The Long War Journal Threat Matrix

AQAP suicide bomber kills 26 Yemenis

2012-02-26T02:57:51Z

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula killed 26 Yemenis, including 20 soldiers, in a suicide attack on the presidential palace in the city of Mukalla, the provincial capital of Hadramout. From Reuters:

A car was driven at the gates of the building in the port city of Mukalla, Yemen's fourth-largest city, far from the capital Sanaa where Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was sworn in. Dozens were injured. The governor of Hadramout province Khalid Saeed al-Dayni said 20 of the dead were soldiers and an investigation was under way to identify the suicide bomber. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility and said the attack had been carried out by a "Yemeni jihadi," according to text messages sent to Reuters and other media outlets.

"The attack is a retaliation of the continued crimes of the Republican Guards," AQAP said, according to The Yemen Post. Today's attack is one of the largest suicide bombings by AQAP in Yemen in some time. AQAP carried out the attack just hours after newly elected President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was sworn in and vowed to battle al Qaeda. "Continuing the war against al Qaeda is a national and religious duty," he said, according to Reuters. AQAP has focused much of its efforts in waging an insurgency, and continues to control vast areas of southern Yemen, including Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan province, and several other cities and towns. The Yemeni security services are still largely under the control of the family of former President Ali Saleh, who has supported Islamist terrorists, including al Qaeda, in the past.

Afghan troops kill 2 US Army officers in Kabul

2012-02-25T16:18:46Z

The murder of US and NATO military personnel by Afghan security forces has skyrocketed in recent days, with five troops killed in the past week. Four have been killed in the aftermath of the Koran-burning incident, including two US Army officers who were gunned down in the Interior Ministry today. From Reuters:

Two Americans believed to be a U.S. colonel and major were shot dead in Afghanistan's interior ministry on Saturday, security sources said, while rage gripped the country for a fifth day over the burning of the Muslim holy book at a NATO base. A spokeswoman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed two of their servicemen had been shot dead in central Kabul by an individual who turned his weapon on them. She declined to say if the killer was a member of the Afghan military or police.

According to the BBC, NATO has withdrawn all of its personnel from the Afghan ministries after today's shooting. The Taliban claimed credit for the attack in a statement that was released on their website, Voice of Jihad:

A recent news report from Kabul province state that on later Saturday Abd-ur-Rahman and his fellow, two brave Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Afghan shot and killed 4 high-ranking American military officer-cum-advisers within the ministry of defenses in the heart of Kabul city, the capita of the country. Mujahid Abdurrahman, working in the ministry of defenses, said though cellular phone from within the facility of the ministry of defense that they took out the four said American invaders this evening in reaction to the desecration of Holy Quran by the US invaders in Bagram Airbase and as way of retaliatory action for the constantan blasphemy and violation of our sacrosanctities by the foreign occupiers, particularly the US terrorist forces. Abdurrahman added that they were putting up strong resistance against the invaders and their puppets within facility for quite a while.

Two days ago, two US soldiers were killed when an Afghan soldier in Nangarhar turned his weapon on US forces at a base during protests. The Afghan soldier escaped into the crowd. And on Feb. 20, one Albanian soldier was killed in an ambush by Afghan policemen in Spin Boldak in Kandahar. From The Associated Press:

Monday's shooting occurred in the village of Robat, in Kandahar province's Spin Boldak district which borders Pakistan, said Kandahar police chief Abdul Raziq. The troops had gone there for a meeting about opening two schools and a health center, the Albanian defense ministry said. The soldiers "found themselves attacked by a group of persons wearing uniforms of the Afghan police," Brig. Gen. Viktor Berdo, the head of Albanian land forces, told reporters in the country's capital Tirana. The attackers opened fire with five assault rifles and one light machine gun, the Albanian Defense Ministry said. One Albanian, a captain, died later in a hospital in the provincial capital of Kandahar city. Albanian officials initially said a corporal also was killed, but later clarified that the soldier was in a coma, adding "there is still hope of improvement."

