Latest Briefs
Mujahideen Shura Council in Iraq Expands Ranks, Continues Attacks
The newly-formed Mujahideen Shura Council of Iraq, an umbrella group set up by al-Qaeda and consisting of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Jaysh al–Taifa al-Mansura, Ansar al-Tawhid, al-Ghuraba, al-Jihad al-Islami and al-Ahwal, is expanding its membership and operational capacity. Jaish Ahlu al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah is the most... MORE
Internet Mujahideen React to Rumsfeld’s Recent CFR Speech
The mujahideen have responded quickly to the February 17 address to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in which he conceded that the United States was lagging behind al-Qaeda in the propaganda war. The Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF)... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s Clandestine Courier Service
The recent release of audio and videotapes from Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri call attention to al-Qaeda's couriers and how they transport tapes to major media outlets (al-Jazeera, January 21). Audiotapes, videotapes and the internet are the major mass media tools of al-Qaeda and... MORE
Islamist Ideologues Struggle to Raise Morale
As evidence appears to mount that the jihad in Iraq is not resulting in a glorious victory for the mujahideen, and that the ranks of the insurgency appear to be splitting from internal tensions, mujahid apologists are attempting to raise morale. A recent essay from... MORE
Two Taliban-linked Companies Raided by Pakistani Authorities
Based on a report from Interpol, a special team from Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) raided the offices of two Afghan trading companies on January 24 in Peshawar. FIA authorities confiscated all company records and arrested a person who was present. The bank accounts of... MORE
Major GSPC Founder and Islamist Ideologue Killed
The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) in Algeria continues to encounter difficulties. On January 28, a declaration from its re-vamped site (https://www.jihad-algerie.net) carried the news of the death of Sheikh Ahmed Abu al-Baraa, one of the group’s founders and the head of its... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s Great Escape in Yemen
Yemen’s U.S.-sponsored fight against al-Qaeda suffered a severe blow last week with the escape of 23 convicts from a high security prison in the capital of Sana’a. Among the escapees were 13 al-Qaeda suspects imprisoned for their roles in the 2000 bombing of the USS... MORE
Al-Qaeda Suspects on Trial in Yemen
Yemen is preparing to try a number of prisoners who are accused of being associated with al-Qaeda terrorist activities in Yemen and abroad. The most notable prosecution involves Muhammad Hamdi al-Ahdal (also known as Abu Asim al-Makki) and his associate Ghalib al-Zaidi, who have been... MORE
A Jihadi Course in Military Mapping Symbols
The Mawsu'at al-I'dad ("Encyclopedia of Preparation") stands out as a prime example of an illustration of the "data mining" capability that the internet provides. As earlier indicated in Terrorism Focus, this work is unique in its form since it constitutes an ever-expanding e-compendium made up... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s Weapons Specialist Killed in Pakistani Airstrike
Abu Khabab al-Masri, the unconventional weapons specialist of al-Qaeda, was killed in the January 13 airstrike at Damadola in Pakistan. His death, reported by the Pakistani daily Dawn (www.dawn.com) quoting security sources, is especially important given Osama bin Laden's January 19 audiotape in which he... MORE