passengers. Three passengers were injured. A number of passengers overcame the assailant and prevented mass killing. The passengers who overcame the attacker included two American citizens. One of them is a soldier who recently returned from Afghanistan and the other is a US Air Force paramedic.
The perpetrator was identified as Ayoub el-Khazani, 26, from Morocco, who had lived in Spain until last year. According to Spanish media reports, Ayoub el-Khazani is well known to the security agencies of France, Belgium and Spain as a member of radical Islamic movements. He left for Syria in 2014 and apparently served for some time in the ranks of ISIS (The Telegraph, August 22, 2015).

Turkey

Turkish security forces in the city of Kilis near the Syrian border detained 16 individuals suspected of attempting to join the ranks of ISIS. According to the security forces, 14 of the detainees are foreign nationals.They were detained two days after the detention of 22 suspected ISIS operatives by the Turkish security forces in the Elbeyli region (www.syriahr.com, August 22, 2015). These detentions may indicate a tightening of Turkish security measures against the foreign operatives who try to join ISIS.

Spain

According to Spain’s Interior Minister, during a joint operation with the Moroccan police, 14 people were detained in Morocco and Spain on suspicion of being part of a network of operatives who recruited civilians to join ISIS in Syria and Iraq and to carry out terrorist attacks in Morocco. One suspect was detained in a city outside Madrid, where he operated. Another 13 suspects were detained in several cities in Morocco (Fez, Casablanca, Nador, etc.). According to Spain’s Interior Minister, 126 civilians left Spain to join ISIS in recent years, and 25 of them were killed. An additional 25 have already returned to Spain. Ten of them were arrested and arrest warrants have been issued for the others (CNN; L’Express, August 25, 2015).

Germany

In an interview, German Interior Minister Thomas de Mazière said that since 2012, around 700 German nationals had joined the ranks of ISIS: around 100 German nationals were killed in the fighting and around a third of them managed to return to Germany. According to him, those who returned from the fighting are a source of concern among the German security services. He noted that the large number of those traveling from Germany reflects the difficulties in tracking people traveling to Syria and Iraq. This is because most of them use an alias and conceal their true identity. The German government plans to confiscate the documents of all those who left for the battle zones. The German authorities are also attempting to deal with all those who finance terrorist activities in Syria and Iraq (Daily Mail, August 23, 2015).

The battle for hearts and minds

Italy

In light of ISIS’s call for a “general mobilization” of Muslims to fight in Libya (see section on Libya), it has embarked on a campaign which stresses that Libya is “the key to Europe and the road to Rome”. In the ITIC’s assessment, this campaign is designed primarily to encourage foreign fighters to join ISIS in Libya, but it also embodies a threatening message against Italy. Here are some examples:

A threatening message from ISIS to the Turkish leadership

SIS posted a Turkish-language video in which a Turkish-born operative addresses the residents of Turkey and threatens the President of Turkey and the PKK as well. The speaker, codenamed Abu Yusuf or Abu Ammar, a father of three from the city of Bursa, is a Turk who moved to Al-Raqqah (ISIS’s “capital city” in Syria). Two other Turkish nationals appeared with him in the video (Taraf, August 19, 2015).
In an interview given from the city of Al-Raqqah where he now lives, the operative says that the video was produced in order to convey messages to Turkish President Erdogan, the PKK and the Turkish people. He claims that the video was produced on their own initiative without any orders from on high, adding that they are now preparing a longer film. He says that around 2,000 Turks live in the area of Al-Raqqah, along with their families. There are also many Turks among the ISIS’s fighting forces (Taraf, August 19, 2015).

Turkish residents of Al-Raqqah, being used to convey propaganda threatening messages in Turkish (Taraf, August 19, 2015)

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Khamenei speaks at the Ahl al-Bayt conference.

Hassan Firouzabadi

Foreign Minister Zarif meets with President Assad

Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, who was wounded in Syria and buried in Mashhad, Iran

The funeral held in southern Tehran for four Fatmioun Brigade fighters

Zarif meets with Nasrallah.

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Overview

A conference of the Ahl al-Bayt World Assembly was held in Tehran. Senior officials of the Iranian regime used the platform to stress Iran's commitment to supporting its regional allies even in the post nuclear-agreement era, including the provision of weapons.
The Iranian foreign minister visited Syria and Lebanon, emphasizing Iran's support of Syria and Hezbollah.
More fighters in the Shi'ite Afghan brigade serving in Syria under the aegis of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IIRG) were killed.
There has been extensive media coverage of the crisis in Iran-Hamas relations in the wake of Khaled Mashaal's visit to Saudi Arabia.
Iran has increased its activity in the international arena due to the Saudi attacks in Yemen and the defeats incurred by the Houthi rebels.

Senior Iranian Officials' Statements on Iran's Regional Involvement

In Tehran this past week a conference was held of the Ahl al-Bayt, which operates under the supervision of the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and whose task is to spread Shi'a around the globe. The Supreme Leader gave a speech in which he stressed the need to fight the United States' escalating efforts to infiltrate the region and increase its political influence. He claimed that when the Americans and "Zionists" saw the regimes in Tunisia and Egypt collapse they decided to topple the other countries in the Middle East, beginning with Syria.
He claimed the wars currently being fought in Iraq, Syria and Yemen were political, not religious wars, and stressed that Iran was committed to supporting "the oppressed people" in the Middle East, whether Shi'ite or Sunni. He added that Iran regarded the Palestinian problem as the most important issue facing the Arab-Muslim world and would support anyone who fought against Israel. He claimed that contrary to what was alleged about Iran, it did not intervene in the internal affairs of other states, like Bahrain and Yemen, but would continue to support the peoples of the region (Fars News Agency, August 17, 2015).

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani told the conference that the Islamic Revolution in Iran flew the flag of Islamic renaissance throughout the world. He gave the examples of the anti-Israeli "resistance" in Lebanon, the Islamic movements in Turkey and North Africa and the Islamic movements throughout the Muslim world as indicating the Islamic renaissance that had begun with the Islamic Revolution in Iran. He stressed the need for Islamic unity, which he claimed Iran advocated, which transcended the differences between Shi'ites and Sunnis. Regarding Islamic extremism in the Middle East, he said those who employed violence and destroyed mosques and churches did not represent true Islam (Fars News Agency, August 15, 2015).
Ali-Akbar Velayati, the Supreme Leader's advisor for international affairs, told the conference that Iran would continue to support the "resistance front" and that the nuclear agreement would make it possible to increase Iran's support for its regional allies. He said the situation of the resistance front had improved (Fars News Agency, August 15, 2015).
The statements made by senior Iranian officials at the Ahl al-Bayt conference clearly indicated Iran's attempt to impress its allies with its commitment to continue supporting them even after the nuclear agreement with the West. The speeches of the senior officials also reflected Iran's approach to the rise and strengthening of ISIS and radical Sunni Islam: Shi'a-Sunni collaboration to fight radical Islam.
Interviewed by Tasnim News, Ali-Akbar Velayati said Iran would not allow the United States to again extend its political influence in the region. He said that as far as Iran was concerned, it made no difference whether the Americans tried to return to the Middle East through Iran, Iraq or Syria. The United States had been expelled from Iran during the Islamic Revolution, expelled from Iraq and had failed in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. They were now trying to regain their influence in Iraq, Syria and other Islamic states, but the Middle Eastern countries and people, led by Iran, had awakened and were standing firm (Tasnim News, August 17, 2015).
Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, said Iran would continue providing weapons to support the Middle Eastern countries fighting terrorism. Speaking at a conference held in Tehran to discuss the nuclear agreement between Iran and the foreign powers, he said that Iran intended to preserve its defensive capabilities and send weapons to its regional allies. He said that without Iran and the weapons it provided to the countries fighting terrorism, the capital cities of the Middle East would have been occupied by ISIS (Fars News Agency, August 9, 2015).
Hassan Firouzabadi, chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, claimed the Iraqi government had recently made significant gains in its fight against terrorism and proved its ability to preserve Iraq's independence and territorial integrity.
Regarding the situation in Syria, he said the Syrian regime had proved it could overcome its opponents, and protect Syria's national interests and its constitution. He was certain, he said, that Islamic terrorist groups, especially ISIS, would eventually be eliminated. He claimed he was also optimistic about the situation in Yemen, and said that regardless of the strong support for those loyal to the former Yemeni government, they could not win.
Firouzabadi also discussed the situation in Bahrain, saying Bahrainis should not be oppressed and that the government of Bahrain had to reach an understanding with the opposition and release its leaders from prison (Defa Press, August 9, 2015).

