A magazine published by al-Qaeda’s affiliate terror group in Yemen urged readers this month to perpetrate lone-wolf terror attacks and target airlines. The English-language magazine, Inspire, provided recommendations on how to choose a suitable target and instructions on how to build a bomb.
The magazine is published by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and its Christmas Eve issue showed an airplane on its cover, naming US airlines Delta, American Airlines, United, and the now-defunct Continental Airlines as well as European firms easyJet, Air France, and British Airways as ideal targets.
The article’s author is known only by a nickname – the al-Qaeda Chef. He details why each airline is an attractive target, from British Airways -“the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations. The flag carrier was privatised and floated on the London Stock Exchange.”; to EasyJet -“it is a low-cost carrier, hence has a large number of passengers.”
In an interview with the magazine, the al-Qaeda Chef also explained why lone wolf attacks are so important to the “cause”: “It is hard to uncover, because none knows him but Allah. He has no relationship with any group or any individuals.”
He prioritizes potential targets, putting British and American carriers ahead of French airlines, as these terror attacks are a “natural reaction” to American arrogance.
On the ground, he encouraged aspiring mujahedeen to target high-profile Americans, such as former Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke and tech billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates.
This is the 13th issue of the magazine, first released in 2010. It is famous for providing would-be terrorists, like the Boston Marathon bombers, with step-by-step instructions and encouragement.