First we'll start off with the statement released above from al-Andalus, which is the media wing of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). In the title, AQIM congratulates the late emir of Shabaab, Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr, on his recent martyrdom. Zubeyr was recently killed in a US drone strike in Somalia. In a surprising move, the group both confirmed his death, appointed a new leader, and reaffirmed their allegiance to al-Qaeda in a less than a week.
It appears on the same day, AQIM released this statement. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) also released a statement on Zubeyr's death, but it is pretty similar in nature to AQIM's. They both send their blessings to their "brothers in jihad" in Shabaab.
The second thing is a statement from AQAP congratulating the "central command" of AQ on forming AQIS. In this statement, they refer to Ayman al-Zawahri as "our good shaykh and emir", which further puts the nail in the coffin of the thinking that they have defected to ISIS. Secondly, they call out Asim Umar, the new emir of AQIS, by calling him the "great shaykh". They also make the statement that "if one looks at the conditions of Muslims in China, Chechnya, India, Kashmir, Palestine, Africa, Central Africa and other Muslim countries, they would see this painful truth"
They then later compare this "painful truth" to the conditions of Muslims in countries on the Indian subcontinent by saying this according to the Long War Journal "look at the condition of the Muslims in Burma, Bangladesh, Assam, Gujurat, Ahmedabad, and Kashmir from the countries of the Indian Subcontinent," because "the heart wrenches in pain for what has befallen them of cunning and damage, slaughter and burning, destitution, and destruction of homes, for nothing other than being Muslims who bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
AQAP makes the statement that AQIS was formed to essentially assuage the Muslim community's pain in the region.
The third and last thing, which is a monthly summary of Jabhat al-Nusra's operations in Syria, was released today in English.
Monthly Harvest for AL-Manara AL-Baydaa Correspondent Network Sha'ban 1435 #JabhatAlNusra https://t.co/OatlgWnzdI pic.twitter.com/uIqPiBvYCu
— جبهة النصرة (@S_H_MM) September 8, 2014
The online magazine features battle details and social and charitable works that they have done. The Long War Journal is also reporting that "The document highlights Al Nusrah's fight against the Assad regime and its allies, including Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran. One entry for Al Qalamoun, where there was heavy fighting between Hezbollah and Al Nusrah, reads: "The promise of victory is in sight. Here are your brothers in Jabhat al-Nusra and other groups debilitating Hezbollah and the regime's army be deterring their advance in the barren mountains of Hawsh 'Arab."