Masoud Jazaeri, deputy commander of the Iranian army, told a press conference that Iran did not need a physical presence in Syria, Iraq or Yemen because their governments and people could defend themselves. That was his response to recent media reports about the presence of Iranian forces in northern Syria (Fars News Agency, August 17, 2015).
More than 70 members of the Majlis (the Iranian parliament) signed a letter to Iranian president Rouhani demanding continued Iranian support for the regional resistance front after the nuclear agreement. They called on the president to use the ministries of defense and foreign affairs to send aid to the Palestinians in accordance with instructions from the Supreme Leader to arm the Palestinians in the West Bank. Javad Karimi Qoddousi, a member of the Majlis national security and foreign relations committee, said that all the senior Iranian officials had to support aid for the Palestinian people and the resistance front so that the nuclear agreement would not be exploited to strengthen Israel's security (Fars News Agency, August 18, 2015).

Iranian Intervention in Syria

On August 12, 2015 Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif paid a visit to Syria and met with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Minister of Defense Walid al-Mualem to discuss the ongoing Syrian crisis. Zarif stressed Iran's determination to continue its support of Syria and said the fate of Syria had to be determined by the Syrian people without foreign intervention (IRNA, August 12, 2015).
On August 11, 2015, the London-based Arabic language website Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that the Iranian initiative presented by Foreign Minister Zarif to resolve the Syrian crisis included a ceasefire between the regime and the opposition. Both sides would retain the areas they currently controlled, would collaborate against ISIS with support from the international coalition, negotiate for the establishment of a national unity government, draft a new constitution and hold elections under international supervision.
In the meantime, the Syrian opposition accused Iran of trying to change regional demography near the capital city of Damascus. According to opposition sources, Iran demanded that within the framework of resolving the Syrian crisis, Sunnis living in Al-Zabadani would be moved to territories under rebel control in northern Syria and Shi'ites from the Shi'ite villages of Fu'ah and Kefraya would be moved to territories under the control of the Syrian regime (Al-Jazeera, August 15, 2015).
Hossein Amir Abdollahian, deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, met in Tehran with Omran al-Zoubi, the Syrian minister of information. Abdollahian told him that Iran would pursue its current strategy in Syria and wound not change its position regarding the fight against extremism or its support for Syria. He said Iran's support of its neighbors was the top priority of its foreign policy (Mehr News Agency, August 16, 2015).
Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, an Afghan fighter in the Fatmioun Brigade operating under the aegis of the IIRG, who was wounded half a year ago by a land mine in Daraa in Syria, died on August 6, 2015, and was buried in Mashhad, Iran (Modafeon.ir, August 7, 2015).
On August 13, 2015, a funeral was held in Tehran for Mehdi Ahmadi, Salman Qalandari, Esmail Hosseini and Abdollah Didari, four Fatmioun Brigade fighters killed in Syria a number of weeks ago (Masriq News, August 14, 2015).
A funeral was held in Isfahan for Hassan Moradi and Ali-Reza Nazeri, also Fatmioun Brigade fighters killed in Syria, and on August 20, 2015, two other Fatmioun Brigade fighters were buried in Karaj in Iran's Alborz Province (Modafeon.ir, August 11 and 19, 2015). So far more than 120 Afghan fighters have been killed in the fighting in Syria.

Saeed Ohadi, head of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, said in a statement that Iranians would soon be able to make pilgrimages to the sites in Syria holy to Shi'a once again, after coordination with senior Syrian officials and with the authorization of the Iran's Supreme National Security Council. He said a Syrian delegation would arrive in Tehran in the near future to examine ways to renew pilgrimages. When the Syrian civil war broke out in March 2012, the Iranian government forbade Iranians from going on pilgrimages to Syria (IRNA, August 17, 2015).

Iranian Intervention in Lebanon

On August 11-12, 2015, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Lebanon where he met with senior officials in the Lebanese government and Hezbollah. They discussed regional developments and bilateral relations. Meeting with Nabih Berri, chairman of the Lebanese Parliament, and Lebanese Foreign Minister Samir Moqbel, Zarif said the nuclear agreement between Iran and the West would prepare the ground for increased collaboration among regional countries in the fight against extremism and terrorism. Meeting with Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, he praised Hezbollah and said that all the political groups in Lebanon had to collaborate against the "Zionist plots and extremist groups" (IRNA, August 12, 2015). Meeting with representatives of Lebanese and Palestinian organizations, Zarif said that Iran would always support the "resistance" against "the Zionist regime" and that the nuclear agreement was a victory for the resistance and a day of mourning for the Israeli prime minister (ISNA, August 12, 2015).
Ali Larijani, chairman of the Iranian Majlis, sent letters to Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah and Lebanese Parliament chairman Nabih Berri congratulating them on the anniversary of the Second Lebanon War. He praised Hezbollah and the Lebanese people for their "great victory" (Mehr News Agency, August 14, 2015). In addition, the Iranian foreign ministry issued a statement congratulating the Lebanese people, the government of Lebanon, the Lebanese army and Hezbollah, and stressing Iran's continuing commitment to supporting Lebanon. It called the war a symbol of the resistance and fortitude of the Lebanese people against Israel (ISNA, August 15, 2015).
Conservative senior cleric Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami, Tehran's interim Friday prayers leader, visited Lebanon, where he met with Lebanese Shi'ite clerics. Visiting the grave of Abbas Mussawi, the Hezbollah secretary general killed by Israel in 1992, Khatami praised Hezbollah and said that as long as there was even one oppressed person left on earth, the Islamic Revolution would follow the path of resistance against "arrogance" (Hawza News, August 9 2015).
In the middle of August, Hojjat-ul-Islam Seyyed Mohammad Hossein al-Ayub, director of foreign relations for Iran's religious seminaries, visited Lebanon, where he met with Lebanese clerics (Hawza News, August 17, 2015).

Iranian Intervention in Iraq

Ammar al-Hakim, chairman of the Iraqi Supreme Islamic Council, visited Iran last week to participate in the Ahl al-Bayt conference. On August 18, 2015, he told Iran's ABNA news agency that without the advice Iraq had received from Qasem Soleimani, commander of the IRCG's Qods Force, it could not have opposed ISIS to the extent it had. Al-Hakim also met with senior Iranian officials, among them Zarif, the foreign minister, and Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
Iraqi media sources reported that Qasem Soleimani, commander of the IRGC's Qods Force, had recently arrived in Baghdad to convince the Iraqi government not to bring former Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-Maliki to trial. Following a parliamentary investigation, Al-Maliki is expected to be tried for his responsibility for the fall of Mosul to ISIS last year and his alleged involvement in corruption (Okaz, August 17, 2015).

Iranian Intervention in Yemen

Eshaq Jahangiri, Iranian vice president, met with Peter Maurer, the president of the Red Cross. Jahangiri told him that Iran was prepared to increase its humanitarian aid to Yemen through the Red Cross. He said the crisis in Yemen could only be resolved through dialogue between the various Yemeni groups and called on the Red Cross to increase its humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people (IRNA, August 12, 2015).
Hossein Amir Abdollahian, deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, held a telephone conversation with Ismail Weld al-Sheikh Ahmad, the UN secretary general's envoy for Yemeni affairs. They discussed recent developments in Yemen and UN plans for a ceasefire between the various warring Yemeni groups. Abdollahian stressed the need to immediately end Saudi Arabia's attacks in Yemen, to lift the siege of Yemen and to seek a political solution for the crisis (Tabnak, August 14, 2015). In recent weeks forces loyal to the exile Yemeni government retook a number of cities in Yemen (including the important port city of Aden) from the Iran-supported Houthi Shi'ite rebels.