After the shooting, 11 Afghan policemen were arrested. The US is predicating its transition of security to the Afghan National Security Forces on the US military's ability to partner with Afghan forces. With the rash of murders by Afghan troops in the field, at military bases, and in Afghan ministries, this will be exceedingly difficult to do.

Al Qaeda in Iraq rails at Shias, claims deadly attacks

2012-02-25T02:33:58Z

Today, al Qaeda in Iraq spokesman Abu Muhammad al 'Adnani issued a lengthy statement that would make Ayman al Zawahiri proud (most of Zawahiri's speeches are long, so long that in a circle of friends we refer to him as the Fidel Castro of jihadists). In the statement, al 'Adnani claimed credit for yesterday's series of attacks throughout Iraq that targeted security forces and Shia. But the bulk of al 'Adnani's speech is devoted to his hatred of the Shia, and by extension Iran. Al 'Adnani rails against the growing power of the Shia in Iraq and the wider Middle East. And he appears to advocate a return to the days of 2004-2006 Iraq, when al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi attempted to drag Iraq into a sectarian civil war between Sunnis and Shia by running death squads and attacking Shia mosques, markets, neighborhoods, and religious sites. Zarqawi believed this was the only viable option to keep the Sunnis from cooperating with Iraq's majority Shia in the government and serving in the newly-formed national security forces. He said that if the Sunnis feared the Shia, they would be forced to turn to al Qaeda as their protectors. Ayman al Zawahiri, in a letter to Zarqawi, had directed Zarqawi not to follow such a strategy as it would be counterproductive. The following is a small portion of Al 'Adnani's speech, which was translated by the SITE Intelligence Group:

So, Iraq, Iraq, O people of the Sunnah. Stop the black extension that is coming towards you. Cut off the head of the [Shi'ite] snake, the tail of which is amongst you. Know that the coming stage is a stage of real confrontation and war against the despicable [Shi'ites], whether you like it or not, and that the war of the Sunnis with the [Shi'ites] is not a sectarian war, like people are braying about. A sect is part of something, and the [Shi'ites] don't have anything to do with Islam; they have their own religion and we have our own. The war of the Sunnis with the [Shi'ites] is a religious war, a holy war of faith, a war of faith and unbelief, a war of idolatry and monotheism. There is no way out of it and there is no swerving from it. The [Shi'ites] know this well.

Later on, Al 'Adnani echoes Zarqawi when he says that al Qaeda in Iraq's front, the Islamic State of Iraq, is the only true defender of the Sunnis:

O our people, the people of the Sunnah, the Islamic State is only there to defend you and preserve your rights, and to stand in the face of your enemies. The Islamic State is your only true hope after Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, to get out of the dark tunnel into which your leaders and representatives put you with their alliance with the [Shi'ites].

Al 'Adnani also reminds us that al Qaeda in Iraq seeks to wage jihad beyond the borders of Iraq, including in the West:

In the end, everyone should know that we vowed and are determined that without the State of Islam, there is no security or peace, not in Iraq or in the Levant, nor in Egypt nor the Peninsula nor in Khorasan nor in the East nor the West. We will never negotiate or surrender. We will never bargain or exchange. Allah's Shariah is only placed in power by the sword, and it will only stand with power and strength.

Wave of bombings across Iraq kills 60

2012-02-23T14:48:42Z

More than 60 Iraqis were killed and scores more were wounded in a wave of bombings and shootings across Iraq today that targeted Iraqi security forces and civilians, primarily Shia. The bombings took place in Baghdad, Hillah, Balad, and Mosul. From Reuters:

At least 32 people were killed in blasts in Baghdad where 10 explosions tore through mainly Shi'ite neighborhoods during rush hour and other attacks targeted police patrols, commuters and crowds gathered in shopping areas.... In Thursday's violence, one car bomb in the capital killed at least nine people and wounded 27 in the upmarket Karrada neighborhood, hurling shrapnel into the next street and blowing out glass from nearby buildings. Witnesses saw at four wrecked cars full of shrapnel and bloodied seats near an ice-cream shop at the site of another blast. In at least three Shi'ite neighborhoods in Baghdad, nine policemen were killed, and in the capital's northwestern Kadhimiya district, a car bomb killed six people when it struck a street lined with restaurants. In the biggest attack outside the capital, a car bomb killed seven people and wounded 33 in the town of Balad, north of Baghdad.

