Briefs
February 2012 Briefs
ABU SAYYAF AND JEMAAH ISLAMIYA MEMBERS KILLED IN AIRSTRIKE An airstrike on an Abu Sayyaf camp on the island of Jolo in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Philippines on February 3, 2012 killed 15 terrorists, including Zulkifli bin Hir (alias Marwan), Gumbahali Jumdail (alias... MORE
The Mastermind of Mayhem in Mumbai: A Profile of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi
Outside the Indian subcontinent not much was known about the most prolific militant commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi, until the United States Treasury announced on May 27, 2008 that they had froze the assets of four of the top LeT leaders including Lakhvi.... MORE
Abu Baker al-Husseini Brings Al-Qaeda’s Iraqi Affiliate Back to Center Stage
The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI—Dawlat al-Iraq al-Islamiyyah), an umbrella organization for terrorist groups in Iraq including al-Qaeda in Iraq, suffered a blow when it lost its two top leaders in U.S. raids. These leaders were Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and his most senior aide Abu... MORE
A Snapshot of Brigadier Ijaz Shah: Bin Laden’s ISI Handler
Brigadier Ijaz Shah (Retd.), one of Pakistan’s most notorious spies, may not be a militant or terrorist in a practical sense of the word, but he is alleged to have been linked with some of the most high profile terrorists and the terrorist acts in... MORE
Post-Mortem Analysis: A Brief Profile of North Caucasian Militant Commander Biaslan Gochiyaev
An ethnic Karachay, Biaslan Gochiyaev was born in the city of Cherkessk, Karachay-Cherkessia in 1984. Some sources allege that he was a relative of Achemez Gochiyaev. [1] The latter was put on the international wanted list for bombing apartment blocks in Moscow in 1999. [2]... MORE
Special Report on Boko Haram: Nigeria’s Islamist Movement
The Jamestown Foundation is proud to announce the newest feature for our Militant Leadership Monitor annual subscribers – a Quarterly Special Report (QSR). In addition to receiving full access to the mlm.jamestown.org website, past archives of MLM, and new issues automatically delivered monthly to your... MORE
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Militant Leadership Monitor, Jamestown’s premier monthly publication, celebrated its two year anniversary. To commemorate a successful two years we rolled out a brand new website - mlm.jamestown.org. Over the past two years, subscribers to MLM have been receiving unique biographies and insightful analyses about key... MORE
Yemen’s Transition: Who’s Who in the Yemeni Opposition
Now that Yemen’s Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) power transfer initiative has been signed and implementation is beginning, enormous political gains are being made by the fractured coalition of Islamists, Nasserites, and cold war-era socialists known as the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP). As per the GCC... MORE
Amir of the Southern Sahara: A Fresh Look at AQIM’s Mokhtar Belmokhtar
Personal Profile Born in the medieval city of Ghardaïa in central Algeria, nearly 372 miles due south of Algiers, on June 1, 1972, Mokhtar Belmokhtar is known by different names and nicknames. He is known as Khaled Abou Abbass, and his many nicknames include: “the... MORE
From Ally to Adversary: Shaykh Ahmed Madobe’s War on Al-Shabaab
Shaykh Ahmed Madobe is a very influential Islamist warlord in southern Somalia who has turned his guns on his former ally, the al-Qaeda linked Somali Islamist group al-Shabaab. His role was elevated in September 2009 when al-Shabaab fighters ousted his Ras Kamboni Brigade from Kismayo where... MORE