ISIS releases audio message purportedly from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

The Islamic State has released a new audio recording, purportedly by their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who has not been seen or heard in public for months.

The message, entitled March Forth Whether Light or Heavy”, seems designed to inspire Isis supporters rather than outline any new strategy for the militants, who overran large areas of Syria and Iraq in June.

In the 34-minute recording, the speaker calls for the mass mobilization of “every Muslim” to fight on the side of Isis, whether at home or in the Islamic State itself. The voice in the recording resembles Baghdadi’s, but this has not been confirmed.

The message also criticises the rulers of Gulf countries and Saudi Arabia and its release coincided with Barack Obama’s summit meeting with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council at Camp David.

“O Muslims go to war everywhere. It is the duty of every Muslim,” the speaker says.
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The recording contains no indication of how recently it was made but refers to the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen, Decisive Storm, which began on 26 March.

The Guardian reported last month that Baghdadi had been severely wounded in a coalition air strike, which has left him incapacitated due to spinal damage. Two months after being injured in the US air strike in north-western Iraq, the self-proclaimed caliph has not yet resumed command of the extremist group.

Referring to the US-led coalition campaign against Isis, the message warns Muslims that soon “America and its allies” will target “every Muslim everywhere”, despite the coalition’s claims to “confine themselves to targeting the armed among them”.

The central focus of the message seems to be a rebuke of the leaders of Gulf countries and of Saudi Arabia, referred to as “guard dogs” and “apostate rulers”. The message refers to Operation Decisive Storm as a “storm of delusion” saying the west had replaced Saudi Arabia with Shia powers – probably in reference to Iran – and “Kurdish atheists”.

The speaker calls for the humiliation of the Saudi regime and vows to liberate Isis prisoners in Saudi jails.

The last audio message by the Islamic State purporting to be from Baghdadi was released last November. Baghdadi has only ever appeared in public once, filmed delivering a Friday sermon in Mosul in July 2014.

Transcripts of the audio message were disseminated online in English, French, Russian, German and Turkish.

Source: Guardian