Khaled Batarfi, one of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) senior commanders and prominent figures, has called on Muslim scholars and preachers to incite Muslims to wage jihad, citing the Trump administration of waging war against Islam and Muslims.
Batarfi made the plea in a 12-minute audio recording released by Al Malahem, AQAP’s media arm which was posted on AQAP’s official Telegram Channel. Batarfi commended the mujahideen and their tribes for their resilience in facing US forces during commando raids and encouraged media men and young Muslim social media users to highlight US defeats and the bravery of the mujahideen, reported the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which monitors jihadi social media.
“Addressing Muslims in general, and those in Yemen in particular,” Batarfi said, ‘Here comes the US and its new government led by the idiot they obey, Trump, in order to complete the journey started by its predecessors in the war against Islam. Their faces change, as do their parties and manner; however, they all agree on [waging] war against Islam and Muslims and their pioneer jihadis,’” MEMRI said.
MEMRI said Batarfi “urged Muslim scholars and preachers to be in the frontlines in order to guide Muslims and encourage them to wage jihad to repel the ‘aggressors’ and defend their religion, their land and their families. He then called on the tribes to support, provide refuge to and counter the ‘Crusader campaign.’ He also called on the media activists and on Muslim youths on social media platforms to expose ‘the reality’ of the US, highlight the defeats of its army and promote the bravery of the mujahideen and the tribes.”
MEMRI said, Batarfi also “noted that the numbers of the mujihadeen have increased despite the continuing ‘crusade war,’ which he said ‘was declared by the former idiot Bush.’ He added that the mujahideen have transformed from ‘limited forces in a limited spot’ into a large force dispersed in multiple countries.”
Warning Muslims against believing the "media lie" or the arguments made by some "infidel politicians" that the war is not against Muslims, but rather against terrorists, Batarfi said, "It is a comprehensive and all-out war against Islam and Muslims … The US, with its aggressive and indiscriminate policies directed toward Muslims, has spared us the efforts [of having] to clarify this truth, which unfortunately many Muslims are not aware of."
Batarfi then urged Muslims to take the lead in supporting their religion and protecting it, saying, "Don’t expect support and assistance from your rulers unless their thrones are threatened and their rule is being challenged."
“Commenting on recent US commando raids in Yemen, Batarfi accused the Houthi militias, the forces loyal to ousted President Ali Abdallah Saleh, and the current government in Yemen of collaborating with the US by providing intelligence for its drones to target the mujahideen,” MEMRI said. “Batarfi then commended the mujahideen and their tribes for ‘bravely’ fighting against US Special Forces during the recent commando raids, saying, ‘they are quite capable of stopping any surprise attack by the enemy at any time.’”
“After vowing to the Islamic ummah and to Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahiri to remain steadfast and resilient against the ‘Crusader campaign’ until ‘achieving victory or martyrdom,’ Batarfi called on the mujahideen to have faith in Allah and depend on him,” MEMRI said. “He also urged them to be alert during guard duty, which he considered ‘highly important,’ dig trenches appropriate to their positions and the nature of battles, plant invisible mines in the direction where the enemy is likely to come from and to always be armed and alert.”
