The latest issue of al-Qaeda’s magazine Inspire includes a call for jihadis to attack the U.S. economy by assassinating business leaders like Microsoft’s Bill Gates, whose photo appears in the article, along with blood splatter and a gun.
Another helpful al-Qaeda illustration shows a hooded assassin prowling through a luxurious American home, preparing to strike a well-heeled victim.
“The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which obtained a copy of the magazine, said it provides detailed information on preparing for and carrying out targeted assassinations,” reports Sky News.
“The prophet ordered the killing of many criminal leaders using this method… and here we are, following the footsteps of the prophet on how he dealt with his enemies and friends,” Inspire editor Yahya Ibrahim wrote in the article.
“We will never put down our weapons until we fulfill what Allah wants from us. We are determined to keep fighting and striking Americans with operations by organized jihadi groups and by Lone Jihad, (and) pursuing America in its homeland – by the will of Allah,” Ibrahim added.
The new issue of Inspire “provides detailed information and instructions on preparing for and carrying out various targeted assassinations. It stresses that an assassin should possess different options to carry out an attack, which gives him or her a greater chance for success, and elevates the operation to a more ‘professional’ level,” according to a MEMRI analysis quoted by the Washington Times.
Sky News notes the magazine also encourages jihadis to engage in random knife attacks against American targets, similar to the “Knife Intifada” waged by Palestinians against Israelis. Instructions for creating a bomb small enough to hide inside a book with its pages cut out are also provided.