Briefs
Before Boko Haram: A Profile of al-Qaeda’s West Africa Chief Ibrahim Harun (a.k.a. Spinghul)
In March 2017, 46-year-old Ibrahim Harun, who claims to be a citizen of Niger but was born in Saudi Arabia while his parents were on the hajj, was convicted in the court of the Eastern District of New York for a conspiracy to murder American... MORE
An In-Depth Profile of AQAP’s Qassim al-Raymi
With the sharpened U.S. focus on combating global terrorism, closer knowledge of al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) — and, crucially, its leadership — is becoming increasingly more important. Before the U.S raid in Yemen in February 2017, which according to... MORE
A Brief Profile of Hafiz Tohar: Militant Mastermind Behind Myanmar’s Rohingya Insurgency
Myanmar’s beleaguered Rakhine state has witnessed a series of violent incidents since last October following surprise armed raids by a group of Rohingya Islamist militants. The raids, which targeted security posts in Maungdaw district and left several dead on both sides, triggered a fresh wave... MORE
Shaykh Hassan Yakub Ali: The Powerful al-Shabaab Waali of Galmudug
In February, Shakyh Hassan Yakub Ali became the first al-Shabaab militant leader to issue threats against Somalia’s new president, Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed. Ali warned that the al-Qaeda affiliate in East Africa would carry out sustained attacks throughout the four-year term of President Mohammed (a.k.a. Farmajo).... MORE
Leading Jabhat Fateh al-Sham’s New Coalition in Syria: Who Is Hashim al-Sheikh?
On January 28, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS) — the Jabhat al-Nusrah successor group formed in July 2016, which now claims that it is no longer al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria — announced, along with other groups, the formation of a new coalition called Hai’at Tahrir al-Sham... MORE
An American-Educated Warlord in Equatoria: A Profile of South Sudan’s General Martin Terensio Kenyi
According to a confidential UN report, six million people, half the population of South Sudan, are in need of humanitarian assistance less than six years after the nation gained its independence as a result of militia warfare spinning out of control (AFP, February 15). Power... MORE
Vying for Power in the PKK: A Profile of Senior Commander Dr. Bahoz Erdal
Fahman Hussein— a Kurdish militant more widely known by his nom de guerre, Dr. Bahoz Erdal — was born in Syria in 1969. He studied to be a veterinarian at the School of Medicine of the University of Damascus, to which the title ”Dr.” in... MORE
A Threat From Prison? A Look at AQIM Mauritanian Operative Saleck Ould Cheikh Mohamedou
On December 21, 2016, the U.S. State Department identified the al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) operative Saleck Ould Cheikh Mohamedou as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. That executive order, issued by the Bush Administration in the immediate aftermath... MORE
The New Face of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood? A Post-Mortem Analysis of Hassm Leader Mohamed Ashour Dashisha
A new strand of Islamist jihadism— one more in line with the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology than Salafism—has been taking shape in the context of Egypt’s ongoing Islamist insurgency. This developing strand is the byproduct of the violent aftermath of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood’s ouster from... MORE
The Bitcoin Jihadist: Bahrun Naim and Islamic State’s Brigade of Indonesians
One of Islamic State’s (IS) most entrepreneurial jihadists is Bahrun Naim, a Syria-based Indonesian who has been planning attacks on his native Indonesia through online contacts in the country. The most recent operation with Naim at the helm involved a female suicide bomber who was... MORE