Who’s Who in Tunisia’s Salafi-Jihadi Community: A Look at Key Leaders of Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia

Two years ago, Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia (AST) established itself as the premiere Salafi-Jihadi organization operating in the post-revolution environment. AST has become a key player not necessarily because of its size, but...

“I Don’t Know the Meaning of Militant”: A Profile of the Niger Delta’s Al-Haji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari: Part Two

As oil theft in southern Nigeria’s Niger Delta region reaches up to an unprecedented 250,000 barrels per day, there are signs that al-Haji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, the man who helped found the militant movements of the Delta and...

A Close-Up of Commander Isa Abd al-Majid Mansur of the Tubu Front for the Salvation of Libya

Isa Abd al-Majid Mansur is the leader of the southern Libyan ethnic political and militant movement the Tubu Front for the Salvation of Libya (TFSL). He is in his early-40s and is a native of the Libyan oasis town of Kufra in the...

“Inheriting Jihad”: A Portrait of Saudi Arabia’s Senior al-Qaeda Member Ahmed Abdullah Saleh al-Khazmari al-Zahrani

The Department of State designated Ahmed Abdullah Saleh al-Khazmari al-Zahrani (a.k.a. Abu Maryam al-Azdi) a “global terrorist” on January 24, describing him as a senior member of al-Qaeda. Al-Zahrani has been on a list of...

A Sketch of Jemal Oukacha: The New Commander of AQIM in the Sahel and Sahara

Jemal Oukacha (a.k.a. “Yahya Abu al-Hammam”) is a new commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). As the “Emir of the Sahara,” Oukacha has control over a brigade of AQIM fighters responsible for an area stretching from...

A Profile of the Niger Delta’s Al-Haji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari: Part One

As oil theft in southern Nigeria’s Niger Delta region reaches up to an unprecedented 250,000 barrels per day, there are signs that al-Haji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, the man who helped found the militant movements of the Delta and...

A Brief Look at Ansaru’s Khalid al-Barnawi - AQIM’s Bridge Into Northern Nigeria

While kidnapping has long been the signature tactic of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the tactic’s introduction into northern Nigeria since 2011 is a new phenomenon. Historically, kidnappings in Nigeria were common...

March Briefs

SECTARIAN ATTACKS AND RISING TENSION IN QUETTA, PAKISTAN

Nicholas A. Heras

Sectarian attacks and rising tension have risen in a natural resource-rich province in southwestern Pakistan over the last few months. Baluchistan’s...