Iranian Intervention in the Palestinian Arena

On August 11, 2015, Mahmoud al-Zahar, a member of the Hamas leadership, told a Filastin al-Yawm reporter that in the near future a Hamas delegation would visit Iran. He claimed relations between Hamas and Iran were good and that Hamas had to mobilize resources from all the Arab-Muslim countries to support the resistance in Palestine. He claimed Iran had to give the Palestinian resistance unconditional, unlimited support just as Hamas did not present any conditions or raise any obstacles in its relations with Iran. He made the statements following the continuing media reports of a crisis in Hamas-Iran relations. The reports included Tehran's cancellation of a planned Hamas delegation visit in the wake of the visit last month of Khaled Mashaal, Hamas leader, to Saudi Arabia.
On August 16, 2015, Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of the Majlis National Security Committee, responded to reports in the daily newspaper Aftab Yazd about the visit to Tehran planned by Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the Palestinian Authority. He said the visit did not herald a change in Iran's position regarding the Palestinians, but that it had to be remembered that Iran always supported Hamas. He said only one jihadi group in Hamas had relations with Iran, while other groups and individuals, such as Ismail Haniya and Khaled Mashaal, operated separately.
Ardestani said Iran had supported Hamas during the war in the Gaza Strip [Operation Protective Edge], but that Hamas's position on Syria was contrary to Iran's. In addition, Hamas supported Saudi Arabia despite the Saudi army's attacks on Yemen. Therefore, Iran had to use the rivalry between Hamas and Fatah to exert influence on Hamas. He said Hamas understood financial consideration could not be a reason for collaboration with Saudi Arabia.
Ardestani said Iran did not expect Hamas to take a position contrary to Iran's on Syria or Yemen because Iran was Hamas' only support in its war against Israel. He stressed that Iran did not want to exchange Hamas for Fatah but rather to make it clear to Hamas that if it changed its position, Iran could support Fatah as well. Iran, he claimed, had no intention of abandoning Hamas but rather wanted to create a balance between Hamas and Fatah, and if in the future the two movements established a stable government that operated against Israel, Iran would definitely have ties to both movements.
Interviewed by the Palestinian news website Al-Resalah, Hossein Sheikholeslam, international advisor to the chairman of the Majlis, said that Iran had rejected Mahmoud Abbas's request to visit Iran. He said Iran had strategic relations with Hamas and no one could harm the friendship between them (Fars News Agency, August 19, 2015).

Iranian Intervention in the Gulf States

The Bahraini police force said in an announcement that it had exposed a direct Iranian-Hezbollah connection to the terrorist attack in Bahrain on July 28, 2015, in which two security force members were killed in an IED explosion. According to the announcement, the five suspects arrested for involvement in the attack admitted they were connected to the IRGC and Hezbollah. Following the announcement the Iranian foreign ministry again denied Iran was in any way involved in terrorist attacks carried out in Bahraini territory (Press TV, August 13, 2015).

Iranian Religious and Propagation Activities around the Globe

A delegation of clerics from Senegal recently visited the Iranian cultural center in Dakar. The delegation included the Friday prayer leader in one of the large mosques in Dakar and members of Senegal's Islamic clerical council. They met with Hassan Zakeri, cultural attaché to the Iranian embassy in Senegal, and discussed ways to increase bilateral religious collaboration (Hawza News, August 10 2015).

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Overview

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, stressed that Iran would continue to support the Palestinians, Yemenis, Syrians, Iraqis, Bahrainis and Lebanese even after the nuclear deal had been signed. (That is, Iran will continue supporting terrorist organizations and th Iranian-sponsored Shi'ite militias operating in those countries.)
Two high-ranking Iranian officers were killed in Syria; a Basij operative was killed in Iraq.
The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps – Qods Force (IRGC-QF) called Iran's support for Syria "a supreme religious obligation."
The visit paid by senior Hamas official Khaled Mashaal to Saudi Arabia was severely criticized by Iran.

Senior Iranian Officials' Statements on Iran's Regional Involvement

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, delivering an Eid al-Fitr sermon, said that whether the nuclear deal were approved or not, Iran would not stop supporting its regional friends. He claimed Iran would always support the Palestinian people, Yemen, the Syrian government and people, Iraq, the people of Bahrain and the fighters in Lebanon and Palestine (Fars News Agency, July 18, 2015). In protest, Bahrain summoned the Iranian chargé d'affaires in Manama to clarify Khamenei's remarks (Press TV, July 19, 2015).
Ali-Akbar Velayati, advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for international affairs, said in a newspaper interview that he did not expect Iran to change its regional policies after the nuclear deal. Iran, he said, was determined to continue supporting Iraq in its struggle against the terrorism threatening all the countries of the region and the countries of the West as well. He noted that Iran's support of the peoples of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen was a humanitarian and Islamic duty. He added that fighting terrorism beyond the borders of Iran was vital for ensuring Iran's territorial integrity and political life. The fight against terrorism and the struggle against American and other foreign intervention in regional affairs was, he claimed, part of the Iran's strategic mission. He also claimed the United States had recently approached Iran to request talks about the developments in Syria and Yemen, but that Iran had denied the request (Fars News Agency, July 21, 2015).
On July 22, 2015, the Entekhab website reported that during the nuclear talks held between Iran and the P5+1, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, had defended the IRGC's regional activities, rejecting Western criticism of actions taken by the Qods Force and its commander, Qasem Soleimani. According to the report, Zarif told Western representatives that if Soleimani had not stood up to ISIS and other Islamic extremists in Syria and Iraq, today the West would be facing a different situation in many cities in both countries.

Iranian Intervention in Syria

Two high-ranking IRGC officers were killed in Syria during the past two weeks. Colonel Hajj Karim Ghavabash, 48, from Khuzestan Province was killed in Syria on July 11, 2015 (Modafeon.blog.ir, July 12, 2015). He was buried in Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan Province, on July 16, 2015 (Defa Press, July 16, 2015).
Also killed was Qasem Gharib, 33, from Golestan Province (qasemsoleimani.ir website, July 13, 2015). He was buried in Gorgan in Golestan on July 14, 2015 (Defa Press, July 15, 2015)

On July 20, 2015, the Abna News Agency reported that Seyyed Ali Ja'fari had been released in a military action on July 19, 2015. Ja'fari was a Fatmioun battalion^[1] fighter taken captive seven months ago during the campaign to liberate the city of Al-Shaykh Maskin in Daraa (Syria).

Hojjat-ul-Islam Ali Sa'idi, the Supreme Leader's representative in the IRGC, met with Basij and IRGC fighters. He told them that Iran's support of Syria should not be criticized because the resistance front in Syria was the forward front against "the Zionist regime and global arrogance." If, he said, the Syrian front fell, the other fronts would fall as well.
Qasem Soleimani, commander of the IRGC's Qods Force, met with veterans of the Iran-Iraq war and families of the war's martyrs who had defended the Zaynab shrine in Damascus. He told them that defending a holy site had been defined as a supreme religious obligation by Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution, (armanekerman.ir website, July 17, 2015).

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halki asked Iran to use the nuclear deal and the expected thawing of Iranian assets frozen abroad to increase investment in Syria and increase its loans (Asr-e Iran, July 17, 2015).

Iranian Intervention in Iraq

Javad Koohsari, 29, a Basij fighter from Mashhad, was killed in Iraq on July 17, 2015 (qasamsoleimani.ir website, July 21, 2015).
On July 17, 2015, an IRGC-affiliated Facebook page posted a picture of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC's Qods Force, at a recent meeting with the commanders of the Jihad Battalions militia and with Abu-Mahdi al-Muhandis, commander of the Hezbollah Battalions militia, which operates under Iranian aegis. The objective of the meeting was allegedly to plan the campaign for the occupation of the Iraqi city of Fallujah in Al-Anbar Province.

