An al Qaeda magazine is calling for more lone wolf attacks specifically targeting U.S. economic leaders including Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg and Charles and David Koch.
The list of al Qaeda targets in Inspire magazine also included Internet entrepreneur Larry Ellison, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, though his successor Janet Yellen, was not named, NBC reported.
Jim Walton, one of the heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune, was also named in the list, although he was misidentified by the terrorist group. His father, Sam Walton, was also included on the list.
The article begins with a chilling photo showing blood-spattered pictures of several of the economic figures next to a dripping gun, NBC reported. The stated goal of the piece is to derail the “revival of the American economy.”
The article says the “economic personalities” and “wealthy entrepreneurs” can get off the list by withdrawing their money from U.S. banks, investing their wealth outside American soil and denouncing support for Israel, NBC reported.
Counterterrorism analysts say much of the magazine’s content is “aspirational” but admitted it may have inspired dangerous plots in the past.
“There is compelling evidence from the Boston Marathon bombings and other various thwarted terror plots that homegrown jihadists have specifically looked to the magazine for guidance on what targets to attack — and have taken that advice quite literally,” said Evan Kohlmaan of Flashpoint Intelligence, a security firm, NBC reported.
This is the second time U.S. financial leaders have been targeted by al Qaeda. In late December 2014, Mr. Gates and Mr. Bernanke were named as potential targets in another issue of the same magazine.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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