1) BREAKING: #AQAP releases video claiming responsibility for December’s shooting at Naval Air Station #Pensacola, Florida, providing the will of attacker Muhammad al-Shamrani, which was written in September 2019, three months prior to attack. 
2) The video also contains remarks by recently killed AQAP leader Qassim al-Rimi, who says of Shamrani: “For several years, our hero moved between several US military bases in America to select and contemplate his best and fattest target.”
3) #AQAP under Rimi’s leadership continued to focus on external ops in the US. Good that he was taken out, despite no official confirmation by US government (though @realDonaldTrump’s retweeting of my commentary on Rimi seems to be confirmation of sorts).
@realDonaldTrump 4) While #AQAP's video doesn’t show proof of training Shamrani, it does indicate they were in communication. This situation is fitting to other attackers like Nidal Hassan, whom AQAP has coordinated attacks with via recruiters like Anwar al-Awlaki.
@realDonaldTrump 5) Strange element of timing: Rimi praises Shabaab’s Sept 30 attack at Baledogle Airbase as happening “a few days ago,” but Shamrani’s attack took place months later in December. Seems parts were either recorded at different times or claimed far ahead of when attack took place.
@realDonaldTrump 6) It is likely that Rimi’s part was recorded in October, and that the attack was delayed. Note that the will was also written in September and Rimi remarked on it. In the will, Shamrani gives religious reasoning for his act, but makes no mention of #AQAP.
@realDonaldTrump 7) It is also interesting that AQAP didn't state "May Allah Protect Him" in regard to Rimi, as its releases usually do. Adds yet more suggestion to him indeed being killed.
@realDonaldTrump 8)Hardly coincidental that such a high-profile vid, claiming what was an int'l publicized attack in #Pensacola, was released on day of #SuperBowl2020 #Miami #Florida. The SB is an American institution associated w/ notions of U.S. patriotism& #AQAP likely intended to disrupt that
9) UPDATE 5/18: Consistent w SITE's reporting on Pensacola shooter Mohammed Alshamrani's ties to alQaeda, FBI uncovers his communication w AQ operative after breaking thru encryption on his phones. Expected, given Alshamrani’s AQ-echoes on social media, & of course, AQAP’s claim.
10) On social media, Alshamrani echoed Bin Laden’s threats to America that “security is a shared destiny” and showed a focus on Jerusalem—in particular, @realDonaldTrump’s December 2017 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
11) AQAP claimed the attack via a video in February, which contained Alshamrani's will. In it, killed leader claimed Alshamrani moved btwn bases for "best & fattest target.” Vid also indicated degree of communication w AQAP, fitting to FBI's new findings.
12) BREAKING: US airstrike in Mareb, Yemen I reported on last week confirmed to target a top #AQAP operative named Abdullah al-Maliki, who served as point of contact for Alshamrani prior to attack, AG Barr & FBI Director Wray state in press conference.
13) Qassim al-Rimi's death was major blow to #AQAP, but Maliki's not less important. Since last week’s airstrike, distribution of AQAP Ramadan lectures halted & yet to resume, suggesting how far Maliki’s roles spanned btwn media, attack coordination, etc.
14) Information from Alshamrani’s unlocked phones led to AQAP operative Abdullah al-Malki, as well as new details of what led to the Pensacola attack: Alshamrani was radicalized “at least as far back as 2015,” as his Twitter suggested, & was in contact w “a number” of operatives.
15) Critical context from @siteintelgroup (and some quoted comments from me) on recently killed #AQAP official Abdullah al-Maliki, whose death via US airstrike is already having effects on #AQAP.
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