On July 21, 2015, Qasem Soleimani attended a ceremony held in Tehran in memory of the commander of Badr Force operations in Iraq, Abu-Muntazer al-Muhammadawi. He was killed approximately a week ago in battle against ISIS in the Fallujah region. After his death, IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Ja'fari sent his condolences to the family, praising al-Muhammadawi's courage (Alef, July 21, 2015).
Qods Force commander Qasem Soleimani met in Irbil with Masoud Barzani, president of the Iraqi Kurdish Autonomous Region. Barzani thanked him for Iran's support of Iraq in its war against ISIS, and Soleimani assured him that the nuclear deal would not result in any change in Iran's regional policies (Asr-e Iran, July 22, 2015).
On July 20, 2015, the London-based Arabic-language Al-Arabi Al-Jadid website reported that Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had advised the Iraqi leadership to withdrawIranian forces supporting the Iraqi army in the Al-Anbar battle.
According to the report, the Iraqi forces' attack in the province did not result in significant progress against ISIS and caused the Iraq army heavy losses. As a result, Haydar al-Abadi, the Iraqi prime minister, invited General Dempsey to Baghdad for advice on the next phase of the battle. Dempsey met with Khalid Obaydi, the Iraqi minister of defense, and advised the Iraqi leaders to withdraw the Iranian forces from Al-Anbar, claiming that their presence fomented secular tension. He advised them to rely instead on the Iraqi army, the Iraqi police and local tribal forces.
This past week Qais al-Khazali, leader of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, one of the Shi'ite militias supported by Iran, met with Ayatollah Seyyed Nureddin Shakouri, Ayatollah Seyyed Kazem Haeri's representative in Iraq. They discussed developments in Iraq and the situation of the Iraqi popular militias. Ayatollah Haeri, who lives in Qom, Iran, is considered a source of emulation for Shi'ites in Iraq (Abna News Agency, July 20, 2015).
The Iranian clerics are involved in Iraq to maintain the influence of Iran's Shi'ite establishment (centered in Qom) in Iraq. That is because most of the senior Shi'ite clerics (especially Ayatollah Ali Sistani) oppose the idea of "Guardianship of the Jurisprudent"^[2] practiced in Iran. In addition, the Iranian clerics are concerned by the strengthening of the Shi'ite religious elites in Najaf and Karbala, cities holy to Shi'a, at the expense of the Iranian religious establishment.

Iranian Intervention in Yemen

Esmail Ahmadi-Moghaddam, former commander of the law enforcement forces and recently appointed head of the headquarters to support the Yemeni people, held a press conference to mark the beginning of Iran's solidarity week with the Yemeni people. He said that since the beginning of the fighting in Yemen Iran had sent four shipments of medical aid and food by air to Yemen. Two planes were sent to Sanaa but could not land because of the Saudi Arabian embargo on Yemen, and two were sent to Djibouti, where one plane did not receive permission to land.
Ahmadi-Moghaddam said that only a small fraction of the aid Iran sent to Yemen eventually arrived because UN agencies and the Red Cross used various excuses to delay deliveries. He said Iran was also prepared to accept Yemenis wounded in Saudi Arabian bombings, but that so far that had not been possible. He said the Iranian headquarters to support the Yemeni people were also using public diplomacy against Saudi actions in Yemen. He appealed to the Iranian public to donate funds to the headquarters rather than goods such as fuel, food or medicines, since it was difficult to deliver them to Yemen (Fars News Agency, July 15, 2015).

Iranian Intervention in the Palestinian Arena

Salah al-Bardawil, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, claimed that Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal's visit to Saudi Arabia would not influence the Hamas movement's relations with Iran. He claimed Hamas would maintain relations with everyone who provided it with financial, military and moral support (Fars News Agency, July 19, 2015). This past week the Iranian media gave extensive coverage to Mashaal's visit to Saudi Arabia, the first in three years. The reports were extremely critical, a result of the tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia because of the ongoing fighting in Yemen.
The Iranian reformist daily paper Ghanoon attacked Hamas after Mashaal's visit to Riyadh. On July 20, 2015, it published an op-ed piece entitled "Hamas: a bank account in Tehran and a stronghold in Riyadh." It dealt with the crisis in Hamas-Iran relations, which began with the onset of the civil war in Syria and worsened with the ongoing fighting in Yemen. According to the paper, during last year's war in the Gaza Strip the Saudis supported the Zionists, and the only aid Saudi Arabia gave the Gazans was sending coffins for their dead. Wahhabi ideological concepts, said the article, were therefore the only justification for Hamas' rapprochement with the rulers of Saudi Arabia.
Mohammad Esma'il Kowsari, a member of the Majlis (the Iranian parliament) committee for national security, called Mashaal's visit to Riyadh another strategic mistake committed by Hamas, which had not learned the lesson of the events in Syria. He said Hamas had to know that the Palestinian people would not realize their rights through connections with senior Saudi officials, and that Iran would decide what its future relations with Hamas would be in due time, taking into consideration what was best for the Palestinian people.
Nozar Shafii, another member of the Majlis committee for national security, also criticized Mashaal's visit to Saudi Arabia, but stressed that Iran's support for the Palestinian people would not stop. Iran's position vis-à-vis Hamas, he said, was ideological and based on support for the Palestinian people. Hamas, he said, had to adopt the same approach towards Iran and examine the situation from an Islamic, not an Arab point of view. He said Saudi Arabia's position towards Hamas was utilitarian and that Hamas' increasing ties with the Saudi regime endangered Islam and international peace.
Mansour Haqiqatpour, vice-chairman of the Majlis national security and foreign policy commission, said that Mashaal's visit to Saudi Arabia was not the first mistake Hamas had made in recent years. Hamas, he said, had collaborated on a number of occasions with various countries, among them Turkey and Qatar, against Iran. However, Iran regarded itself as ideologically committed to support Palestine. He threatened that if Hamas did not change its ways, it would not be able to profit from Iran's capabilities.

Iranian Religious and Propagation Activities around the Globe

Rabani Nasab, a cleric from the religious seminary in Qom, paid a visit to Indonesia for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. He gave a lecture on Shi'ite subjects in the city of Cirebon during a visit to the home of Mohammad Alkaf, a senior Shi'ite in Cirebon and author of Islamic books. Nasab also engaged in religious propagation in the city of Kuningan (Hawza News, July 16, 2015).

The Islamic Studies Foundation, which disseminates Islamic and Iranian culture in Russia, recently organized an exhibition of books in a mosque in the city of Ufa, the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The exhibition, held for Eid al-Fitr, featured 70 books on Islamic subjects and Iranian novels translated from Farsi (Hawza News, July 22, 2015).

The conservative Fars News Agency launched a new weekly magazine in Kyrgyzstan Russian. On July 22, 2015, Fars announced that its offices in Bishkek, the capital city, had published two editions so far. The magazine is called "Iran, the News of the Week in Review," and deals with Iranian politics, the economy, culture science, and social issues covered by Fars News Agency.

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^[1]A battalion composed of Afghan volunteers working for the IRGC in Syria.
^[2]Velayat-e Faqih, a theory first expounded by the Ayatollah Khomeini, which argues that the government should be run according to Islamic law (Sharia) and headed by the "guardian jurist," a religious figure.

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (July 8 –14, 2015)

Published: 14/07/2015

One year since Operation Protective Edge.

Gazans leave the Strip through the Erez crossing en route to the Laylat al-Qadr prayer at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem

Palestinians throw concrete blocks at an IDF vehicle in Nebi Saleh.

Jerusalem Day marchers carry black PIJ flags (Filastin al-Yawm, July 10, 2015)

Yahya al-Sinwar, holder of the "Israeli prisoners' portfolio"

Farid al-Jallad (Website of the PA's High Judicial Council)

The giant Palestinian flag held by Muslims on the Temple Mount.

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Overview

This past week Israel's south was quiet. In Judea and Samaria "popular resistance" terrorism and violence continued (stone-throwing and Molotov cocktail attacks).
On July 8, 2015, Hamas' military-terrorist wing held a military display in Gaza City on the eve of the first anniversary of Operation Protective Edge. Hamas exhibited two new rockets it had manufactured, claiming they had improved capabilities. Senior Hamas figures have stressed that Hamas is not interested in a new round of fighting.

Israel's South

Rocket Fire Attacking Israel

This past week no rocket or mortar shell hits were identified in southern Israeli territory.

Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem

"Popular Resistance" Terrorism and Violence Continue

This past week violence and popular terrorism continued at the usual locations in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem, part of what the Palestinians call the "popular resistance." The violence mainly centered on throwing stones, rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israeli security forces and civilians. Some of the prominent attacks were the following:

On July 9, 2015, Israeli Border Police soldiers stationed at the Ras Bidu roadblock (north of Jerusalem) noticed a suspicious young Palestinian approaching. He refused to answer their calls to halt, came closer and took out a knife. During interrogation he admitted he had been planning to carry out a stabbing attack (Facebook page of the Israel Police Force, July 9, 2015).
On July 12, 2015, Palestinians threw stones at the light railway in the Shuafat section of north Jerusalem. There were no casualties but the railway was damaged (Red Alert, July 12, 2015).
On July 12, 2015, Palestinians threw Molotov cocktails at the Zif junction in Hebron. There were no casualties; a fire broke out at the site (Red Alert, July 12, 2015).
On July 13, 2015, Palestinians set fire to tires near the Maccabim junction after hiding a gas balloon among them. There were no casualties and no damage was reported (Tazpit News Agency, July 13, 2015).

Developments in the Gaza Strip

The Rafah Crossing – Recent Developments

This past week the Rafah crossing remained closed.

The Erez Crossing

The Ma'an News Agency reported that Israel allowed 800 Gazans to leave the Strip to go to Jerusalem for the Laylat al-Qadr prayer held on the Temple Mount. It was the first time in several years that Israel had permitted Gazans to participate in the prayer (Ma'an News Agency, July 13, 2015).

Military Display Held for the Anniversary of Operation Protective Edge

On July 8, 2015, Hamas' military-terrorist wing held a display in Gaza City to mark the first anniversary of Operation Protective Edge. During it Hamas exhibited two new rockets it had manufactured, which it claimed had already entered its arsenal. The rockets were named for Ra'ed Atar and Muhammad Abu Shamala, two senior military wing terrorist operatives who were killed during the Operation. According to Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas' military wing, the rockets' capabilities will be demonstrated in due time (Al-Aqsa TV, July 8, 2015). In addition, a memorial "Israeli armored personnel carrier" statue was unveiled. It shows an upraised fist on top of an APC. The fist holds three dog tags [of IDF soldiers], one with a picture of Oron Shaul and two with question marks.

An "Israeli APC," a simulation of the one hit during Operation Protective Edge. The upraised fist holds three [IDF] dog tags (Palinfo, July 8, 2015).

During the rally Hamas military wing spokesman Abu Obeida made a speech praising the achievements of the military wings of Hamas and the other organizations. He claimed Operation Protective Edge revealed the firm and determined stance of the Palestinians in the face of the "criminal visage of the Israeli leadership." He mentioned the missing Israeli soldiers, saying the "battle files" were still open and the top one was the issue of missing soldiers. He warned against a continued siege of the Gaza Strip and threatened Israel with another war in the Gaza Strip (Al-Aqsa TV, July 8, 2015).
On July 10, 2015, the Palestinian terrorist organizations held a march in Gaza City to mark World Jerusalem Day (an annual event initiated by Iran) and the first anniversary of Operation Protective Edge. Armed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) operatives led the march (Filastin al-Yawm and the Ma'an News Agency, July 10, 2015). Another rally was held by the military-terrorist wings of other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. A spokesman for the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees claimed they had renewed their capabilities and were ready for the next campaign against Israel. He said that they would never agree to a situation in which Israel achieved a lull with the Gaza Strip without the lifting of the siege and without the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip (Ma'an News Agency, July 11, 2015).

Statements from Senior Hamas Figures on the Anniversary of Operation Protective Edge

The events held for the anniversary of Operation Protective Edge prompted a wave of statements from the Hamas leadership, stressing the message that Hamas was not currently interested in another war with Israel. The main statements were the following:

Khaled Mashaal, head of Hamas' political bureau, gave a speech in which he said Hamas was holding meetings with European and international agencies to promote the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. He denied Hamas was trying to achieve a long-term lull with Israel, and said Hamas had not suggested any such political plan. He claimed the Hamas movement's efforts were aimed strictly at establishing the ceasefire [called at the end of Operation Protective Edge]. He also claimed that Hamas was not interested in war, but was prepared for one if it were forced on Hamas, and noted the importance of the "resistance" [i.e., terrorism] in Judea and Samaria (Al-Shorouk, July 7, 2015).
Ismail Haniya, deputy chairman of Hamas' political bureau, claimed during his Friday sermon that Hamas was not interested in another war with Israel. However, he said Hamas was working to preserve its military advantages to be able to deal with the dangers facing it. He also said that Hamas was continuing its efforts on a number of levels to lift the siege of the Gaza Strip, and hinted that in the near future a positive development could be expected (Filastin al-'Aan, July 10, 2015).
Ghazi Hamad, deputy foreign minister in the Hamas administration, in an interview in Hebrew with Israel's Reshet Bet radio station, claimed Hamas had a civilian-public interest in preserving the lull and that Hamas did not want another war. He denied that Israel and Hamas were in contact to promote a long-term lull. He claimed that there was no possibility Hamas' military wing would defy the political wing and initiate an escalation (Israel's Reshet Bet radio station, July 8, 2015).

Hamas Assigns Its "Israeli Prisoners' Portfolio"

Sources within Hamas reported that Yahya al-Sinwar, a member of Hamas' political bureau, was assigned the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades' "Israeli prisoners' portfolio". According to the sources, he will hold negotiations for the exchange of Israeli prisoners. He will be aided by Rawhi Mushtaha, the member of Hamas' political bureau who holds Hamas' dead and imprisoned operatives' portfolio. Sinwar and Mushtaha, both released from Israeli prisons in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal, will be joined by Saleh al-Arouri, based in Turkey (Paltoday, July 13, 2015)

Tension between Hamas and the Salafist-jihadi Organizations in the Gaza Strip Continues

The tension continues between Hamas and the Salafist-jihadi organizations in the Gaza Strip as Hamas continues to detain their operatives. Abu al-Inaa' al-Ansari, a senior Salafi-jihadist operative in the Gaza Strip, accused Hamas' military-terrorist wing of giving the names of 15 Gazan operatives to Egyptian general intelligence, while attempting to represent Israel as having provided the list. He compared the coordination between Hamas and Egypt to that between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel, and warned Hamas that the Salafists could "overturn the tables on their heads" (Al-Ayyam, July 8 and 9, 2015).

Terrorist Operative from the Gaza Strip Reported Killed in Iraq

On July 11, 2015, the death of Musa Hassan Hijazi, aka Abu Musa, from Gaza City, was reported. He had formerly been an operative in Hamas' military-terrorist wing. Musa Hassan Hijazi fought in the ranks of ISIS and was killed in the Iraqi city of Fallujah while carrying out a suicide bombing attack using an APC full of explosives. It is not known when he left the Gaza Strip and enlisted in the ranks of ISIS. He was documented in a video showing him executing Iraqi army captives. He claimed he was a "Sharia graduate" and that he had "killed Jews in Gaza." In Gaza City a mourning tent was erected for him (theshamsnews.com, Twitter accounts @madoon160, @iraqiua1, July 12, 2015; Twitter account @6v595, July 11, 2015).

Left: Musa Hijazi and other ISIS operatives shown executing Iraqi army soldiers (theshamnews.com, July 12, 2015). Right: Musa Hijazi (Twitter, July 12, 2015).

Banner hung over the mourning tent erected for Musa Hijzai in Gaza City (theshamnews.com, July 12, 2015)

"Saberin Movement" in the Gaza Strip Dismantled

Last week the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip announced the dismantling of the network called the "Saberin movement." It had been operating in the Gaza Strip for the past year under the aegis of and with funding from Iran, and running a series of Shi'ite charitable societies. Its head, Hashem Salem, claimed in a declaration that Saberin was a Palestinian "resistance movement" established to resist the [Israeli] occupation. He claimed any action taken to forbid its operation would be a "historic mistake" (Ma'an News Agency, July 7, 2015).

The "Saberin movement" was established two years ago by a number of former senior figures of the PIJ and headed by Hashem Salem. According to its activists they openly received support from Iran (Quds.net, July 6, 2015). Hamas' decision to dismantle it was apparently primarily the result of internal considerations. The dismantling might be related to the ongoing tense relations between Iran and Hamas' political leadership since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. It might also be one of Hamas' attempts to neutralize any organization that could challenge or threaten its governance of the Gaza Strip, similar to the actions it takes against the Salafist-jihadi organizations.

