Quick Take: al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's English-Language Magazine

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released the first complete issue of its new English-language magazine, Inspire, on Sunday, July 11. This is the first product from an al Qaeda franchise’s official media arm that is completely in English and that is designed for those outside of the Arab world.

The Critical Threats Project has produced an analysis of AQAP’s new publication that makes the following key points:

• Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s English-language publication Inspire, the first of its kind from an al Qaeda franchise’s media arm, follows a general trend within the al Qaeda network to expand its audience base to include English-speaking Muslims.

• The magazine includes justifications for a broader campaign of violence against the West through the use of smaller and more numerous attacks on common targets. This new tactic would likely be in addition to larger-scale operations traditionally used by al Qaeda franchises that generated fewer, but more spectacular, attacks.

• The articles in Inspire give those who wish to conduct solo attacks the capability to operate outside of the al Qaeda network by providing how-to manuals, including bomb-making instructions, and provided contact information allows recruits to connect to the al Qaeda network.

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