Briefs
An In-Depth Portrait of Murat Karayilan: Field Commander of the PKK
Murat Karayilan joined the separatist terrorist organization the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan—PKK) in the late 1970s. Right before the military coup that took place in September 1980 in Turkey, Karayilan was among the PKK militants that fled to Syria, where Hafez al-Assad’s regime... MORE
Behind the Reign of Terror in Somalia: A Snapshot of al-Shabaab leader Ahmad Abdi Godane
The failed state of Somalia is home to numerous clan-based and Islamist insurgent groups. However, none of these groups compare to Harakat al-Shabaab al-mujahideen—widely known as al-Shabaab—in size, sophistication or operational capability. Despite numerous attempts to eradicate the group, al-Shabaab continues to control large swaths... MORE
A Glimpse of Talha Saeed: The Heir Apparent to Lashkar-e-Taiba
Talha Saeed is the son of one of India’s most notorious terrorists, Hafiz Saeed. In recent years, Talha has emerged as his father’s chief of propaganda and increasingly appears to be Hafiz’s heir apparent. He has worked aggressively to promote his father (who had a... MORE
November 2012 Briefs
DRONE STRIKE KILLS 2008 EMBASSY ATTACKER ADNAN AL-QADHI NEAR SANAA A drone strike on a car in a village less than 40 kilometers from the Yemeni capital, Sanaa on November 6, killed Adnan al-Qadhi and injured or killed two other men with him, Rabee Laheb... MORE
Election Issue: Militants in Libyan Politics: A Militant Leadership Monitor Special Report
In the aftermath of the revolution and the overthrow of Moammar Gaddafi, Libya is undergoing tremendous changes. On July 7, the oil-rich North African country held its first national election in over four decades, however the emergence of regionally based militias continue to pose a... MORE
A Profile of Mexico’s “El Comandante Diablo” and How His Use of Atrocity-Based Propaganda Backfired
David Rosales Guzmán, Alias “El Comandante Diablo” David Rosales Guzmán (a.k.a El Comandante Diablo–the Devil Commander), was captured alive by Mexican authorities on September 1, 2012. He is accused of functioning as the Gulf Cartel’s leader in Monterrey, Mexico, and is held in connection with... MORE
Ethnic Warfare in Burundi: A Profile of Hutu Warlord Agathon Rwasa
The Central African nation of Burundi has reached a political crossroads. In the last decade Burundi has managed, with international assistance, to bring an end to a vicious civil war and install a government that reflects demographic and tribal realities in Burundi. However, since the... MORE
Majid bin Muhammad al-Majid: The New Commander of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades
The controversial Abdullah Azzam Brigades, an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist network that has been operating throughout the Middle East in recent years, named Majid bin Muhammad al-Majid its amir on June 19 (Jihadology.net, June 20; Al-Jazeera, June 20; Assafir, June 20). Majid is an obscure Saudi national... MORE
A Post-Mortem Analysis of Turkistani Amir Emeti Yakuf: A Death that Sparked More Questions than Answers
In late August, a series of drone strikes in Northern Waziristan were reported to have killed a number of jihadist leaders. Most media attention focused on the possible demise of Badruddin Haqqani, son of the fabled mujahideen leader, with conflicting reports about whether he had... MORE
October 2012 Briefs
SWISS JUND AL-KHILAFAH AMIR KILLED IN MIRANSHAH, PAKISTAN Jund al-Khilafah (JaK) is a terrorist group based in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, which was founded by three Kazakhstani men from Atyrau (see Terrorism Monitor, September 13). Although JaK issued several propaganda videos about Kazakhstan in 2011... MORE