Today's attacks were clearly a show of force by al Qaeda in Iraq. The terror group is demonstrating that it can coordinate simultaneous attacks nationwide against multiple targets, even if it doesn't control territory like it did before the surge of US and Iraqi forces in 2007. Al Qaeda has now executed six mass-casualty attacks since the turn of the year, when the US military fully withdrew its forces from the country [see Threat Matrix report, Suicide bomber kills 19 outside Baghdad police academy]. In the last such attack, which took place four days ago, 19 Iraqi policemen and cadets were killed in a suicide bombing outside a training center in Baghdad.

Taliban seize opportunity in Koran controversy

2012-02-22T15:42:41Z

The Taliban have quickly jumped on the Koran-burning controversy in Afghanistan. In addition to issuing an official statement signed by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on their website, Voice of Jihad, the Taliban appear to have infiltrated the protests that have sprung up outside of Bagram Air Base. The New York Times reported that Taliban songs were being sung by the crowd and that "several Urdu speakers" gave speeches during the protests:

Protests began hours later, as Afghan workers who had seen the burning emerged from the base, one or two of them carrying damaged Korans hidden in their clothes. Protests swelled through the morning and became violent as hundreds of infuriated Afghans set tires on fire and burned an external checkpoint at one of the entrances to the air base. Shouting "Death to America" and "We don't want them anymore," they closed the district government building and stopped people trying to go to the center of the town, witnesses said. Some in the crowd sang Taliban songs, and several Urdu speakers, described as Pakistanis, made speeches.

It should come as no surprise that "Pakistanis" are operating near Bagram in Parwan. Keep in mind that the May 2010 assault on Bagram Air Base was executed by a joint Taliban, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and al Qaeda strike team. And within the past six months, the Taliban and allied terror groups have carried out several major complex attacks in Parwan. On Aug. 14, 2011, a Taliban suicide assault team launched a complex attack on the governor's compound in central Parwan province, killing 22 people, including six policemen. On Oct. 23, a suicide bomber attempted to assassinate the Afghan interior minister in the province. And a few days later, on Oct. 26, terrorists attempted to blow up a fuel tank inside of Bagram Air Base; the tanker exploded outside the gates, killing 12 Afghans. Despite ISAF operations against the terror cells in Parwan and surrounding provinces, this network appears to be alive and well and springing into action to take advantage of the Koran controversy. ISAF should expect additional complex attacks on Bagram in the near future.

AQAP notes death of local commander

2012-02-21T02:02:29Z

Kaid al Dhahab, the new AQAP emir for Baydah province. Photo from The Yemen Post.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a statement that noted the death of Tariq al Dhahab, the commander who took control of Rada'a in Baydah province last month. Tariq was gunned down in a mosque by one of his older brothers, Hazam, a senior tribal leader in the town who was concerned that Tariq's affiliation with AQAP would bring down the wrath of the Yemeni government. The AQAP statement was released on jihadist forums on Feb. 19 and was translated by the SITE Intelligence group. SITE astutely noted that AQAP "didn't acknowledge the identity of the killer, saying instead that Tariq and the others were killed 'at the hands of some of those who were pushed by the agent regime of Sana'a.'" AQAP also did not mention that Tariq's followers killed Hazam and others at his home. From the statement, which also notes that two other "brothers" (they appear to be cousins, according to this Yemen Post report) of the Dhahab family who supported AQAP were also killed:

The Emir Sheikh Tariq al-Dhahab, who is a Quraishi descendant, and his blood brother Ahmed and brother Ali al-Qaydhi were martyred after a long journey full of support for the Shariah and the religion, and they were killed at the hands of some of those who were pushed by the agent regime of Sana'a. The mujahideen, with grace from Allah, were able to take revenge against those who killed them, detonating an explosives-laden vehicle that tore apart their bodies and ended their evil.

The Yemen Post reported yesterday that Kaid al Dhahab has taken control of AQAP in the province, and along with his brother Nabil they "are now trying to regroup Al-Qaeda elements."

