VOLUME XI, ISSUE 12, DECEMBER 2020 THE JAMESTOWN FOUNDATION Michigan’s Sayf Abdulrab Debretsion Wolverine Salem al- Gebremichael: Post-Mortem Watchmen: A Hayashi: AQAP’s The Leader Mosaic of Analysis: Izzat al- Financial Conduit Behind the Boogaloo, Right- Douri and the to the Yemen- Rebellion in BRIEF Wing, and State of Iraq’s Somalia Weapons Tigray Anarchist Ba’ath Party Trade Militiamen ABDUL SAYED PETER KIRECHU MICHAEL HORTON JACOB ZENN RAMI JAMEEL VOLUME XI, ISSUE 12 | DECEMBER 2020 Waziristan Militant Leader Aleem remote areas bordering the country. The Khan Ustad Joins Tehreek-e-Taliban footages include video clips of both commanders' oath-taking, holding Mahsud's Abdul Sayed hands and announcing their pledges of allegiance to him. On December 15, Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, the emir of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Who is Mulawi Aleem Khan Ustad? appeared in a video released by Umar Media, the official media arm of TTP (Umar Media, Aleem Khan is from the tribal North Waziristan December 15). This video demonstrated a district, in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continuation of the series of mergers of province, which served as the base of al-Qaeda Pakistani jihadist groups into TTP, which started for more than a decade after 9/11, from 2004 to in July 2020. 2015 (Asia Times, November 5). Khan was deputy to Hafiz Gul Bahadur—the al-Qaeda The video contains footage of the bay’ah (oath of host and shadow governor of Waziristan allegiance) ceremonies of two jihadist (Gandhara, March 16, 2015). The Gul Bahadur organizations from Waziristan, Pakistan, group became the largest local group in including Mulawi Aleem Khan Ustad, and Waziristan between 2008 and 2014 and even Commander Umar Azzam groups. Khan is a hosted TTP in North Waziristan after the powerful jihadist commander who joined TTP organization lost its strongholds in neighboring with nine commanders and dozens of fighters South Waziristan. (Tribal News, November 28). Gul Bahadur’s decline started after the 2014 TTP announced the mergers of both groups into military operation in North Waziristan, when the its ranks on November 27 (Umar Media, jihadists escaping that military operation sought November 27). The video shows that the merger shelter in Afghanistan. [1] Khan disassociated ceremony apparently took place outside from Bahadur that same year and since then has Afghanistan, most probably in Waziristan's 1 VOLUME XI, ISSUE 12, DECEMBER 2020 THE JAMESTOWN FOUNDATION operated independently (The News, August 20, the region. The senior leadership of al-Qaeda, 2014). particularly its Afghanistan-Pakistan chief, Mustafa Abu Yazid, tried to unify the TTP and During this period, serious differences emerged Bahadur group, but the latter did not accept it that would divide Khan and Bahadur, resulting for long [2]. Gul Bahadur’s rejection has roots in in the latter ultimately seeking leadership of the the historical tribal feuds between Mehsuds and group (The News, August 20, 2014). Bahadur Wazir tribes of Waziristan. The Wazirs considers alleged that Khan was in league with the themselves superior to Mehsuds [3]. Thus, Gul Pakistani government, and in return was Bahadur, being the strongest leader of the Wazir receiving protection for his areas and tribesmen tribes, never agreed to merge into TTP, which from military operations. As a reaction to this was led by the Mehsuds. accusation, Khan announced that he was now emir of the group, removing Bahadur, who had TTP Emir Emphasizes Unity moved to the Afghanistan side of the border to escape military operations. A major portion of the Umar Media video consists of Mufti Mehsud’s speech to a large A few months later, Aleem Khan somewhat gathering of TTP commanders, including confirmed what Bahadur had accused him of members of the newly merged groups. The when he surprisingly announced an end to the speech mainly focused on unity among the war against the Pakistani Army, and offered his jihadist groups fighting against the Pakistani group’s assistance in returning the internally state. The TTP emir presents the Middle East's displaced people (IDPs) of North Waziristan jihadist landscape as an example, which he says back to their homes. Like thousands of others collapsed despite conquering large territories in from North Waziristan, these IDPs had left their Iraq and Syria, resulting in Islamic State’s homes due to the military operations that took caliphate. According to him, jihadists lost power place in 2014. His group had taken responsibility there due to infighting and divisions. for restoring peace in North Waziristan and threatened military operations against all those Mufti Mehsud says that something similar aiming to engage in an insurgency against the happened in Pakistan. He mentions that the state (Daily Pakistan, March 16 2015). jihadist groups emerged as a massive threat to the state, but