Ansar al-Sharia in (ASL)

Type of Organization: insurgent, non-state actor, religious, social services provider, terrorist, violent

Ideologies and Affiliations: Islamist, jihadist, Qutbist, Salafist, Sunni, Takfiri

Place(s) of Origin: Libya

Year of Origin: 2012

Founder(s): Abu Sufyan Bin Qumu (founder of Ansar al-Sharia in Derna);1 Mohamed al-Zahawi, Nasser al-Tarshani, and other Libyan Islamists (founders of Ansar al-Sharia )

Place(s) of Operation: Libya

Also Known As: • Ansar al-Charia in Libya 2 • Katibat Ansar al-Charia 3 • Katibat Ansar al-Sharia 4 • Partisans of Islamic Law in Libya5 • Partisans of Sharia in Libya 6 • Supporters of Islamic Law in Libya7 • Supporters of Sharia in Libya 8

Executive Summary:

Ansar al-Sharia in Libya (ASL) is a violent jihadist group that seeks to implement sharia (Islamic law) in Libya. ASL is the union of two smaller groups, the Ansar al-Sharia Brigade in Benghazi (ASB) and Ansar al-Sharia Derna (ASD), each formed in 2011 after the fall of Libyan dictator ’s regime. In 2012, ASB and ASD,

1 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Know Your Ansar Al-Sharia,” Foreign Policy, September 21, 2012, http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/21/know_your_ansar_al_sharia. 2 “Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Two Entities to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, November 19, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11659.doc.htm. 3 “Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Two Entities to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, November 19, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11659.doc.htm. 4 “Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Two Entities to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, November 19, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11659.doc.htm. 5 “Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Two Entities to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, November 19, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11659.doc.htm. 6 “Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Two Entities to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, November 19, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11659.doc.htm. 7 “Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Two Entities to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, November 19, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11659.doc.htm. 8 “Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Two Entities to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, November 19, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11659.doc.htm. alongside other Islamist militant groups, attacked the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, killing four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens.

The was a major turning point for the two groups. Following widespread backlash in Libya and abroad, ASB was forced out of Benghazi and ASD disbanded. ASB then underwent a major rebranding effort, changing its name to Ansar al-Sharia in Libya (removing from its name the word “brigade”) and publicly denouncing violence. The group also denied its connections to the consulate attack and to al-Qaeda. Under its new name, ASL launched a dawa (proselytizing) campaign, under which it provided social services and charity in Benghazi. Through this campaign, ASL was able to win back the trust of many Libyans, and in 2013 ASL opened new branches in Derna, Sirte, and Ajdabiya.9

However, while ASL had publicly embraced peace, many remained skeptical of the group’s intentions. Foreign and local intelligence has revealed that since 2012, ASL has increased ties with international violent jihadist groups, including by holding clandestine meetings with al-Qaeda affiliates in North Africa and training and exporting fighters to conflicts in Syria, Iraq, and Mali. 10 In the past, ASL’s former leader, Mohamed al- Zahawi, had openly declared his support for al-Qaeda.11

On May 16, 2014, former Libyan army general launched a massive assault—codenamed “Operation Dignity”—on Islamist groups in Benghazi. Although ASL initially maintained control of Benghazi, civilian uprisings within the city and offensives launched by General Haftar have gradually eroded ASL’s control. In February 2015, General Haftar’s forces retook the port area of Benghazi, considered to be the last major area of the city left under ASL’s domain. As of February 2015, estimates indicate ASL controls less than 10% of Benghazi. 12 ASL suffered another major setback when Mohamed al-Zahawi, the group’s emir, died in January 2015 of wounds from an October 2014 airstrike.13

ISIS also poses a major threat to ASL. Although the two groups do appear to cooperate to an extent, ASL has not sworn allegiance to ISIS’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. As of April 2015, ISIS controls the previously ASL-dominated cities of Derna and Sirte but