The Palestinian Authority

Committee Established to Investigate "Israel's Crimes"

Mahmoud Abbas issued an order instructing a high national committee to be formed to investigate what he referred to as "the war crimes Israeli carried out against the Gaza Strip." Farid al-Jallad, a lawyerwho chaired the High Judicial Council (2009 – 2014), was appointed to head the committee. It will be composed of seven legal experts, base its work on the results of the recently-published international investigative Davis Commission Report. It will begin its work immediately after Eid al-Fitr (Ma'an News Agency, July 12, 2015).

Riyadh al-Maliki, PA foreign minister, confirmed that the delegation of judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC), headed by the attorney general, would arriveat the end of July 2015. The judges are currently waiting for entrance visas from Israel. According to al-Maliki, they are coming to get a general impression of the situation and not to investigate (Sawt Filastin, July 13, 2015).

Demonstrations at Al-Aqsa Mosque

Onthe last Friday of the Muslim religious month of Ramadan an estimated 250,000 Muslims participated in the prayers at Al-Aqsa mosque. A demonstration was also held to mark the first anniversary of Operation Protective Edge. The demonstrators carried a giant Palestinian flag with pictures of Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas. There was also an appeal on the flag to the Arab-Muslim countries around the globe to "rescue" "endangered" Al-Aqsa mosque. A demonstration of Hamas activists was also held at the mosque (Wafa News Agency, July 10, 2015).

Release of Administrative Detainee Khader Adnan

Before dawn on July 12, 2015, Israel released administrative detainee Khader Adnan, a senior PIJ terrorist, who had been on a hunger strike for 50 days. He was turned over to the Palestinian military liaison apparatus near Jenin (Ma'an News Agency, July 12, 2015). At his release he reported that he was in good health. He said that the way Israel released him exposed its weakness and fragility, and showed the confusion of its leadership. He called on the [other] prisoners to regard his hunger strike as a tool in their struggle and the struggle of the Palestinian people, and not as something personal (Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda, July 12, 2015; Paltoday, July 13, 2015).
The day after his release he was detained by the Israeli police in Jerusalem when he went to the Temple Mount for the Laylat al-Qadr prayer, although he was forbidden to enter Jerusalem. Before his detention he visited the homes of Palestinian prisoner Samer al-Issawi in east Jerusalem, the family of Muhammad Abu Khdeir (the Palestinian boy murdered by Israelis), and Jawad Boulos, an attorney and head of the legal division of the Palestinian prisoners' club (Ma'an News Agency, July 14, 2015).

Left: Khader Adnan arrives home in the village of 'Arrabe (southwest of Jenin) and is welcomed by local residents (Facebook page of PALDF, July 12, 2015). Right: Khader Adnan is received by Palestinian coordination and liaison upon his release (Ma'an News Agency, July 12, 2015).

Hamas Operatives Detained in Judea and Samaria

This past week PA's security forces continued detaining Hamas activists throughout Judea and Samaria and summoning them for questioning. The security forces also dispersed a riot held in front the Red Cross offices in Ramallah protesting the detentions. Hamas issued a statement strongly condemning the detention of 200 of its activists in Judea and Samaria, and accusing Mahmoud Abbas and the PA of being dictated to by Israel. Hamas warned that additional detentions would lead to the end of the contacts for the internal Palestinian reconciliation and a reexamination of Hamas' position regarding it.

The Battle for Hearts and Minds

Continuing Palestinian Anti-Israeli Activity in FIFA

It was reported that Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian football association, received an official communiqué from Jerome Valcke, secretary general of FIFA. According to the communiqué, the committee overseeing Israel's sports policies would begin its work as soon as possible. The committee was appointed in coordination with a decision of the FIFA Council and is supposed to examine the freedom of movement of Palestinian athletes and anti-Arab racism in Israeli sports. It will also deal with the matter of Israeli teams playing in Judea and Samaria (Dunia al-Watan, July 11, 2015).

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^[1]As of July 14, 2015. The statistics do not include mortar shell fire or rockets which misfired and fell inside the Gaza Strip.
^[2]The statistics do not include mortar shell fire or rockets which misfired and fell inside the Gaza Strip.

Hossein Hamedani He claimed that thanks to the Iranian presence in Iraq, popular militias had been established, as they had been in Syria, and they played a significant role in the victories over the radical Sunni organizations and in preventing the fall of Baghdad (Defa Press, July 8, 2015).

 A fighter from the Fatemiyoun Battalion (Afghans fighting in the IRGC ranks in Syria) killed in Syria was buried in the city of Mashhad (northeastern Iran) on July 9, 2015.

Qasem Soleimani, third from the left. The social networks recently posted pictures apparently indicating Qasem Soleimani had come back to Iran for a visit and then returned to Iraq.

Facebook picture of Qasem Soleimani (left), July 6, 2015.

On July 10, 2015, Iran marked World Jerusalem Day

Iranian Religious and Propagation Activities around the Globe

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Highlights of the week

Iran marked annual World Jerusalem Day, intended to show Iranian and global Muslim support for the Palestinian cause and the "liberation of Jerusalem." Iran exploits Jerusalem Day for strong anti-Israeli propaganda and incitement.
According to a senior Iranian official, Iran is prepared for direct war in Iraq if ISIS advances towards the sites holy to Shi'a Islam.
Iran denied Jordan's claim of having detained an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps – Qods Force (IRGC-QF) operative suspected of planning to carry out a terrorist attack in the kingdom.

Senior Iranian Officials' Statements on Iran's Regional Involvement

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, speaking before Iranian army commanders, said Iran did not make distinctions between Shi'ites and Sunnis or between Yemen, Syria, Iraq or Palestine when it provided support for regional countries fighting terrorist aggression. He said Iran had always supported the "oppressed" of the world and would always continue to do so (Iran President's website, June 27, 2015).
Yahya Rahim Safavi, IRGC commander and former senior advisor to Iran's armed forces, stated that Iran was prepared for direct war in Iraq if ISIS advanced towards the sites holy to Shi'a Islam. Speaking at a conference in the city of Karaj (west of Tehran), he said that in recent years the "evil triangle" of Western countries, Zionism and some of the Arab states had been seeking to destroy the human and economic capabilities of the "resistance axis." Their objective, he said, was to strengthen Israel's security, divide some of the Islamic states, prevent the spread of the "Islamic awakening" and sell millions of dollars worth of arms to the countries of the Middle East. He said Iranian support for the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria was meant to prevent it from approaching Iran's borders and endangering its security (Tabnak, June 28, 2015).
Ali-Akbar Velayati, advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader for international affairs, told Iran's daily newspaper Kayhan that representatives of Iran, Iraq and Syria would meet in the near future to discuss ways of collaborating against the terrorist groups supported, he claimed, by the United States, Israel and the "reactionary" Middle Eastern states.
As to the situation in Syria, Velayati said he was convinced today more than ever that the Syrian regime would remain firm and survive, regardless of the pressure exerted on it by the terrorists and their supporters. He claimed the Syrian people supported the government and were aware of the importance of maintaining Syria's territorial integrity and national interests.
Regarding the situation in Yemen, Velayati claimed Iran was the only country in the world openly and unequivocally supporting the Yemeni people. He said the war against the Yemenis was being waged from the air, by sea and on land, and no country supported Yemen as Iran did. He said the Iranian foreign ministry was determined to stand by the Yemeni people, although it would take time to form a coalition to deal with the war being waged against them (Kayhan, July 4, 2015).
Hossein Hamedani, a high-ranking member of the IRGC who also commands its Imam Hossein headquarters, speaking at a ceremony to commemorate the IRGC casualties of the Iran-Iraq War, said there had been a time when Iran's greatest goal was to reach Basra, and while it had not succeeded then, today Iran was fighting the enemies of Islam not only in Basra but in Baghdad, Samara and along the Mediterranean coast.

