Its operations seem to be part of localized fighting, and its attacks remain below the threshold for a us or western response. The untold story of alqaeda and the libyan rebellion shows how it could have happened and why it did happen. Alqaeda senior leadership aqsl and alqaeda in the islamic maghreb aqim have sought to take advantage of the libyan revolution to recruit militants and to reinforce their operational capabilities in an attempt to create a safe haven and possibly to extend their area of operations to libya. Militants participated in the 2011 libyan civil war as the libyan islamic movement alharakat alislamiya allibiya, and are involved in the libyan civil war as members of the libya shield force. Intelligence officials are investigating indications that al qaeda s north african affiliate is connected with militants involved in the attack on a u. Mesmary added that qatar is funding terrorists in libya who targeted an oil pipeline in the western area of the country.
Isil is regrouping in southern libya with the support of alqaeda and preparing for further attacks, according to the libyan defence minister, who claimed the effort was being spearheaded by. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Al qaeda in the islamic maghreb aqim that was branded by the us as a terrorist organisation in may 2010 has been operating from its base in. Clinton suggests qaeda link in libya attack the new york times. Militants participated in the 2011 libyan civil war as the libyan islamic movement al harakat al islamiya al libiya, and are involved in the libyan civil war as members of the libya shield force. Ansar al sharia libya fights on under new leader the long war journal. The us intelligence community said that a deadly assault on a us consulate in libya was a planned attack linked to alqaeda, but stressed that many unanswered questions remained.
Al qaeda senior leadership aqsl and al qaeda in the islamic maghreb aqim have sought to take advantage of the libyan revolution to recruit militants and to reinforce their operational capabilities in an attempt to create a safe haven and possibly to extend their area of operations to libya. At the time of bin ladens death, alqaeda was anything but a shattered organization. Alqaeda leadership for libya commissioned by the cia nct. Gadhafis regime imprisoned thousands of suspected proal qaeda militants after the 2003 u. Militants participated in the 2011 libyan civil war as the libyan islamic movement al harakat al islamiya al libiya, and are involved in the libyan civil war as members of the libya. Aqsl and al qaeda in the islamic maghreb aqim have sought to take advantage of the. The untold story of alqaeda and the libyan rebellion. Al qaeda, in particular, has expanded its control and influence in the past few years, with affiliates and linked groups present in more than 20 countries. A retaliation for the abduction in 2014 by american commandos of a libyan qaeda operative, nazih abdulhamed al ruqai, also known as abu anas al libi. A comparative analysis of al qaeda and the islamic state is 5 the group has been linked to several high profile attacks.
Sep 29, 2012 the us intelligence community said that a deadly assault on a us consulate in libya was a planned attack linked to al qaeda, but stressed that many unanswered questions remained. It periodically controls territory and provides services. The operation was aimed at highprofile targets of the group, military officials said. It discusses aqims strategic objectives, leadership, tactical operations, and financing as well as the destabilizing effects of libyas new civil war in the region. A profile, prepared by the federal research division of the library of congress loc in conjunction with the defense departments combating terrorism technical support office, outlined the key actors who were secretly pushing al qaedas agenda forward inside libya. After the nato bombing and the new islamist fanatic law, libyan society has come back to the stone age. If you wish to view the testimony with footnotes included, download the pdf by clicking here. Nov 21, 20 in august 2012, a report al qaeda in libya.
Alqaedas 911 attacks was the deadliest ever on american soil, killing nearly 3,000 people. Sep 27, 2012 al qaeda in the islamic maghreb has long operated in the region, she said, and was now exploiting a haven in mali to export extremism and terrorist violence to neighbors like libya. Ansar alsharia benghazi strength on display, youtub slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. In yemen, libya, and tunisia, it is easy to see how ansar alsharia advances alqaedas ideology. Libya rebels rejects gaddafis alqaida spin world news. Us captures alqaeda leader wanted over 1998 embassy. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the jihadist plot. Connections between al qaeda and libyan rebels run deep. Asl is a violent terrorist group that seeks to implement sharia in libya. A retaliation for the abduction in 2014 by american commandos of a libyan qaeda operative, nazih abdulhamed alruqai, also known as abu anas allibi. Ansar alsharia in libya asl counter extremism project. The al qaeda network today also comprises semiautonomous or self radicalized actors, who often have only peripheral or ephemeral ties to either the core cadre in pakistan or affiliated groups elsewhere. It happened because in supporting the libyan rebellion against muammar alqaddafi, america and its allies, in effect, changed sides in the war on terror, securing the victory of some of the very islamic extremist.
A profile a report prepared by the federal research division, library of congress under an interagency agreement with the combating terrorism technical support offices irregular warfare support program august 2012 federal research division library of congress washington, d. A global strategy for combating al qaeda and the islamic. The guard claimed repeatedly that there is no al qaeda in libya, and that the flag flying atop the courthouse is dark black, while the al qaeda flag is charcoal black. Libyas beleaguered leader moammar gadhafi thursday blamed the uprising sweeping libya on osama bin laden and al qaeda, accusing the terrorist group of. Group type the alqaeda clandestine network is certainly a jihadist group, committed to the ideology of alqaeda and its objectives of establishing an islamic state in libya and eradicating western influence in the muslim world in general and in libya in. Osama bin laden biography, alqaeda, terrorist attacks. Intelligence officials are investigating indications that al qaedas north african affiliate is connected with militants involved in the attack on a u. At least 9people were killed and many more injured. Sep 27, 2016 al qaedas clandestine presence in libya. Ansar alsharia promotes the implementation of a hardline version of islamic law. Islamic militants among prisoners freed from libyan jail. Mustafa abdul jalil, the head of armed gangs, declared today the.