Suicide bomber kills 19 outside Baghdad police academy

2012-02-19T16:56:14Z

A suicide bomber, likely from al Qaeda in Iraq or the allied Ansar al Islam, killed 19 Iraqi policemen and cadets in an attack outside a police academy in Baghdad today. From Reuters:

The car exploded as it careered into a crowd of cadets whom police had just escorted out of the compound and were standing in the street outside, police working at the academy said. Police and hospital sources said 14 cadets and five police were killed, and 26 people were wounded. All except two of the wounded were police or cadets. "I can see body parts scattered on the ground and boots and berets covered with blood. Many cars were set ablaze," said a policeman working at the academy on Palestine Street in northeastern Baghdad.

As Reuters notes, today's suicide attack is the first major mass-casualty suicide attack in Iraq in three weeks. The last attack, on Jan. 27, killed 32 Iraqis, including 16 policemen and Shia worshippers, during a funeral procession in Baghdad. While al Qaeda in Iraq has been weakened after years of targeting and counterinsurgency operations by Iraqi and US forces, the terror group still maintains a foothold in the country. Al Qaeda in Iraq carried out three major suicide attacks in Iraq during January 2012. On Jan. 15, terrorists dressed as policemen attacked a government compound and a police station in Ramadi with four suicide bombers; seven police officers and at least six of the attackers were killed during the fighting. Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed credit for the attack. Just one day earlier, on Jan. 14, a suicide bomber killed more than 50 Shia pilgrims and injured 91 others as they gathered for Arbain in Basra. And on Jan. 5, at the beginning of Arbain, al Qaeda launched a series of attacks against Shia pilgrims, killing over 60 civilians. The deadliest strike occurred when a suicide bomber detonated at a security checkpoint near Nasiriya; 44 civilians were killed and dozens more were wounded.

Al Baraa Ibn Malik Martyrdom Brigade forms in Syria

2012-02-18T16:22:47Z

A group calling itself the Al Baraa Ibn Malik Martyrdom Brigade has formed in the Syrian town of Homs, and has said it will employ suicide bombers against Syrian security forces. From Jih@d, a website that tracks al Qaeda and other terror groups:

The footage seems oddly similar to what was released from Iraq in 2003 soon after the American invasion. Masked gunmen posing with their weapons in front of an Al-Qaida flag. But this is not the scene of a Iraqi Al-Qaida video - it is recent footage coming out of Syria. A group of the so-called "Free Syrian Army" in the occupied city fo Homs has - according to the new video - formed a martyrdom battalion, a special unit committed to carry out suicide bombings in the country. One Syrian militant explains that the "Al-Baraa Ibn Malik Martyrdom Brigade" will fight the Assad regime and its military with all needs, especially suicide bombers.

Interestingly enough, a group called the Al Baraa bin Malik Brigade formed in in May 2005, and joined with al Qaeda in Iraq. From the START database:

Al-Bara bin Malek Brigades is a specialized cell of suicide bombers within Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's al-Qaeda Organization in the Land of the Two Rivers. The Brigades have launched numerous suicide operations against U.S. and Iraqi government targets and were reportedly responsible for the devastating November 2005 hotel bombings in Jordan that killed almost 60 people. The formation of the group was announced in June 2005 in a posting on a Jihadist website by a man identifying himself as Abu Doujana al-Ansari, the leader of the Al-Bara bin Malek Brigades. The statement read: "We gladly inform our sheik Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi of the formation of al-Bara bin Malek Brigade." However, the group first emerged a month earlier when it claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of six Jordanians who were working in Iraq. The group released a video showing the abductees, and warned Jordanian companies not to cooperate with the United States. The fate of the hostages is as yet unknown.

