Briefs
Majed al-Zeer: Hamas’s Alleged Frontman in Europe
Executive Summary German authorities claim that Berlin-based British citizen Majed al-Zeer plays a key role in Hamas's operations in Europe, citing his relations with Hamas figures and support for the group, though the extent remains unclear. Al-Zeer's involvement as director of the allegedly Hamas-connected Palestinian... MORE
Jewel Ali: The Founder of Imam Mahmuder Kafela in Bangladesh
Executive Summary The charismatic leader of a new Bangladeshi terrorist group called Imam Mahmuder Kafela (IMK), Jewel Ali, was recently arrested. Despite his arrest, Ali’s ability to fundraise, organize, and promote his ideology on social media combine with the persistent popularity of his message to... MORE
Saleh al-Arouri: A Postmortem of One of Hamas’s Key al-Qassam Commanders in Lebanon
Executive Summary Hamas deputy leader and head of the West Bank al-Qassam Brigades Saleh al-Arouri was killed in a January 2024 Israeli drone strike while meeting with Hezbollah. He is the senior most Hamas leader killed by Israel since the start of the war. Al-Arouri... MORE
Mohammad Bazzi: West Africa-Based Hezbollah Money Launderer Arrested and Extradited
Executive Summary Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi is a prominent Hezbollah financier who operated money laundering schemes across Europe, West Africa, and the Middle East. He was arrested in Romania in February 2023 and subsequently extradited to the United States. The arrest of Bazzi and several other... MORE
Mikhail ‘Pitbull’ Turkanov: The Rise of Russian Soccer Hooligan Unit ‘Española’ in Ukraine
Executive Summary Mikhail "Pitbull" Turkanov is a prominent commander in the Española volunteer brigade, a former MMA fighter, and a Zenit Football Club hooligan with tattoos that include neo-Nazi imagery. Charismatic propaganda figures like Turkanov are able to appeal to highly nationalistic soccer hooligans who... MORE
Abdul Bari: Mastermind Behind ISKP’s Massacre of Hazara Shias Finally Arrested
Immediately after the fall of Mosul in June 2014 and the subsequent declaration of a “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria, Islamic State (IS) reached out to Islamist terrorist networks, cultivated contacts, and developed franchises in South Asia and Afghanistan. IS’s caliph, Abubakar al-Baghdadi, demanded all... MORE
Mousa Abu Marzouk: Hamas’s Top Spokesman, Diplomat, and Financier
Mousa Abu Marzouk is a founding member of Hamas, and is now one of its top diplomats and media personalities, though he was once a contender for the organization’s highest political office (Middle East Online, November 15, 2016; Al Jazeera, November 22). He is also... MORE
Tahawwur Hussain Rana: Nearer to Extradition to India and a Revival of the Mumbai Attacks Investigation
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian businessman originally from Pakistan, was convicted in a US court in 2011. Rana was charged with providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Pakistan and for conspiring to attack the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten’s offices in Copenhagen and Aarhus. This followed... MORE
Abu Abaydah al-Qassam and His Peers: A Look at Palestinian Armed Groups’ Military Spokesmen
On October 7, Hamas’ military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, launched the “Al-Aqsa Flood” military operation. They did this in coordination with other Palestinian armed factions based in the Gaza Strip, which together belong to the “Palestinian Joint Operations Room (JOR).” [1] It was... MORE
Saddam Haftar: The Marshal’s Heir Apparent in Libya
At the end of August, forces from the so-called “Libyan National Army” conducted a combined air-raid and airborne assault on Umm al-Araneb, Murzug District in Libya’s southern region of Fezzan. The operation targeted rebels from the Chadian Front for Change and Concord (Front pour l’alternance... MORE