Iranian Intervention in Syria

Syrian President Bashar Assad signed a law for a billion dollar credit line from Iran. Iran authorized the credit in accord with a second credit agreement signed in May 2015 by the Syrian Commercial Bank and the Iranian Export Development Bank and passed by the Syrian parliament last week. The Syrian regime is expected to use the credit to import goods and finance various projects. The first credit agreement between Syria and Iran, valued at $3.6 billion, was signed in July 2013 and primarily used by the Syrian regime to import oil (SANA News Agency, July 8, 2015).
A fighter from the Fatemiyoun Battalion (Afghans fighting in the IRGC ranks in Syria) killed in Syria was buried in the city of Mashhad (northeastern Iran) on July 9, 2015. The date of his death was not reported (Fars News Agency, July 9, 2015).

Iranian Intervention in Iraq and Jordan

Amin Shoki, an Iranian militant from the city of Sousangerd in the Khorasan Province (southwestern Iran), was killed by ISIS fire in Iraq (Abna News, June 27, 2015).

At the end of June Qasem Soleimani, commander of the IRGC Qods Force, returned to Iran after a prolonged stay in Iraq. While there he participated in a ceremony dedicated to four IRGC members killed in the fighting in Syria in recent weeks (Alef, June 30, 2015).

The London-based Arabic website Al-Arabi Al-Jadid reported that according to high-ranking Iraqi political and military sources, the IRGC will play a significant role in the battles expected to begin shortly in the ISIS-controlled Al-Anbar Province. A high-ranking Iraqi minister told a website that under pressure from the Iraqi militias, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi had agreed to allow 4,000 IRGC fighters to participate in the fighting, following the failure of the Iraqi army and local militias to liberate the province from ISIS control. He reported that some of the IRGC forces had already arrived in Al-Anbar and while others would enter with the Iraqi army and popular militia forces.Muhammad Farhan al-Fahdawi, an Al-Anbar tribal chieftain, reported that IRGC forces had arrived at the Al-Mazra'ah base north of Fallujah and deployed missiles and heavy artillery (Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, June 30, 2015). The website's reliability is uncertain and there is no confirmation of the report from other sources.
Ayyub Hassan Faleh al-Rubaie, aka Abu Azrael, commander of the Imam Ali Battalions, an Iraqi militia fighting against ISIS, was recently documented by the Iranian media during a visit to the Iranian city of Mashhad. Abu Azrael, also called "the Iraqi Rambo," is a great public favorite, especially on the social media, because of his image as a fighter bravely opposing ISIS.

Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council, told the Iranian Arabic-language newspaper Al-Wefaq that Iran considered Iraq as important as Iran itself. He spoke of the historical ties between the two countries and of Iraq's religious and geographical importance for the Iranian people. He said Iran's support for Iraq was considerable and that Iran gave Iraq all the aid it needed. He quoted former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who said Iraq did not regard Iran as threatening or dangerous in any way, and that Iran had rescued and helped Iraq. Rafsanjani stressed that Iran had no aspirations in Iraq and regarded Iraq's security as its own (ILNA, July 5, 2015).
The Jordanian government recently reported it had detained an IRGC-QF operative on suspicion of planning to carry out terrorist attacks in the kingdom. On July 6, 2015, the Jordanian daily newspaper Al-Ra'i reported that the suspect held dual Iraqi-Norwegian citizenship. When he was apprehended, 45 kilograms (approximately 100 pounds) of explosives were found in his possession. He was accused of hiding a large quantity of explosives and of planning to carry out terrorist attacks in Jordan.
According to a posting on the www.thenewkhalij.com website, during the 1990s the suspect, Khadem al-Rubaie, worked in the Iranian intelligence division for foreign operations and was involved in the murder of former Iranian Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar, who was assassinated in Paris in 1991. During the 1980s al-Rubaie worked for the Iranian Supreme Islamic Revolutionary Council in Iraq, which operated under Iranian aegis against Saddam Hussein's regime.
IRGC spokesman Ramazan Sharif denied the Jordanian claim, calling it anti-Iranian "phobia and propaganda" (AP, July 7, 2015). A source in the Iranian foreign ministry also denied the claim, saying that Iranian policy was based on fully honoring the security, stability and territorial integrity of the countries in the region (IRNA, July 7, 2015).

Iranian Intervention in Yemen

Hossein Amir Abdollahian, deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, denied the Al-Arabia TV report claiming that several Iranian military advisors had been killed in Yemen. He claimed Iran did not have a single military advisor in Yemen and that the Iranian embassy in Sana'a acted openly and above board (ISNA, July 4, 2015).
Shahabeddin Mohammadi Araqi, the deputy head of international and humanitarian affairs for the Iranian Red Crescent Society, said the Society was prepared to send another ship to Yemen via Oman, this one carrying with more than 140 tons of equipment, after the necessary procedures had been coordinated. He said the Red Crescent had established a logistic center in the Omani port of Salalah and sent Iran a list of the equipment needed by Yemen (Fars News Agency, June 29, 2015). In May Iran dispatched the Iran Shahed to Yemen, carrying a cargo of 2,500 tons of food, water, medicines, blankets and tents. The shipment eventually reached its destination, but was significantly delayed because Iran was forced to allow UN inspectors in Djibouti to examine the ship's cargo.
Parviz Fattah, chairman of the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation, said the Foundation had opened two bank accounts to accept donations for the people of Yemen. He also said a headquarters had been established to aid the citizens of Yemen, composed of representatives of various Iranian entities, among them the broadcasting authority, the Basij and the Red Crescent Society. He said between July 10 and 18, 2015 Iran would mark "solidarity with the people of Yemen" week, during which donations could be deposited in the accounts, which would remain open after July 18. On July 16 mosques and military bases in Iran would accept donations of various items for the needy of Yemen (Tasnim News, July 6, 2015).

Iranian Intervention in the Palestinian Arena

On July 10, 2015, Iran marked World Jerusalem Day, an annual event initiated by the Ayatollah Khomeini, founder of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, and held since 1979. Its stated objective is to express the support of Iran and the Muslim world for the Palestinian cause and the "liberation of Jerusalem." On the eve of Jerusalem Day high-ranking Iranian officials appealed for massive public participation in the marches in the main cities. This year the Jerusalem Day marches were held in the shadow of the ongoing campaigns in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Because of the developments in those countries, high-ranking Iranian officials stressed that this year it was particularly important to mark Jerusalem Day in order to send the message that Iran and the Muslim world had not abandoned the Palestinian cause despite the challenges posed by Sunni terrorism. This year the marches featured not only their usual themes of condemnation and incitement against Israel and the United States, but also criticism of Saudi Arabia for its continuing military activity in Yemen.
According to the final announcement issued by the Jerusalem Day organizers, the Palestinian question, the "liberation of Jerusalem" and the effort to wipe out "the cancerous tumor called Israel" were the Muslim world's top priorities. It added that the only way to resolve the issue was by a referendum to determine the future of Palestine and the return of the refugees to their country. This year support was also expressed for the struggle the regional countries were engaged in against radical Sunni groups. The organizers of Jerusalem Day described ISIS's crimes in Iraq, Syria and Libya, and Saudi Arabia's aggression against Yemen as conspiracies and "a proxy war" waged by the United States and Israel to create schism among Muslims and ensure Israel's security. The announcement also expressed support for Iran's nuclear negotiating team, and called on the negotiators to respect the Supreme Leader's red lines and defend Iran's nuclear rights (Fars News Agency, July 10, 2015).

On the eve of Jerusalem Day, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on all Iranians to use the marches to express their hatred of the Zionist regime and the terrorist forces operating in the Middle East. He claimed that the participation of civilians in the marches during the nuclear negotiations would document support for their rights and honor, and that the more impressive the marches were, the greater respect for the Iranian nation would be and the stronger its regime would look in the eyes of the world (Fars News Agency, July 8, 2015).

Yadollah Javani, senior political advisor to the representative of the Supreme Leader to the IRGC, declared Jerusalem Day a day of unity and solidarity against Zionism for all Muslims. He said the participation of Iranians in the marches would send a message to the friends of the Iranian Islamic Revolution and to its enemies that today the Iranian people adhered to the principles of the revolution even more than in the past, and that Iran would not surrender to blackmail or threats, and would not stop supporting the oppressed of the world, especially the Palestinian people. He added that the enemies of Islam, led by the Zionists and the Saudis, were trying to make the world forget Jerusalem Day, and that the day had to serve as proof that the developments of the Middle East would not marginalize the issue of Jerusalem, which was the most important issue for the Muslim world (Tasnim News, July, 2015).