Tripoli libya 5 gunmen belonging to tripoli province. Libya continues to be viewed as a very highrisk country in relation to commercial activities and travel predominantly owing to the ongoing civil war, vast number of armed militias and the presence of terrorist groups such as daesh and al qaeda in the islamic maghreb affiliated groups. Oct 23, 2011 after the nato bombing and the new islamist fanatic law, libyan society has come back to the stone age. One american, one french and three tajiks were among the dead. Libyan military spokesman ahmed almesmary said in a press conference held in benghazi, libya that his country has records of conversations between doha and members of alqaeda in libya. This article describes the genesis and development of al qaeda in the islamic maghreb, or aqim.
Salafi jihadist group with branches in benghazi and derna that has been at the forefront of fighting operation dignity forces. Alleged militants include alleged al qaeda organizer abd al muhsin al libi who now holds a key command position in the libya shield force. The security council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The libyan islamic fighting group lifg, also known as al jamaa al islamiyyah al muqatilah bi libya arabic. In practice, that means alqaeda has been willing to support local groups that have dropped the alqaeda name. Algeriaborn al qaeda member responsible for the 20 in amenas attack in algeria. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. This report attempts to assess al qaeda s presence in libya. May 12, 2009 ibn al shaykh al libis allegation that iraqi agents trained al qaeda operatives in the use of chemical and biological weapons was pivotal to the bush administrations case for the 2003 invasion. Below is thomas joscelyns testimony to the house committee on foreign affairs subcommittee on terrorism, nonproliferation, and trade on jihadist groups operating inside libya, including the islamic state and al qaeda. Osama bin laden, founder of the militant islamist organization alqaeda and mastermind of numerous terrorist attacks against the united states and other western powers, including the september 11, 2001, attacks on the world trade center in new york city and the pentagon near washington, d. The state departments report on international terrorism for 2004 deems the organization as the most prominent component of a global movement of islamic militants that has adopted the ideology and targeting strategies of al qaeda founder osama bin laden and other senior al qaeda leaders. Pages in category libyan alqaeda members the following 9 pages are in this category, out of 9 total. Muammar gaddafi in power since 1969, the colonel has been one of the longestserving, most erratic, most grimly fascinating leaders.
He leads the militant al qaeda in the islamic maghreb offshoot al murabitun. A profile, federal research division, library of congress, august 2012. Aug 26, 2011 gadhafis regime imprisoned thousands of suspected pro al qaeda militants after the 2003 u. Since the fall of the taliban, alqaeda has established operations worldwide, including in syria, the gulf, north africa, west africa, east africa, and the indian subcontinent. Al qaeda and the taliban for the magazine since 911. Mustafa abdul jalil, the head of armed gangs, declared today the islamic republic of libya. Us captures alqaeda leader wanted over 1998 embassy bombings. Attacks on hotels in africa al jazeera center for studies. Libya continues to be viewed as a very highrisk country in relation to commercial activities and travel predominantly owing to the ongoing civil war, vast number of armed militias and the presence of terrorist groups such as daesh and alqaeda in the islamic maghreb affiliated groups. Group type the al qaeda clandestine network is certainly a jihadist group, committed to the ideology of al qaeda and its objectives of establishing an islamic state in libya and eradicating western influence in the muslim world in general and in libya in. Chairman poe, ranking member keating and members of the. Library of congress federal research division alqaeda in libya. Al qaedas affiliate there, al qaeda in the islamic maghreb aqim, is developing capabilities that threaten american interests in west africa in a way that does not raise red flags in washington.
Ansar al sharia libya relaunches social media sites the long war journal. I have outlined al qaedas clandestine network in previous testimony and articles, drawing on u. Ansar al sharia benghazi strength on display, youtub slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Al jemaah al islamiyyah the islamic group is a southeast asian group dedicated to bringing islamist rule to the area. It discusses aqims strategic objectives, leadership, tactical operations, and financing as well as the destabilizing effects of libya s new civil war in the region. The operation was aimed at high profile targets of the group, military officials said. Al qaeda in the islamic maghreb has long operated in the region, she said, and was now exploiting a haven in mali to export extremism and terrorist violence to neighbors like libya. Alleged militants include alleged al qaeda organizer abd almuhsin allibi who now holds a key command position in the libya shield force.
Al qaeda and the threat in north africa fdds long war journal. Ibn alshaykh allibis allegation that iraqi agents trained al qaeda operatives in the use of chemical and biological weapons was pivotal to the bush administrations case for the 2003 invasion. Library of congress, federal research division, aug. Al qaeda figure who provided link to iraq reportedly dead in. Isil regrouping in southern libya with support of alqaeda. Apr 29, 2015 yet even in its early days the group bickered with the al qaeda leadership. Feb 25, 2011 libya s beleaguered leader moammar gadhafi thursday blamed the uprising sweeping libya on osama bin laden and al qaeda, accusing the terrorist group of supplying libyans with pills inducing them. The untold story of alqaeda and the libyan rebellion kindle edition by rosenthal, john. This report attempts to assess alqaedas presence in libya. Just in the last six months december 2015 to june 2016, it has inspired or carried out the killing of more than 500 civilians in eleven countries beyond the. Library of congress federal research division al qaeda in libya.
As evidenced by their gains in syria, iraq, libya, yemen, and south asia, the extremists are no longer on the run and arguably are winning. A comparative analysis of alqaeda and the islamic state is 5 the group has been linked to several high profile attacks. The united states suspects it of ties to al qaeda, but these seem tenuous on a large scale. He was born in afghanistan but moved to pakistan with his family after the russian invasion in 1979. This kashmirbased sunni pakistani group has historically directed its attacks at india.