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri has recently urged Muslims inside and outside of Syria to take up arms against the Syrian government. In a statement issued on Feb. 11 and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group, Zawahiri said: "I appeal to every Muslim and every free, honorable one in Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon, to rise to help his brothers in Syria with all what he can, with his life, money, wonders, opinion, and information." Telling Syrians not to trust Turkey, the Arab League, or the West, he exhorted the "lions of the Levant" to "[d]evelop the intention of jihad in the Cause of Allah to establish a state that defends the Muslim countries and seeks to liberate the Golan and continue its jihad until it raises the banners of victory above the usurped hills of Jerusalem." Since the end of December, there have already been five suicide bombings in Syria. The Syrian government said that a pair of suicide bombers targeted security headquarters in Damascus on Dec. 23; over 40 people were reported killed and scores more were wounded in the blasts. On Jan. 6 the Syrian government said that a suicide bomber killed 25 people in an attack on security forces in Damascus. And on Feb. 10, a pair of suicide bombers killed 25 people while targeting security headquarters in Aleppo. Al Qaeda in Iraq already has a strong presence in Syria [see LWJ report, Eastern Syria becoming a new al Qaeda haven]. The Abdullah Azzam Brigades, a regional al Qaeda affiliate, also is known to operate in Syria. Two of its senior leaders, Saudi citizens Saleh al Qarawi and Suleiman Hamad Al Hablain, have been added to the US's list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists since November 2011. The terror group has denied any involvement in the Dec. 23 suicide attack.

'Good Taliban' leader Fazal Saeed Haqqani kills 39 civilians in Kurram suicide attack

2012-02-17T12:31:13Z

A Taliban commander who left the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan after an internal feud last year claimed credit for a suicide attack today that killed 39 civilians at a market in Parachinar in the Kurram tribal agency. Fazal Saeed Haqqani defected from the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan last June after publicly chiding the group for intentionally killing civilians. This is what he said when he defected and joined the Haqqani Network, or what Pakistani officials like to call the "good Taliban" (those who do not attack the Pakistani state):

"I repeatedly told the leadership council of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan that they should stop suicide attacks against mosques, markets and other civilian targets," Saeed told AFP by telephone. "Islam does not allow killings of innocent civilians in suicide attacks," he said, likening what TTP does in Pakistan to "what US troops are doing in Afghanistan" and vowing to continue the fight alone against the Americans. "I have therefore decided to quit TTP," Saeed said, claiming to have defected along with "hundreds of supporters." A 10-member consultative council will meet within days to formulate the group's programme, he told AFP.

Here is what he said today, while claiming credit for the suicide attack in a call to Reuters:

"We have targeted the Shia community of Parachinar because they were involved in activities against us," he told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location. "We also warn the political administration of Parachinar to stop siding with the Shia community in all our disputes."

So, less than a year after he denounced the Taliban for intentionally killing civilians and defected to the Haqqani Network, Fazal Saeed decides he is justified in murdering civilians. Last summer, when Fazal Saeed defected, the Pakistani military and government touted the development as a breakthrough in reducing the power of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan. The press uncritically repeated this line, held his defection up as yet another sign of the decline of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, and inflated his position within the Taliban (the press called him the overall leader in Kurram when in fact he commanded several hundred fighters). But at The Long War Journal and Threat Matrix, we warned you that such views were both wrong and dangerous. Here are two points from a post on June 27, 2011. We even predicted that Fazal Saeed may not consider the Shia to be civilians:

Note that Fazal didn't condemn suicide bombings, but only attacks against civilians, and at markets and mosques. Presumably all other targets are fair game. And one wonders if Fazal considers Shia to be "civilians," given that he's responsible for the butchering of quite a few in Kurram.

Fazal's defection from the TTP will likely be touted by some observers as a major blow to the terror group, but in all likelihood, little will change in the big picture. Fazal isn't going up against the TTP, he just dropped out of the fight. He still wants to impose Sharia, or Islamic law, in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, and is continuing to battle US forces in Afghanistan. In all likelihood, Fazal merely joined the so-called "good Taliban," the groups that are favored by the Pakistani state. The Haqqani Network has expanded its influence greatly in Kurram [see this report at AEI from Reza Jan and Jeffrey Dressler for more information], and Fazal may be positioning himself to ally with them (note that Haqqani Network fighters were killed in his camps during last week's Predator strikes).

And see the conclusion to a July 5, 2011 post that addressed the so-called decline of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan in the context of Fazal Saeed's defection:

What you are witnessing [Kurram with Fazal Saeed's defection] is a very cynical game by the Pakistani military and intelligence establishment to get wayward Taliban groups back into the fold.

