Briefs
The Elusive Terror Mastermind of India’s Mujahideen: A Profile of Ahmed Siddibaba a.k.a Yasin Bhatkal
For over a year, India has been struggling to recuperate from the November 2008 terrorist attacks on the commercial capital Mumbai. In February 2010, the lull was interrupted by a bomb blast masterminded and executed by Ahmed Zarar Siddibaba, a top ranking Indian Mujahideen (IM)... MORE
The Rebirth of FARC and the Rise of Its New Leader “Timochenko”
After Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) leader Guillermo León Sáenz Vargas (a.k.a Alfonso Cano) was killed in a bombing raid in Cauca Department, southwest Colombia on November 4, 2011, the seven-member FARC secretariat needed only 11 days to... MORE
A Post-Mortem Analysis of Afghanistan’s Second Most Powerful Uzbek Warlord Ahmed Khan “Samangani”
On July 14, a key Uzbek power broker in the plains of northern Afghanistan, Ahmed Khan Samangani, was killed by a suicide bomber who embraced him while accepting guests at his daughter’s wedding in the town of Aibek, capital of the strategic province of Samangan.... MORE
Tajikistan’s New Most Wanted: A Profile of Warlord and Narco-Trafficker Tolib Ayombekov
On July 24, Tajikistan's government launched an operation against an illegal armed group. The special operation was initiated in reaction to the incident on July 21 when regional security chief General Abdullo Nazarov was pulled from his car, allegedly by rebel fighters, and stabbed to... MORE
July 2012 Briefs
NEW AQ LEADER IN PAKISTAN TAKES COMMAND AS ATTACKS ON NATO CONVOYS CONTINUE On July 18, 2012, a bomb exploded in a fuel tanker after which insurgents opened fire on a convoy NATO supply trucks in Samangan, northern Afghanistan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEV-FMBBUPg). In total, 22 vehicles loaded... MORE
Between Electoral Politics and Global Jihad: Libya’s Islamist Groups Consider New Options
The performance of the Islamist parties was particularly poor in the recent Libyan elections. The National Forces Alliance (NFA), led by former interim Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril, won the elections, securing 39 out of the 80 seats open for candidates representing political parties. The Hizb... MORE
Taking Down Mexico’s Miguel Treviño Morales: Los Zetos’ Second in Command Targeted for Character Assassination
Miguel Treviño Morales: A Founding Zeta Miguel Treviño Morales was born on November 18, 1970 in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico (CNS News, April 13, 2009). He is wanted in Mexico and the U.S. in connection with drug trafficking and murder-related charges. Legal processes against him are ongoing within several... MORE
June 2012 Briefs
SAUDI ARABIA, U.S. AND INDIA COOPERATE TO CAPTURE MUMBAI “26/11” ATTACKER ABU JINDAL Syed Zabihuddin Ansari (a.k.a Abu Jundal) is infamous for being the “voice” that delivered orders from a control room in Pakistan by telephone to the terrorists who infiltrated Mumbai's Taj hotel on... MORE
Analyzing the Role of the Top LeT Ideologue: A Profile of Amir Hamza
Maulana Amir Hamza is one of the most important leaders of the Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) terrorist group after its amir Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. He is a fiery speaker and a prolific writer. These two skills enabled him to rise to a top slot in the... MORE
The Ideological Inspiration for Boko Haram: A Profile of Mallam Muhammadu Marwa and His Impact on Religious Extremism in Northern Nigeria
A statement from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) issued on June 21 warned that last week’s Boko Haram attacks on Christians in Kaduna and Zaria and the subsequent reprisals against innocent Muslims represented a descent into a complete social... MORE