Thread by @hxhassan

Two weeks before the anniversary of the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdad, ISIS is releasing a new statement from the media outlet specializing in top leadership releases.

The new leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi has not yet made a public statement: cgpolicy.org/articles/exclu…

ISIS releases a statement by its spokesman Abu Hamza al-Qurashi titled "So recount the tales"

In the first 5 minutes, he speaks about the Salafist tenet "obedience to rulers" and attacks it as un-Islamic. He also talks about clerics that preach against rebelling against rulers.

[A key part of why jihadism is part of a theological revolution, just a violent version]

He says these times are the "confusing times" predicted by Prophet Mohammed, in which "the liar is believed, and the honest is belied".

The ISIS spokesman rails against the UAE & Bahrain for normalizing with Israel or against Saudi Arabia for laying the groundwork for normalization. He says their clerics used to call ISIS an arm of the Jewish state in the region.

He says their clerics also once called us a tool for Iran but the Saudis have supported the Iranian-backed government in Baghdad, with millions of dollars in support to the prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

[These statements also come amid reporting in Arabic about Hillary Clinton's emails, with fake stories like how Obama, Maliki and Iran worked together to enable ISIS to seize Mosul to enable Iran to take over Iraq.]

The speech targets young people in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, in the context of normalization with Israel and Iran, selling ISIS as the only party resisting Iran and its allies in Iraq and Syria. Calls on followers to increase attacks, including in Africa.

After spending a considerable time on Africa, addressing followers, he turns to Afghanistan. He calls the Taliban a "democratic apostate" faction. He invokes the experience of Iraq to break jails and conquests.

Sinai too, against "the apostate Egyptian army"

While everywhere he praises the accomplishments of ISIS branch (Africa, Afghanistan, Sinai etc), ISIS spokesman offers condolences to the branch in Yemen. He sounds like admitting they're down in Yemen.

In Syria, he praises attacks against the SDF and "the tribal sheikhs" who work with the "atheists", the Syrian rebels in the north, and the Syrian army/regime/Russia.

Recent assassinations of tribal sheikhs in Deir Ezzor went unclaimed.

The spokesman passes a message to followers everywhere "to follow the example of your brothers in Khorasan", to do prison breaks and free jailed members.

"Prepare for the days to come. The course of events used to revolve around Iraq, Syria & some other areas. God enabled it to apply sharia there. Today, the whole world is facing changes, as God is preparing the land for something big. Brace yourself to seize opportunities."

ISIS spokesman ends the speech on talk that ISIS is finished, by repeating the words of the group's former leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi (2006-2010) when the group looked finished after the Surge. "Baqiya (not going away), because..."

Okay, I had no idea about this before?

The ISIS teasers from Furqan Media (which typically releases statements from either the leader or the spokesman, without mentioning who until release) have a color code:

Silver = the spokesman
Gold = the leader

I agree — the ISIS spokesman’s speech is well timed and is important. The region is pregnant with big events, and it’s just foolish again to count out.