Ramazan Sharif, IRGC spokesman and chief of staff of the Council of Islamic Propaganda and Al-Quds Intifada, held a press conference where he said World Jerusalem Day would again prove that the Islamic nation, when faced common enemies such as the United States and the Zionist regime, and with the difficult situations in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, would not abandon Palestine, which, he said, was at the top of the Muslim world's list of priorities. The beginning of the destruction of Israel and the era of the end of the "criminal Zionist regime" was at hand, said Sharif. Not only the thousands of rockets possessed by Hezbollah, Hamas and the other "resistance cells," but also the weakness of Israel, its internal dissentions and the temporary nature of the Jews living there were ringing a death knell and proclaiming the collapse of the regime. The world, he said, had to deploy for the post-Zionist crisis (Tasnim News, July 7, 2015). Sharif also referred to Iran's support for the Palestinians, saying that Iran had the right to advise the Palestinian resistance groups and that the Palestinian groups were not dependent on Iranian aid, having developed their own military capabilities against Israel (Sepah News, July 9, 2015).

Last week the Hamas government announced the disbanding of the Saberin organization which had operated under Iranian aegis in the Gaza Strip in recent year. Saberin ran a series of Shi'ite religious charitable societies funded by Iran (arabi21.com, July 2, 2015).

Hamas' action was apparently mainly taken for internal reasons, but may also be related to the ongoing tension between Iran and the Hamas political leadership which began with the outbreak of the civil war in Syria. While Tehran deepens its involvement in Syria by supporting the Assad regime, Hamas turned a cold shoulder to Iran and declared its support for the Syrian opposition.

The fall of the Muslim Brotherhood's rule in Egypt in the summer of 2013 and Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014 renewed hope in Tehran for rehabilitating its relations with Hamas by regaining a foothold in the Gaza Strip and increasing its influence in the Palestinian arena. During the past year it has often been reported that Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal intends to visit Tehran. There have also been reports from sources in the Gaza Strip that the Hamas leadership has discussed renewing relations with Iran because it needs Iranian aid to rebuild the organization's infrastructure, damaged during Operation Protective Edge. However, with the beginning of Saudi Arabia's Operation Decisive Storm, Hamas issued a statement of support for the ousted Yemeni president and in effect expressed support for the Saudi attack on the Houthi rebels. Iran regarded the statement as a slap in the face and proof that Hamas preferred promoting relations with Saudi Arabia and the Sunni camp to closer relations with Tehran. The ties between Iran and Hamas' military-terrorist wing have continued, however, despite the political tensions.

Iranian Religious and Propagation Activities around the Globe

Hojjat-ul-Islam Ahmadi Shahrakhti, who lectures at a religious seminary in Qom, arrived in Indonesia for a visit at the end of June. He delivered lectures on religious subjects to practicing Muslims, both Sunni and Shi'ite, throughout the country, visited local Shi'ite clerics and mosques, and met with cultural and media figures (Hawza News, June 30, 2015).
Hojjat-ul-Islam Mohammad al-Hassoun, head of the Center for Islamic Studies in Qom, paid a Ramadan visit to Thailand, where he met with Aziz Pitak-Kumpol, the spiritual leader of the Thai Muslims. They discussed the need for a religious dialogue between Shi'ites and Sunnis, and agreed that the Thai Muslim leader would visit Iran in the near future (Hawza News, July 7 2015).

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Spotlight on Global Jihad

Photo of Fadhil al-Hiyali (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015).

Rocket parts containing mustard gas, allegedly used by ISIS in the town of Marea in northern Syria (Twitter account of Eliot Higgins, August 23, 2015)

Dozens of mortar bombs prepared by the Al-Nusra Front for launching at the Abu al-Duhur military airbase (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 20, 2015).

Mortar bombs being launched at the Abu al-Duhur military airbase

Al-Nusra Front operatives making preparations to block Syrian forces along the Arafit-Latakia route (Twitter account affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front, August 23, 2015

ISIS operative launching a mortar shell at a Syrian Army training ground near the village of Al-Huquf (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015)

Rockets and mortar shells being fired at an Iraqi Army base (Isdarat al-Dawla al-Islamiyya, August 20, 2015)

ISIS operative next to an ISIS flag in the middle of the base.

ISIS flag waving on the Al-Baraka Hotel in Baiji (Justpaste.it file-sharing website, August 22, 2015).

The oil refinery compound near the city of Baiji (Isdarat al-Dawla al-Islamiyya, August 22, 2015)

Mortar shell being fired from the oil refinery compound at Iraqi Army forces.

Abu Abdullah, the American suicide bomber who carried out a suicide bombing attack for ISIS in the city of Baiji (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 20, 2015)

Claim of responsibility for the attack in Cairo

Sa’id Mohammad Yahya from Jenin, who was killed in Syria in the ranks of ISIS, in a photo taken during his stay in Turkey

ISIS operatives at the headquarters of the electric company in the east coast area of Derna (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account; Justpaste.it, August 23, 2015).

Masked ISIS operative congratulating the IMU on its pledge of allegiance to ISIS (isdarat.tv website, August 21, 2015)

Main events of the week

The international campaign against ISIS

US and coalition airstrikes

The killing of a senior ISIS operative

Training Syrian combatants to fight against ISIS

An intention to establish a buffer zone in northern Syria

Australia joining in the airstrikes in Syria

Main developments in Syria

Aleppo province

Idlib province

Latakia province

The Syrian-Lebanese border

As-Suwayda province

Main developments in Iraq

Al-Anbar province

Ramadi

Haditha

Fallujah

Salah al-Din province

Baiji

Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula

ISIS’s Sinai province’s campaign against the Egyptian security forces

Attacks in Egypt

Palestinians and Israeli Arabs

Jenin resident killed fighting in the ranks of ISIS in Syria

The conduct of the Islamic State

Murder of an archaeologist and destruction of antiquities in Palmyra

Stopping the flow of the Euphrates River to Iraq

The global jihad in other countries

Libya

Overview

Sirte

Derna

Yemen

Uzbekistan

Counterterrorism and preventive activity

Shooting attack in France (initial report)

Turkey

Spain

Germany

The battle for hearts and minds

Italy

A threatening message from ISIS to the Turkish leadership

Related Articles

Spotlight on Global Jihad

Photo of Fadhil al-Hiyali (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015).

Rocket parts containing mustard gas, allegedly used by ISIS in the town of Marea in northern Syria (Twitter account of Eliot Higgins, August 23, 2015)

Dozens of mortar bombs prepared by the Al-Nusra Front for launching at the Abu al-Duhur military airbase (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 20, 2015).

Mortar bombs being launched at the Abu al-Duhur military airbase

Al-Nusra Front operatives making preparations to block Syrian forces along the Arafit-Latakia route (Twitter account affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front, August 23, 2015

ISIS operative launching a mortar shell at a Syrian Army training ground near the village of Al-Huquf (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 22, 2015)

Rockets and mortar shells being fired at an Iraqi Army base (Isdarat al-Dawla al-Islamiyya, August 20, 2015)

ISIS operative next to an ISIS flag in the middle of the base.

ISIS flag waving on the Al-Baraka Hotel in Baiji (Justpaste.it file-sharing website, August 22, 2015).

The oil refinery compound near the city of Baiji (Isdarat al-Dawla al-Islamiyya, August 22, 2015)

Mortar shell being fired from the oil refinery compound at Iraqi Army forces.

Abu Abdullah, the American suicide bomber who carried out a suicide bombing attack for ISIS in the city of Baiji (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, August 20, 2015)

Claim of responsibility for the attack in Cairo

Sa’id Mohammad Yahya from Jenin, who was killed in Syria in the ranks of ISIS, in a photo taken during his stay in Turkey

ISIS operatives at the headquarters of the electric company in the east coast area of Derna (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account; Justpaste.it, August 23, 2015).

Masked ISIS operative congratulating the IMU on its pledge of allegiance to ISIS (isdarat.tv website, August 21, 2015)

Main events of the week

The international campaign against ISIS