Briefs
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
Purifying Islam and Combating the West: Post Mortem Analysis of the Indelible Impact of al-Qaeda’s Abu Yahya al-Libi
Abu Yahya al-Libi might not have lived long enough to become the next Osama Bin Ladin, but over al-Libi’s seven-year career with al-Qaeda he had an indelible impact. Al-Libi evolved from an ideologue to a military commander to senior leadership. It would not be a... MORE
The Life of an American in Somalia’s Jihad: An In-Depth Portrait of al-Amriki
A U.S. citizen born in 1984 in Alabama, Omar Hammami (a.k.a. Abu Mansoor al-Amriki) is a key recruiter and propaganda specialist for the al-Qaeda affiliated group, al-Shabaab, in Somalia. Al-Amriki, the son of a Syrian Muslim father and an American Southern Baptist mother, was raised... MORE
A Profile of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Revanchist Ideologue: Abdul Rahman Makki
Known for his Saudi Salafist links, idolization of Osama bin Laden and for keeping close liaisons with Mullah Omar and other Taliban leaders in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, Abdur Rahman Makki is one of the founding members of Markaz Dawa-wal-Irshad (MDI). MDI is the parent body... MORE
Malik Mohammad Ishaq: Founder of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
One of Pakistan’s top terrorists and one of the founders of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Malik Muhammad Ishaq, is all set to play his role after his release earlier this year by the Lahore High Court. Anti-Shia sectarian violence drastically increased in Pakistan after he was... MORE
Pakistan’s New Most Wanted: A Short Sketch of Adnan Rasheed
In a pre-dawn attack on April 15, 2012, militants belonging to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) stormed the Bannu Central Jail in the district of Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (KP). In what is considered the largest prison break in Pakistan’s history, the Taliban successfully freed... MORE
The Militant Leadership Monitor Index
The Jamestown Foundation is proud to introduce the new Militant Leadership Monitor Index: https://mlm.jamestown.org/mlm-index/ The MLM Index will allow readers to search for profiles of key militant leaders by organizational affiliation. The MLM Index categorizes articles covering over 60 militant groups and over 110... MORE
Central Africa’s Tribal Marauder: A Profile of Fulani Insurgent Leader General Abdel Kader Baba Laddé
Operating from deep in the ungoverned bush of the northern part of the Central African Republic (CAR), a poorly educated Fulani tribesman from southern Chad leads a rebel movement of several hundred men that claims to be both a Fulani self-defense militia and an armed... MORE
Missionary at Home, Jihadist Abroad: A Profile of Tunisia’s Abu Iyad the Amir of Ansar al-Shari‘ah
A month ago, thousands of Salafis from various organizations demonstrated in downtown Tunis in support of the Qur‘an. Tens of individuals among them also brazenly climbed the famous clock tower and waved the black flag of Islam. Yet, among these Salafi organizations in Tunisia, there... MORE