Extremist Content Online: ISIS Claims Responsibility For Attack On Ceremony Honoring World War One Veterans in Saudi Arabia

(New York, N.Y.) – The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to recruit followers and incite violence. Last week, ISIS claimed responsibility through the group’s Amaq News outlet for the attack on European and American diplomats in Jeddah that injured a security guard and Greek consulate employee. In addition, CEP researchers located a pro-ISIS video on RocketChat and the Internet Archive commemorating the November 2 terror attack in Vienna, Austria, featuring video footage from the attack and encouraging more acts of terrorism.

 

Meanwhile, neo-Nazi accelerationists published numerous posts on Telegram encouraging chaos in the U.S. following Joe Biden’s election as President of the United States. Also, CEP researchers located a guide for making a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device on an 8chan successor imageboard. Additionally, white supremacists mourned the death of Tom Metzger, the former leader of the White Aryan Resistance, who was held financially liable for his role in the racially motivated murder of an Ethiopian immigrant by neo-Nazi skinheads in 1988. Finally, Robert Rundo, the co-founder of the white supremacist group Rise Above Movement (RAM), posted a video on YouTube featuring him meeting with white supremacists in Greece and paying homage at a shrine for two Golden Dawn supporters who were killed in 2013.

 

ISIS Claims Responsibility For Attack In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

 

On November 12, ISIS claimed responsibility through the group’s Amaq News outlet for the previous day’s attack on a cemetery in Jeddah. The attack, which allegedly targeted European and American diplomats attending a ceremony commemorating the end of World War One, injured a security guard and Greek consulate employee. In a statement following the attack, ISIS claimed that they targeted the French consul due to that country’s defense of the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. On October 18, ISIS’s leader Abu Hamza al-Qurashi released a statement calling for acts of terrorism in Saudi Arabia against European and U.S. interests. The Amaq claim was available on Telegram, RocketChat, and JustPaste.It.    

 

ISIS claim of responsibility for November 12 Jeddah attack on Telegram

 

Pro-ISIS Video Praising Vienna Attacker Located On RocketChat And Internet Archive

 

CEP researchers located a pro-ISIS video on RocketChat and the Internet Archive that commemorates the November 2 attack in Vienna, Austria, by Kujtim Fejzulai. The video contains previously released news and personal video footage from the attack and ISIS nasheeds encouraging acts of terrorism and includes the video made by Fezjulai, where he pledges his allegiance to ISIS. 16 video uploads were located on the Internet Archive, all originally uploaded on November 4 or 5, and contained links to additional ISIS content in the description. The videos were removed after CEP reported them.

 

Neo-Nazi Accelerationists Hope For Post-Election Chaos

 

Following the announcement on November 7 that Joe Biden had won the U.S. presidential election, neo-Nazi accelerationists on Telegram made numerous posts hoping for and encouraging chaos. Channel administrators urged their followers to support claims that the election was fraudulent in an effort to delegitimize democracy. Other posters hoped that there would be riots which would further polarize the political situation and offer opportunities for violence. The majority of posters advised their readers that the system itself was the enemy, and several stated that they should act cautiously in what would be a long struggle.

 

Bomb Making Information Located On Dark Web 8chan Successor Imageboard

 

On November 10, CEP researchers located a guide for making a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device on an 8chan successor imageboard on the dark web. The instructions were accompanied by text propagating the white supremacist great replacement theory and urging acts of violence against Jews and the government. The post was followed by others lamenting that there had not been acts of terrorism in the vein of the Christchurch attack in 2020 due to Covid-19 lockdowns. The imageboard, created in February 2019, explicitly endorses fascism and white supremacist violence, and users have previously encouraged others to commit acts of terrorism.

 

White Supremacists Mourn Loss Of Tom Metzger, Post Bomb Making Guide

 

White supremacists mourned the announcement on November 10 that Tom Metzger, the White Aryan Resistance former leader, passed away on November 4. In 1990, Metzger was found financially liable for influencing the neo-Nazi skinheads who murdered an Ethiopian man studying in the United States. In addition to his virulent neo-Nazism, Metzger was known for his media appearances, public access television show, and running for political office. White supremacists on Telegram posted tributes to Metzger, including videos of his television interview with neo-Nazi James Mason. A Gab page dedicated to the promotion of Mason’s work also posted honoring Metzger. On November 11, a prominent neo-Nazi accelerationist Telegram channel posted a white supremacist guide for bombmaking and terrorism as part of their commemoration. The post was viewed approximately 700 times.

 

Rise Above Movement Leader Continues To Spread Propaganda On YouTube

 

Robert Rundo, the co-founder of the Rise Above Movement (RAM), continues to post videos on YouTube through the group’s media affiliate. On November 12, the YouTube account posted a video featuring Rundo traveling in Greece, where he met with local white supremacists as they spray-painted hate symbols at night, paid homage at a shrine for two Golden Dawn supporters who were killed in 2013, and visited tourist locations. The video is part of a series that shows Rundo traveling in Europe, meeting European white supremacists, and spreading the idea of a cross Atlantic fascist counter-culture movement. The video was advertised on several pro-RAM telegram channels, and the video had over 500 views and numerous supportive comments on YouTube within 24 hours of being posted. YouTube has refused to take action against Rundo’s videos on their platform.

 

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