they soon lost their momentum due Thus, the merger of the Aleem Khan group into to infighting and disunity. He portrays the TTP is important from two perspectives. First, it Afghan Taliban as a role model, which, is a major blow to the Pakistani Army’s efforts to according to him, possesses thousands of coopt the anti-state militants in Waziristan for drawbacks but remains an internationally peace and the restoration of government recognized power due to unity in its ranks. He authority in the area (Gandahara, July 24 2018). specifically referenced U.S. President Donald Second, Khan’s bay’ah to TTP is the first time Trump's remarks praising the Taliban, calling that a jihadist group from North Waziristan is them brave fighters (Urdu News, March 1). joining the organization. It is particularly Mufti Mehsud called on all Pakistani jihadist signicant that Khan’s group is a strong splinter groups to join together to reach their final goal of the Gul Bahadur organization. of implementing Sharia law. The TTP and the Gul Bahadur group share a A Series of TTP Mergers history of rivalry rooted in the tribal politics of 2 VOLUME XI, ISSUE 12, DECEMBER 2020 THE JAMESTOWN FOUNDATION The series of mergers into TTP started in early July when Hakeem Ullah Mehsud group, a TTP Conclusion splinter group, announced its dissolution and incorporation back into TTP (Umar Media, July The Aleem Khan group is the first militant 6). A few weeks later, in August, another two group of Waziri tribes from North Waziristan to powerful TTP splinters, Jumat ul-Ahrar (JuA) join TTP, following a recent series of mergers and Hizb ul-Ahrar (HuA), merged back into that started in June 2020. This implies that the TTP (Umar Media, August 17). JuA was TTP, under the leadership of Mufti Noor Wali founded by Commander Abdul Wali Mohmand, Mehusd, has grown past the days of 2013-2014, a.k.a. Umar Khalid Khurasani, in 2014. which was defined by infighting between its Khurasani is one of the founders of TTP. HuA Mehusd groups of Wali-ur-Rehman and splintered from JuA in 2017, and up to recently Hakeem Ullah. Today, the TTP has surprisingly was the most active terrorist group in Pakistan recovered from internal turmoil, and appears to (see Terrorism Monitor, December 17, 2019). be growing. The joining of a powerful splinter Similarly, the Saif Ullah Kurd faction of the faction of Bahadur´s group from North notorious Sunni sectarian group, Lashkar-e- Waziristan shows that the TTP is Jhangvi (LeJ), now headed by Khushi organizationally becoming more powerful than Muhammad, also merged into TTP on August 5 the group was during its peak years of (Umar Media, August 5). The Kurd faction of 2009-2012. LeJ has remained active in Baluchistan province, particularly in its capital Quetta, having claimed Abdul Sayed has a master’s degree in political science from responsibility for the killings of hundreds of Lund University, Sweden, and is now an independent Shias Muslims (see Terrorism Monitor, July 26, researcher focused on jihadism and the Af-Pak region. 2016). He’s on Twitter at: @abdsayedd. Aside from these splinter organizations, two Notes major Pakistani al-Qaeda groups also announced their merger into TTP at the end of July (Umar [1] See for details, Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, Media, July 29). Commander Muneeb, a close Inqilab-i-Mehsud, (Mehsuds Revolution) [In aide of the slain AQIS deputy chief Ustad Urdu], (Al-Shahab Publishers: Paktika, 2017). Ahmad Farooq, merged his group into TTP. Farooq was the senior leader of al-Qaeda in [2] Ustad Ahmad Farooq, "Shaikh Saeed (Mustafa Pakistan and played a leading role in establishing Abu Yazid)", Hitteen, Issue 9, pp. 117-138 and expanding its Pakistan. [4] At the same time, al-Qaeda’s Amjad Farooqi group also joined [3] Mehsud, 2017. TTP. The Amjad Farooqi group was al-Qaeda’s earliest ally in Pakistan and one of the founders [4] Ustad Ahmad Farooq, Pakistan mi jihad jari of post-9/11 jihadist terrorism in the country. rihna chaheay [In Urdu: Jihad should continue in The group carried out most of the sophisticated Pakistan], Hitteen Publications, Oct 2016. high-profile attacks in Pakistan, including multiple attacks targeting General Pervez [5] For details on Amjad Farooqi and his group, Musharraf in 2004, an attack on the Sri Lankan see, Mujahid Hussain, Punjabi Taliban: Driving cricket team, and attack on the General Extremism in Pakistan, (Pentagon Press: New Delhi, Headquarters of the Pakistani army in India, 2012). Rawalpindi in 2009. [5] 3 VOLUME XI, ISSUE 12, DECEMBER 2020 THE JAMESTOWN FOUNDATION Sayf Abdulrab Salem al- Shabwah and Hadramout to illicitly purchase, trade and distribute contraband, Hayashi: AQAP’s Financial narcotics and weapons to Mukalla, Sana’a Conduit to the Yemen- and other areas in Yemen. He reportedly traveled across the country, meeting with Somalia Weapons Trade senior AQAP leaders whose finances he managed.