Al Qaeda magazine hints of looming attack; urges bombing of Vegas, military targets

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Terror magazine hints of new attacks in US

Peter Doocy reports from Washington, D.C.

A new English-language Al Qaeda magazine features a how-to article on making car bombs and suggests terror targets in the United States, including casinos in Las Vegas, oil tankers and military colleges, and implies that an attack is imminent.

The online publication, called “Palestine-Betrayal of the Guilty Conscience Al-Malahem” and put out by the media arm of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, calls for Muslims around the world to follow “the recipe” provided to set off car bombs in crowded venues. It includes a timeline of "selected jihadi operations" that the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which first flagged the slickly-produced latest edition of the terror publication, finds chilling.

“The timeline concludes with the date 201?’ and blank spaces and question marks for the photo and information of the next attack -- implying that it is coming soon.” said MEMRI Executive Director Steve Stalinsky.

There is a suggested list of targets for lone-wolf, or individually executed, terror attacks, including New York's Times Square, casinos and night clubs in Las Vegas, oil tankers and trains, the Georgia Military College, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and General Atomics defense contractor in San Diego.

“This recipe gives you the ability to make a car bomb even in countries with tight security and surveillance,” one article reads, before providing a “shopping list” of supplies needed to make such a bomb, including cooking gas, oxygen gas, a barometer, decoration lamps and matches.

There is also a list of targets in Britain including a military academy and the Marks and Spencers chain of department stores. The magazine calls for the stores to be hit on Friday during prayers so that Muslims won’t be affected.

Globally, AQAP calls for the targeting of tourist resorts frequented by Israelis, Britons and Americans.

In a nine-page spread entitled, “How to make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom,” the magazine details a do-it-yourself, illustrated guide on assembling a pressure-cooker bomb similar to the ones used in the Boston Marathon bombings.

“My Muslim brother, before you start reading the instructions, remember that this type of operation if prepared well and an appropriate target is chosen and Allah decrees success for you, history will never forget it. It will be recorded as a crushing defeat on the enemies of Islam,” the article says.

The “Palestine” magazine is a spin-off of AQAP's Inspire magazine, which mainly encourages and instructs jihadi recruits to carry out lone-wolf attack in the West. This new magazine is meant to play upon the recent anti-Israel and anti-U.S. sentiments brought about by the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

“Both AQAP and IS, as well as every other Al-Qaeda branch and offshoot is relying on U.S. social media companies including Twitter and YouTube for their cyber-Jihad efforts,” said Stalinsky, whose organization monitors the online and media activity of Jihadi groups and reported on the release of this publication.

This list comes as U.S. intelligence investigates the increased chances of a terror attack on American soil as Islamic State militants continue on their rampage in Iraq and Syria.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon confirmed reports of the death on a Syrian battlefield of American Douglas McCain, of San Diego, who was recruited to Syria to fight for IS.Now, the Free Syrian Army is reporting that a second American may have died in the same battle.

“There could be some envy by AQAP that IS is now getting all the headlines,” Stalinsky said in response to the probability of an Al Qaeda-backed attack.