1) Over the next 36 hours, I will be tweeting commentary, analysis and breaking news around the impact of the 9/11 anniversary on terrorist and extremist groups in the U.S. and worldwide. 
2) The 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks justifiably has U.S. security agencies on high alert. It is important to remain vigilant, as with every anniversary of the tragedy, which is consistently celebrated by al-Qaeda and their supporters worldwide.
3) However, what is new this year is the fact that al-Qaeda and the jihadist landscape has been transformed in recent weeks. They've expanded propaganda and recruitment campaigns, celebrating what they see as their biggest victory since 2001: Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
4) While the Taliban may be donning a friendly face for Western audiences, their intrinsic bonds with al-Qaeda persist. AQ has made it clear that for them, the new Islamic Emirate is a victory and they're beneficiaries of the spoils. I detail this in Foreign Policy (forthcoming).
5) As soon as U.S. announced withdrawal from Afghanistan, al-Qaeda began transforming its media structure, emulating ISIS – creating dozens of media groups, each with a different mission, all serving the overarching goal of strengthening al-Qaeda.
6) Over the next day we will see a high volume of official and unofficial releases, publications and videos intended to recruit and expand operations.
7) While official ISIS comms will likely remain quiet (as they always have) during the 9/11 anniversary, their supporters will use the occasion to issue incitements. As al-Qaeda’s biggest competitor, they will capitalize on any opportunity to conduct violent disruptive attacks.
8)Thus, while immediate threats to U.S. territory must never be discounted, the outpouring of celebratory propaganda that we will witness over the next 24 hours could build a dangerous, wider-reaching momentum of its own.
9)Other extremists will capitalize on 9/11 annv: neo-Nazis & white supremacists will use xenophobia to incite; QAnon groups are already recirculating decades-old 9/11 conspiracies. As w other major terrorist attacks, radicalizing power of 9/11 not limited to 1 extremist community
10) #alQaeda official media wing as-Sahab announced a new forthcoming release, seems to be a video, expected to be released today.
This followed a release of a book by Zawhiri
This followed a release of a book by Zawhiri
https://twitter.com/Rita_Katz/status/1436344463278940166
11) Pro-AQ media groups are outpouring with 9/11 celebrations and incitements: posters, videos, hashtags, etc. It is a very organized and thoroughly prepped campaign--nothing like what I've seen in previous years.
12) After weeks of promotion, one pro-AQ media unit releases documentary-style video on 9/11, describing the planning and its effects that “stunned the world and changed its course forever” ent.siteintelgroup.com/Multimedia/on-…
13) Also of note that the video uses clips from Taliban media, showing its fighters. Yet another signal of the importance of the Taliban in the global jihadist movement’s narrative since 9/11, and how the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan is also al-Qaeda's victory
14) This pro-AQ campaign has been nonstop since 6am, showing the same intensity of ISIS’ social media campaigns of previous years. Entire channels, groups, bots, members are dedicated to 9/11 right now, with all groups pumping out content, despite severe deletion camp by Telegram
15) Worth noting how strong TG's deletion campaign against AQ & ISIS accounts has been ahead of 9/11--and how this AQ campaign persists nonetheless. Shows how these occasional sweeps by platforms like Telegram will never substitute for the 24/7, 365-day-a-year approaches needed
16) Tragic as it is to say, this 9/11 anniversary is a uniquely positive one for al-Qaeda. As one AQ supporter wrote, the US leaving Afghanistan is validation of Bin Laden’s vision and the “blessed” 9/11 attacks, and that “Afghanistan is the beginning.” ent.siteintelgroup.com/Chatter/jihadi…
17) Amid rumors of his death, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri shown in new 60-minute video, this time offering some evidence that he is not dead--particularly, reference to events after December, when rumors of death surfaced. (A speech from March offered no such proof)
18) Event Zawahiri referenced was a raid on a Russian military base by the al-Qaeda-aligned Hurras al-Deen in Syria, which it claimed on Jan 1 (after rumors/reporting of his death surfaced in Nov). Also introduces Zawahiri with "May Allah Protect Him." ent.siteintelgroup.com/Statements/aq-…
19) However, Zawahiri doesn't mention Taliban's Afghanistan victory, and his talk of US "making its exit from Afghanistan" could have been said early as Feb 2020 upon Doha Agreement. Thus, he could still be dead, though if so, would have been at some point in or after Jan 2021
20) Nonetheless, intelligence agencies have, as of yet, offered no proof or solid assessments that Zawahiri is dead, leaving the question of his current status in the air.
21) ISIS supporters & aligned groups, despite having less reason to celebrate today than al-Qaeda, capitalizing on 9/11 in their own way: spitefully calling 9/11 the “oxygen” that keeps al-Qaeda alive and challenge the group to prove that Zawahiri is alive ent.siteintelgroup.com/Chatter/is-ali…
22) As the AQ community continues to flood channels and hype up Zawahiri speech, their incitements remind one that AQ remains intent as ever to harm America. One pro-AQ magazine released today incites for more attacks with aircraft: "Are we not able to repeat it?"
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