In other words, Fazal Saeed's "defection" from the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan means little in the big picture when it comes to the jihadi groups that operate in Pakistan. He still supports jihad in Afghanistan, seeks to impose sharia law in Pakistan, and shelters terrorists, including la Qaeda, in areas under his control. Just like the Haqqanis and Taliban commanders such as Hafiz Gul Bahadar and Mullah Nazir, all of whom are not members of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan. The only difference between them and the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan is that the former do not advocate attacking the Pakistani state.

Russian forces kill Caucasus Emirate's commander for Dagestan

2012-02-16T20:56:44Z

Emir Saleh (Ibragimkhalil Daudov). Image from Kavkaz Center.

The Islamic Caucasus Emirate announced that Russian troops killed Emir Saleh (Ibragimkhalil Daudov), the terror group's governor of Dagestan and the military commander of the Dagestani front. Saleh's death was announced yesterday by VDagestan, a jihadist site linked to the Caucasus Emirate, and was subsequently translated by Kavkaz Center, another media outlet for the Caucasus Emirate, as follows:

The news of the martyrdom of the DF Emir Saleh distributed by invaders' media had received confirmation from the Command of the Mujahideen of Province of Dagestan. Our Emir Saleh received his long-awaited martyrdom. We mourn him as we mourn every worthy son of the Ummah and Dagestan. May Allah accept his martyrdom and his deeds. And let his blood be shed as a barakah for the blessed jihad in the Caucasus. And let him be yet another brick in the building of the Islamic State on the territory of the Caucasus Emirate.

Although VDagestan/Kavkaz Center did not provide the exact date of Saleh's death, four terrorists were killed in the village of Gurbuki in Dagestan by Russian forces on Feb. 10, according to RIA Novosti. Saleh was appointed by Doku Umarov, the emir of the Caucasus Emirate, as both the "Governor" of Dagestan and the "Commander of the Dagestani Front of the Caucasus Emirate's Armed Forces." Saleh replaced Emir Sayfullah, who was the terror group's top judge was well as its leader in Dagestan before he was killed in August 2011. Saleh may have been replaced by a Turk known as Sheikh Abdusalam, according to the Russia Eurasia Terror Watch (RETWA):

Authorities believe a Turkish "mercenary" identified as "Sheikh Abdusalam" has likely been picked by Dagestani fighters to replace Ibragim Khalil Daudov, Amir of the Dagestani Front, killed earlier this week (see RETWA reporting). Abdusalam was Daudov's deputy. Life News reports that Abdusalam underwent training at a camp for terrorists in Turkey and came to the North Caucasus five years ago.

Al Qaeda commanders are known to serve in senior leadership positions with the Caucasus Emirate [see LWJ report, Russians kill top Caucasus Emirate leader, for more information].

AQAP leader, Yemeni tribal leader killed in clashes in Rada'a

2012-02-16T15:45:02Z

Tariq al Dhabab. Image from the SITE Intelligence Group.

Tariq al Dhahab, the al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula commander who took control of Rada'a in Baydah province last month, was gunned down in a mosque by one of his older brothers, Hazam, a senior tribal leader in the town. Tariq's followers retaliated, attacking Hazam's home, and killing him. From the Yemen Post:

Hazam broke on Wednesday evening into a mosque, where his brother and some of al-Qaeda militants were living, and killed his Tariq and some of his followers, tribal dignitary from the area told Yemen Post on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. "He has killed his younger brother after he repeatedly warned him not to align himself with the islamists, however his brother was obstinate and did not pay heed to his warnings and advice. That's why he had to kill him before he is killed by the authorities, said the tribal dignitary. "Al-Qaeda militants have quickly avenged their leader loss as they have launched some attacks on Hazam's, the older brother and tribal chief, house, shelling it with Rocket Propellant Grenades and mortars," Furthermore, the younger brother followers (al-Qaeda militants) have also planted some mines around the brother home, leaving Hazam and a number of his guards killed on Thursday morning, the local tribal source added.

