Independent jihad: Al-Qaeda incites grass-roots militants

摘要

1. Al-Qaeda and its Yemen-based affiliate are trying to encourage Muslims in the West to carry out acts of 'independent jihad' without any material support from established jihadist groups.rn2. The shooting in which 13 people died at Fort Hood army base in the US appears to have been a key event that convinced Al-Qaeda to encourage independent attacks.rn3. The threat from independents has the potential to either distract counter-terrorist forces or go unnoticed due to their lack of connections to the wider jihadist movement.