Briefs
AQAP Update: A New Look at Khalid Saeed Batarfi’s Rise to the Top
On January 23, the U.S. Department of State designated al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) top commander Khalid Saeed Batarfi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. [1] Batarfi is just the latest AQAP figure to be added to the U.S. sanctions list, a mechanism that... MORE
Raising Saleh’s Flag in Southern Yemen: Brigadier General Tariq Saleh Attempts to Finish His Uncle’s Work
On December 2, 2017, former Yemeni President Ali Abdulla Saleh announced he was breaking his alliance with the Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement, which controls the Yemeni capital of Sana’a and a large part of the country. Ali Abdulla Saleh, who ruled Yemen between 1978 and... MORE
Islamic State’s Cultural Jihad: A Profile of British Foreign Fighter Raymond Matimba
Islamic State’s (IS) foreign fighters are a key part of its propaganda campaign in the West. The group thrives on attracting militants whose personal history makes them seem “too normal” to be terrorists. This strategy is designed to scare citizens of Western countries by creating... MORE
The Bangladeshi Fashion Model With Looks to Kill: A Look at Neo-Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh Commander Imam Mehedi Hasan
Despite relentless anti-terror drives aimed at neutralizing the resurgence of Islamic militants, Bangladeshi authorities are still struggling to contain the surge of Islamist militancy that has sprung up in the country since the Holey Artisan Bakery attack in July 2016. Groups linked to and inspired... MORE
Australia’s Most Dangerous Islamic State Member: The Arrest of Neil Prakash
Neil Christopher Prakash was considered “the most important and the most dangerous” Australian member of Islamic State (IS) (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 5, 2016).Before being wounded and captured in 2016, he established a public profile under the nom de guerre Abu Khaled al-Cambodi and was... MORE
Pakistan’s JuA Commander Brushes With Death: A Look at Omar Khalid Khorasani
Few terrorist commanders in the Pakistani militant landscape are as ruthless, or notorious, as Omar Khalid Khorasani, the Emir of Jamaat ul Ahrar (JuA). JuA is part of the al-Qaeda-linked Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) network, which is made up of over 42 different Islamist militant groups.... MORE
The Brotherhood Fox: A Profile of Fugitive Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Leader Mahmud Ezzat
How does a leader of an outlawed religious-political movement apply pressure on an inflexible regime at a moment of organizational weakness and internal division? This is the dilemma facing Dr. Mahmud Ezzat, the deputy supreme guide of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood (MB). The Ikhwan (Brothers) are... MORE
The Unlikely Rebel: A Profile of Darfur’s Zaghawa Rebel Leader Minni Minawi
The career of Sulayman Arcua Minawi (better known as “Minni Minawi”) is the story of how a primary school teacher in a remote corner of northern Africa parlayed an ability to read and write and a previously hidden penchant for ruthlessness into his appointment in... MORE
Top Badr Commander Named Iraqi Interior Minister: The Ascension of Qasim al-Araji
On January 30, Qasim al-Araji, a prominent member of the Iran-backed Badr organization, was appointed to be interior minister of Iraq (al-Arabiya, January 30). As a member of the parliament and a Shia militia field commander, Mr. al-Araji is well known for his anti-U.S. views—though... MORE
Islamic State’s White Widow: Sally Jones’ Digital Jihad
Sally-Anne Frances Jones (a.k.a. Sakinah Hussein; Umm Hussain al-Britani; the White Widow) is a former punk rock guitarist turned one of the most dangerous female militants in the Islamic State (IS) group, serving as an online recruiter and propagandist. Jones is believed to be the... MORE