9 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Libya’s Jihadists Beyond Benghazi,” Foreign Policy, August 12, 2013, http://mideastafrica.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/12/libyas_jihadists_beyond_benghazi; Aya Elbrqawi, “Slow Death of Derna,” AllAfrica, February 28, 2014, http://allafrica.com/stories/201403031054.html; Aaron Y. Zelin, “Libya’s Jihadists Beyond Benghazi,” Foreign Policy, August 12, 2013, http://mideastafrica.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/12/libyas_jihadists_beyond_benghazi. 10 Thomas Joscelyn, “UN recognizes ties between Ansar al Sharia in Libya, al Qaeda,” Long War Journal, November 19, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/11/un_designates_ansar.php; Aaron Y. Zelin, “New Evidence on Ansar Al-Sharia in Libya Training Camps,” Al-Wasat, August 8, 2013. https://thewasat.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/new-evidence-on-ansar-al-sharia-in-libya-training-camps/. 11 Faisal Irshaid, “Profile: Libya’s Ansar Al-Sharia,” BBC News, June 13, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27732589. 12 Lucy Westcott, “Libyan Army Reportedly Has Taken Back Benghazi Port,” Newsweek, February 6, 2015, http://www.newsweek.com/libyan-army-reported-have-taken-back-benghazi-port-305113. 13 Nadia Radwan, “Libya: Ansar Al-Sharia in Libya Leader Dead,” AllAfrica, January 26, 2015, http://allafrica.com/stories/201501270208.html. ASL has been able to maintain a presence in those municipalities.14 Further, ASL has suffered numerous prominent defections to ISIS. Finally, ISIS’s attacks within Libya, including the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians, have triggered renewed international support for eradicating extremism within Libya. Some analysts, including Michael Horowitz of Max Security Solutions, think ASL will likely pledge allegiance to ISIS in the near future.15

Doctrine:

ASL’s primary objective is to institute sharia (Islamic law) in Libya. As the group’s former leader, Mohamed al-Zahawi, said, “Our brave youths will continue their struggle until they impose [sharia].”16

Like Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia, ASL advances its agenda through dawa (proselytizing), hisba (commanding right and forbidding wrong through sharia, which can include enforcement of modesty laws through violence), and jihad (in this case, armed struggle).17 Like many other Islamist groups, ASL opposes achieving change through, the democratic system. The group believes democracy subverts sharia by giving man the power to make law—a power ASL considers reserved to God alone. This belief separates ASL from other Islamist groups in Libya, including Libya Dawn, that support exploiting democracy in order to achieve implementation of sharia.18

ASL’s hisba enforcement has included destroying Sufi shrines that the group considers idolatry. Al-Zahawi described removal these shrines as “a religious duty” because “people worship the deceased and this is prohibited. It is not me who says so but rather our religion.”19 The group also confiscated anatomy books from the European School in Benghazi after deeming that they were “pornographic” in nature.20 Similarly, in February 2015, gunmen from an “al-Qaeda inspired militia” seized radio and television stations in Sirte after ASL “warned the station to stop broadcasting music.”21

14 Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar Al Sharia Libya Relaunches Social Media Sites,” Long War Journal, April 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/ansar-al-sharia-libya-relaunches-social-media- sites.php. 15 Thomas Joscelyn, “Spiritual Leader of Libya’s Biggest Jihadi Group Pledges Allegiance to ISIS,” Newsweek, April 8, 2015, http://www.newsweek.com/top-judge-libyas-biggest-jihadi-group-pledges- allegiance-isis-320408. 16 Ahmed Maher, “Meeting Mohammad Ali Al-Zahawi of Libyan Ansar Al-Sharia,” BBC News, September 18, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19638582. 17 Aaron Y. Zelin, “The Terrorist Threat in North Africa,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, July 10, 2013, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/testimony/ZelinTestimony20130710- v2.pdf. 18 Ahmed Maher, “Meeting Mohammad Ali Al-Zahawi of Libyan Ansar Al-Sharia,” BBC News, September 18, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19638582. 19 Ahmed Maher, “Meeting Mohammad Ali Al-Zahawi of Libyan Ansar Al-Sharia,” BBC News, September 18, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19638582. 20 Aaron Y. Zelin, “The Terrorist Threat in North Africa,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, July 10, 2013, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/testimony/ZelinTestimony20130710- v2.pdf. 21 “Islamic Militants Seize Radio, TV Stations in Central Libya,” New York Times, February 14, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/14/world/middleeast/ap-ml-libya.html.

