Al-Qaeda Online Magazine Aims To Recruit Americans

In a disturbing development, al-Qaeda has produced an English-language online magazine that is aimed at recruiting and training American jihadists. Curiosity seekers beware - you can expect that visiting the website will land you on a watchlist somewhere!

An al-Qaeda magazine aims to recruit Americans to launch attacks in the United States with such articles as "make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom," a senior U.S. lawmaker said Monday. The first issue of Inspire was posted online late Sunday by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The English-language publication includes an article by Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical U.S.-born Muslim cleric based in Yemen who is wanted by U.S. authorities. Awlaki writes:

"The tables have turned and there is no rolling back of the worldwide jihad movement. On the eve of 9/11 it was Afghanistan alone. Today it is Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the list is growing."

The publication also has messages from Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and an article on how to send and receive encrypted messages.

Rep. Peter Hoekstra (Mich.), the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, called it "an unfortunately well-done magazine" and "a virtual how-to guide for becoming a terrorist."

By: Shelldrake