While in control of Rada'a, Tariq flew al Qaeda's banner over the citadel and his fighters swore allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri. He even released a short videotape urging Muslims "to unite and be patient" as "the Islamic Caliphate is coming." Hazam was one of several tribal leaders who convinced Tariq to withdraw his hundreds of fighters from Rada'a last month. In exchange, more than a dozen al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters, including Hazam's and Tariq's younger brother, Nabil, were freed from prison. Also, the tribal leaders promised to enforce sharia, or Islamic law, in Rada'a. The prisoner release turns out to be instrumental in solving the problem of filling Tariq's vacancy as the AQAP leader in Baydah province. A US intelligence official who closely tracks Yemen and AQAP said Nabil will succeed Tariq as the new commander for Baydah. According to The Guardian, Hazam, Tariq, Nabil, and their oldest brother Majid, the current leader of the Dhahab tribe, have all clashed since their father's death two years ago. Majid, Hazam, Tariq, and Nabil are all brothers-in-law of Anwar al Awlaki, the US citizen who served as a senior al Qaeda operational commander and ideologue. Awlaki was killed in a US drone strike last fall.

ISAF targets IMU suicide attack leader in Takhar

2012-02-16T14:04:13Z

ISAF and Afghan forces continue to target the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan network in the northern Afghan province of Takhar that assassinated a member of parliament in a suicide attack last Christmas. From ISAF's press release:

An Afghan and coalition security force conducted a search for an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in Dasht-e Qal'ah district, Takhar province, today. The leader was responsible for the Dec. 25, 2011 suicide attack that killed an Afghan government official in Takhar, as well as the movement of weapons, explosives and suicide bombers throughout the area. During the operation the combined force discovered a cache of bomb-making materials which were safely destroyed on site. The security force also detained multiple suspected insurgents during the operation.

One week ago, Afghan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) captured three Taliban fighters who worked for a Peshawar-based commander known as Qari Abdul Rahim, who was involved in the Christmas day attack and other assassinations in the north [see LWJ report, Afghan intelligence captures 3 members of northern assassination cell]. And on Jan. 30, ISAF and Afghan forces killed Ilhom, an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan commander who was involved in the same attack and who "facilitated the training of suicide bombers for attacks throughout the area."

Taliban expand list of demands, refuse to denounce 'international terrorism'

2012-02-15T13:33:06Z

The Voice of Jihad, the Taliban's propaganda website, today published a Question and Answer session with CNN. Several items are noteworthy. First, the Taliban's spokesman, Zahibullah Mujahid, refuses to denounce "international terrorism," much less acknowledge any willingness to sever links with al Qaeda. Second, he insists that the US adhere to the "confidence building measures" of both releasing "Guantanamo prisoners," ostensibly to include al Qaeda-linked Taliban detainees, and also removing any or all such leaders from the UN sanctions list and the US bounty list. And third, both the interviewer and the interviewee appear to have avoided the issue of al Qaeda altogether. Regarding international terrorism

Q. Is it possible for the Taliban to renounce international terrorism in one of its written statements as per the American demand? A. All praise is due to Allah and may his peace and blessings be upon his chosen servant. To proceed, I must first and foremost say that we do not work according to the guidelines of America or any other country but all of our decisions are based on Islamic principles while giving consideration to our national interests however based on mutual respect, we do believe in reaching an understanding with all the countries of the world. Now, regarding the issue of terrorism: If America and its allies consider the current Jihad and struggle in Afghanistan against the eradication of the occupation and its continuation until all foreign troops leave and an Islamic government is established as terrorism, then we cannot shun this as it would be an un-Islamic act because we consider this Jihad and struggle as our Islamic obligation, the shunning of which is not possible in any circumstance. However, as we continue with this obligation (Jihad and struggle) we are religiously held responsible in preventing civilian casualties.

