Briefs
A Look at Tajikistan’s Jamaat Ansarullah Leader Amriddin Tabarov
General Dzhurakhon Zoirov, head of Tajikistan’s Anti-Organized Crime Division of the Ministry of the Interior, announced on July 19 that Amriddin Tabarov (a.k.a. Dumullo Amriddin) has been placed on Interpol’s international wanted list (Ozodi, July 20). Tabarov is purportedly the leader of Jamaat Ansarullah an... MORE
The Power Behind the Throne in Mursi’s Egypt: A Portrait of Muhammad Khayrat al-Shater
Over the last three years, Muslim Brotherhood deputy guide Muhammad Khayrat al-Shater has gone from being a political prisoner in Egypt’s prisons to a controversial role as the alleged “power behind the throne” in the Muhammad Mursi presidency and back again to prison, where he... MORE
Taking the Reigns of AQIM: A Profile of Jamal Oukacha
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) confirmed the death in mid-June of one of its most senior leaders Abd al-Hamid Abu Zeid. Abu Zeid was a key commander on AQIM’s North Africa branch who was killed while fighting against French-led forces in northern Mali (Jeune... MORE
From Assad Loyalist to Senior Rebel Commander: The Career of General Salim Idris
The Syrian Academy of Military Engineering in Aleppo, which trains the elite officers in the Syrian Armed Forces, is one of the most prestigious military schools in all of the Middle East. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad entrusted Sunni Brigadier General Salim Idris to lead this... MORE
Three Leaders to Watch in Post-Mursi Egypt
All Egyptians acknowledge that the military is the strongest institution in Egypt. An examination of some of Egypt's top generals, however, shows that their strength comes not only from their guns, but also from their political acumen. The three generals profiled briefly here are all... MORE
A Post-Mortem Analysis of Pakistani Taliban Military Strategist Wali ur-Rehman
Wali ur-Rehman, the deputy commander of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP – the Pakistani Taliban) was killed in a drone strike on a compound in the village of Chasmepul (a.k.a Chashme), three kilometers (1.8 miles) east of Miranshah, the administrative center of the North Waziristan Agency,... MORE
Branding al-Qaeda in Mali – France’s Self-Declared Jihadist Gilles le Guen
Self-declared jihadist Gilles le Guen (a.k.a. Abdel Jelil) was arrested on April 28 by French forces in Timbuktu, questioned and handed over to Malian authorities. He was extradited back to France on May 14 and faces charges of criminal conspiracy under a French anti-terrorism bill... MORE
A Glimpse at Mustapha Amin Badreddine: Leader of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council
Mustapha Amin Badreddine (a.k.a. Mustapha Youssef Badreddine, Sami Issa, Elias Fouad Sa’b, Ilyas Sa’b and by his nom-de-guerre Dhu al-Fiqar) is an important military and intelligence leader in the Lebanese Hezbollah. Badreddine is reported to have succeeded Imad Mughniyeh as the head of Hezbollah’s majlis... MORE
The Mobile Threat: Multiple Battlefields Ensure Instability in the Sahel/Sahara Region
There are signs that the scattered remnants of the Islamist coalition that occupied northern Mali for nine months are beginning to use their financial resources and pre-planned alternative bases to regroup in the Sahel/Sahara region in order to carry out new operations against their targets... MORE
The Race for Libya’s GNC Presidency: A Profile of Militant Turned Politician Abd al-Wahhab Muhammad Qaid
Summary Abd al-Wahhab Muhammad Qaid, the elder brother of a top al-Qaeda commander killed in an American drone strike in Pakistan last summer, has emerged as a strong candidate in the upcoming election for Libya’s top political job president of the General National Congress (GNC).... MORE