Camille Tawil
Camille Tawil is an investigative journalist for al-Hayat newspaper in London where he has worked for the past seventeen years. Mr. Tawil joined al-Hayat newspaper in 1991 where he covers the Middle East and focuses on writing about the activities of militant Islamic groups. He holds a BA in Journalism from the Lebanese University in Beirut, and an MA in Area Studies (Near and Middle East) from the University of London’s School of Oriental and Africa Studies (SOAS). He has written two books in Arabic. His first book in Arabic was dedicated to Algerian militant groups: The Armed Islamic Movement in Algeria – from the FIS to the GIA. He is also the author of Brothers In Arms: The Story of Al-Qa’ida and the Arab Jihadists.
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Articles by Camille Tawil
A Portrait of Moroccan-Syrian Jihadist Mohamed Mazouz and Harakat Sham al-Islam
On September 24, 2014, the U.S. Department of State listed Harakat Sham al-Islam (HSI) as “Specially Designated Global Terrorists” (U.S. Department of State, September 24, 2014). The listing described HSI,
Operation Dignity: General Haftar’s Latest Battle May Decide Libya’s Future
General Khalifa Haftar, the self-declared leader of the Libyan National Army, announced the launch of Operation Karama (Dignity) on May 16 with the aim of cleansing Libya of “terrorism and
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Calls on North African Jihadists to Fight in Sahel, Not Syria
After more than two months of the French-led operation against Islamic militants in northern Mali, there are signs that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is starting to feel the
Hot Issue: Was the Attack on Algerian Oil Facilities a Symptom of AQIM In-Fighting?
The hostage crisis at the gas plant facilities near In Aménas, in southeastern Algeria, ended on Thursday with major losses. Among the dozens of the dead or injured were Western
Election Issue: Militants in Libyan Politics: A Militant Leadership Monitor Special Report
In the aftermath of the revolution and the overthrow of Moammar Gaddafi, Libya is undergoing tremendous changes. On July 7, the oil-rich North African country held its first national election
Elections Issue: Militants in Libyan Politics: A Militant Leadership Monitor Special Report
In this Special Report on the Libya Elections we examine the entrance of militant leaders into the political scene as the country recovers from several decades of Gaddafi's rule. This
Elections Issue: Militants in Libyan Politics: A Militant Leadership Monitor Special Report
By: Dario Cristiani, Michael W. S. Ryan, Camille Tawil, Jacob Zenn In this Special Report on the Libya Elections we examine the entrance of militant leaders into the political scene as the country recovers
Tripoli’s Islamist Militia Leader Turns to Politics in the New Libya
Abd al-Hakim Belhadj, the former “Amir” of the now defunct Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), announced on May 15 that he is resigning from his post as head of Tripoli’s
Regime Loyalists Fight On as Opposition Prepares for a Post-Qaddafi Libya
After months of bombardment by NATO warplanes, Qaddafi’s military is no longer the force it was when it was on the verge of defeating the rebels by taking their “capital”
Mapping Qaddafi’s Tribal Allegiances in Libya: An Overview
After announcing that Libyan troops had suspended operations in Misurata, an official of the Libyan government suggested that armed tribesmen loyal to the regime would soon take their place. It
Jamestown Analyst Camille Tawil Cited in The Washington Examiner
Jamestown Analyst Camille Tawil cited in the article "Al Qaeda’s wanna-be Arab Spring" in The Washington Examiner published on April 20, 2011.
Jamestown Terrorism Monitor Editor Andrew McGregor and Analyst Camille Tawil Cited in Time Magazine
Jamestown Terrorism Monitor Editor Andrew McGregor and Analyst Camille Tawil cited in the article "Sert: The Desert City That Holds Gaddafi's Destiny" by Ken Stier, published in Time Magazine on
Jamestown Analyst Camille Tawil Cited in Bloomberg Business Week
Jamestown Foundation Analyst Camille Tawil Cited in the article "Libya’s Eastern Rebels, Long-Time Qaddafi Foes, Driving Revolt" published on February 25, 2011 in Bloomberg Business Week.
Special Commentary: Is Libya Headed Toward a Prolonged Civil War?
It did not take long for Libya to follow the path of its neighbors, with popular uprisings in Tunisia to the west and in Egypt to the east. The Libyan
Special Commentary: Will Libya Be the Next Tunisia or Egypt?
Libyan President Colonel Qaddafi must be feeling the heat of the recent upheavals taking place around him. He has just seen the regime of President Bin Ali in Tunisia, a
A Portrait of Abderrazzak al-Para: GSPC’s Mystery Man in the Maghreb
Amari Saifi, better known as Abderrezak al-Para (The Parachutist), was a rising star in the Algerian Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, GSPC (Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le
The Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb: Expansion in the Sahel and Challenges from Within Jihadist Circles
January 2010 marked the three-year anniversary of the merger between the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (or GSPC, as it is known by its French acronym) and al-Qaeda central.
A Jihadist in the Sand: The Rise of Abdelmalek Droukdel, al-Qaeda’s Amir in Algeria
Abdelmalek Droukdel (a.k.a. Abu Musab al-Wadoud), the current amir of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), should be considered the real power behind the shift in focus of the Algerian
What Next for the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group after Rebuff from the Libyan Regime?
After having given Colonel Qaddafi’s regime what they thought it wanted to hear, namely a rejection of the merger of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) with Osama bin Laden’s
New Strategies in al-Qaeda’s Battle for Algeria
In September, three years will have passed since the Algerian Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat - GSPC) joined al-Qaeda. A sharp
Libyan Islamists Back Away from al-Qaeda Merger in Reconciliation with Qaddafi Regime
It has been more than two years since talks started between the Libyan authorities and the imprisoned leaders of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (Al-Jama’a al-Islamiya al-Muqatilah bi Libya –
The Changing Face of the Jihadist Movement in Libya
The LIFG began operations in the early 1990s, but it did not seem to have rushed into getting involved in attacks against the Libyan regime. Its priority is thought to