Note how Mujahid dodges this issue. According to the Taliban's version of the interview, CNN did not ask him to specifically denounce al Qaeda, but an undefined "international terrorism." Mujhahid couldn't even bring himself to denounce that. Releasing Guantanamo detainees and removing leaders from sanctions and bounty lists

Q. If those Taliban that are being held in Guantanamo are not released, will your negotiations with the Americans still continue? A. Negotiations have not yet began with the Americans so talking about it continuing does not mean much. Now the question is, when will negotiations begin? I must say that before any negotiations can take place, confidence building measures must first succeed so an atmosphere can be created for negotiations and this confidence building measure rests entirely with the Americans and they must take steps for it which are; exchange of Guantanamo prisoners, the opening of a political office and the termination of the black list of the United Nations as well as the bounty lists of America and her allies.

Mujahid is saying that while the Taliban will not make any concessions, such as renouncing the ill-defined "international terrorism," it still demands the US free some of the most dangerous Taliban leaders from custody. Keep in mind that these Taliban leaders are the ones who are responsible for forging close ties to al Qaeda, as Thomas Joscelyn pointed out long ago and again more recently. The US will likely release these Guantanamo detainees while the UN may remove some Taliban leaders from its sanctions list of global terrorists. It is unclear what response the US might be to the additional request for the removal of Taliban leaders from sanctions and bounty lists, but conceivably further concessions could be granted in those areas as well. The office in Qatar has already been established. Even if you believe that the Taliban are negotiating in good faith and will eventually renounce al Qaeda (and we don't), the US is sabotaging its negotiating position by conceding the Taliban's major points at the outset while getting nothing in return.

Taliban flex muscles in Miramshah

2012-02-14T23:21:33Z

The News reports that in addition to ordering an end to attacks against the Pakistani security forces, the Shura-e-Murakeba also ordered an end to kidnappings and said all prisoners must be freed by March 1:

The Taliban joint council issued a leaflet in which the kidnappers were directed to release whoever was in their custody before the expiry of the deadline. The Taliban said there would be general amnesty for all those involved in kidnapping for ransom if they released their captives before March 1. "After expiry of the deadline, if we found someone having anyone in their possession, the Shura-e-Muraqeba would have the right to take action under the Shariah law against the kidnappers," the statement warned.

Additionally, hundreds of Taliban fighters appeared in Miramshah's main bazaar:

Meanwhile, tribal sources from Miramshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan, said hundreds of armed Taliban militants on Sunday came on the streets and patrolled different roads of the area to show their strength. The Taliban told local tribesmen in Miramshah bazaar that they were there for the protection of the tribal people and would take stern action against those involved in kidnapping for ransom and car lifting.

Keep in mind that the Pakistani Army has a garrison based in Miramshah, right next to the bazaar. The Pakistani military rarely venture off their base, as the Taliban run the show there.

Shabaab celebrates merger with al Qaeda

2012-02-14T02:27:21Z

Today Shabaab held large rallies in several cities outside of Mogadishu to celebrate the Somali terror group's merger with al Qaeda. Shabaab claims that thousands of people attended the rallies, and provided pictures to back that up [see images above and below, courtesy of the SITE Intelligence Group]. Shabaab's military forces also paraded through the cities and held formations. A portion of the translation of Shabaab's statement, also provided by the SITE Intelligence Group, appears below:

Tens of thousands of Muslims came out today in various areas of Islamic Lower Shabelle province to welcome the allegiance of the Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement to Qaedat al-Jihad Organization under the command of Sheikh Doctor Ayman al-Zawahiri, may Allah preserve him. In 'Almadha Square in Lafole district of the province, a number of the movement's commanders and tribal leaders spoke to the crowd gathered in the square. Among the speakers was the governor of Islamic Banaadir province, Sheikh Muhammad Abu Abdul Rahman, and the official spokesman of the Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement, Sheikh Ali Dheere. The demonstrators carried banners expressing their support and happiness for the allegiance, and cheered words that confirmed their pride and happiness for the joining with Qaedat al-Jihad.

The African Union has been keen on touting Shabaab's defeat after the terror group largely withdrew from the capital late last summer. But Shabaab is still able to project its power into the capital with suicide bombings, IED attacks, assassinations, and occasional small-scale military attacks, while remaining in control of much of central and southern Somalia. As today's celebrations show, the African Union, Kenya, and Ethiopia have a long way to go before Shabaab no longer holds sway in much of the war-torn country.