Al-Qaeda's new online magazine bids to recruit in US and Europe

Al-QaEda has launched its first online propaganda magazine in English, a move that could help the terrorist group to recruit in Europe and the United States.

The magazine, called Inspire, is apparently being produced by al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen, which has been linked to the failed Christmas Day bombing attempt of a US-bound airliner flying from Nigeria. "This new magazine is clearly intended for the aspiring jihadist in the US or UK, who may be the next Fort Hood murderer or Times Square bomber," Bruce Riedel, a Brookings Institution scholar and former Central Intelligence Agency officer, said.

This week's launch did not go smoothly. The magazine was 67 pages long, but all but the first three pages were just garbled computer code, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist websites and obtained a copy of the magazine.

The table of contents included articles such as "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mum", which promised to be "a detailed yet short, easy-to-read manual on how to make a bomb using ingredients found in a kitchen."

"We also call upon and encourage our readers to contribute by sending their articles, comments or suggestions to us," the magazine's introduction read.

The magazine was distributed to known jihadist internet forums, to be downloaded by anyone interested.

At the heart of al-Qaeda's propaganda effort is Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical US-born cleric now living in Yemen.

Authorities say his online sermons, in English, have inspired several recent terrorist plots. The magazine promotes an article by al-Awlaki titled May Our Souls be Sacrificed for You. But like most of the magazine, the article did not appear in the version circulated on Tuesday.

Until now, al-Qaeda has relied predominately on Arabic-language websites to carry its message. Now it appears to be capitalising on its recent success in recruiting among English speakers.