Aaron Zelin, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, wrote that the creation of ASL, as well as Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia, emerged from the ideology of Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, who “has attempted to steer the jihadi community to a more ‘pure’ jihad” in order to offset the brutal image of jihad as popularized by deceased al- Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.22

According to Zelin, Maqdisi has tried to draw a distinction between the idea of qital al- nikayya (fighting to hurt or damage the enemy) and qital al-tamkin (fighting to consolidate one’s power). Zelin writes that “the former provides only short-term tactical victories… whereas the latter provides a framework for consolidating an Islamic state.” According to Zelin, ASL’s practices appear to be in accord with qital al-tamkin.23

Since the backlash following the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, ASL has rebranded itself with a new focus on missionary outreach, including offering services normally provided by local governments. ASL engages in road maintenance, street cleaning, security patrols, garbage collection, and establishing medical clinics and hospitals.24 To promote religion, ASL runs Quranic competitions, provides food to the poor during the Muslim holidays of Eid and Ramadan, confiscates drugs and alcohol, and opens religious schools and centers. In the absence of a strong local government, the services ASL provides have become integral to daily life in Benghazi.25 In media campaigns, ASL has highlighted its outreach and charity efforts, portraying themselves as defenders and promoters of Islam and sharia.26

Leadership Structure:

ASL is led by an emir but the current emir is unknown. Mohamed al-Zahawi was the group’s until January 2015, when he died from wounds sustained in an October 2014 airstrike.27 Unlike many other jihadist groups, ASL’s leadership structure remains opaque to outside observers, with members of senior leadership, councils, and committees mostly unknown. 28

22 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Maqdisi’s Disciples in Libya and Tunisia,” Foreign Policy, November 14, 2012, http://mideastafrica.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/11/14/maqdisi_s_disciples_in_libya_and_tunisia. 23 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Maqdisi’s Disciples in Libya and Tunisia,” Foreign Policy, November 14, 2012, http://mideastafrica.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/11/14/maqdisi_s_disciples_in_libya_and_tunisia. 24 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Libya’s Jihadists Beyond Benghazi,” Foreign Policy, August 12, 2013, http://mideastafrica.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/12/libyas_jihadists_beyond_benghazi. 25 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Libya’s Jihadists Beyond Benghazi,” Foreign Policy, August 12, 2013, http://mideastafrica.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/12/libyas_jihadists_beyond_benghazi. 26 Library of Congress Federal Research Division, “Al-Qaeda in Libya: A Profile,” Federation of American Scientists, August 1, 2012, http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/aq-libya-loc.pdf. 27 Nadia Radwan, “Libya: Ansar Al-Sharia in Libya Leader Dead,” AllAfrica, January 26, 2015, http://allafrica.com/stories/201501270208.html. 28 Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar Al Sharia Libya Relaunches Social Media Sites,” Long War Journal, April 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/ansar-al-sharia-libya-relaunches-social-media- sites.php. ASL is based in Benghazi and operates branches in Derna, Sirte, and Ajdabiya.29 ASL also operates a highly professional and organized media wing, al-Raya Media Productions Foundation.30

Recruitment and Training:

Like many other jihadist organizations, ASL maintains a social media presence. The organization has established Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus accounts but they are regularly taken down by the administrators of those social media platforms.31 In its social media messages, ASL often features its outreach and social service campaigns. Many recruits are drawn to the group by its charity work, preaching, and delivery of social services.32 The Long War Journal wrote in April 2015 that ASL operates a radio station in Benghazi and that on Twitter the group now utilizes a “‘correspondents’ or ‘reporters’ network”—a web of multiple accounts that promote ASL propaganda, similar to that used by the Nusra Front.33

ASL has embedded recruiters within foreign countries. In the past, recruiters have funneled Tunisian civilians who want to fight in Syria into Libyan training camps. 34 Within Libya, ASL has used monetary payments to recruit young fighters.35

ASL actively hosts and trains extremists from other organizations in its own training bases in Libya. Since the start of the , ASL has trained militants seeking to fight in Syria. In 2013, two Tunisian citizens who had trained in ASL camps were separately captured near Derna and interrogated. The first, who wanted to perform jihad in Syria, claimed that he trained in a camp for about twenty days alongside recruits with civilian backgrounds. The camp included weapons training but did not have religious education or schooling. The second fighter wanted to fight with the Free Syrian Army in Syria and claimed to have attended a month-long camp near Benghazi on guerilla tactics,

29 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Libya’s Jihadists Beyond Benghazi,” Foreign Policy, August 12, 2013, http://mideastafrica.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/12/libyas_jihadists_beyond_benghazi; Aya Elbrqawi, “Slow Death of Derna,” AllAfrica, February 28, 2014, http://allafrica.com/stories/201403031054.html. 30 Library of Congress Federal Research Division, “Al-Qaeda in Libya: A Profile,” Federation of American Scientists, August 1, 2012, http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/aq-libya-loc.pdf. 31 Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar Al Sharia Libya Relaunches Social Media Sites,” Long War Journal, April 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/ansar-al-sharia-libya-relaunches-social-media- sites.php. 32 Nadia Radwan, “Libya: Ansar Al-Sharia Intensifies Recruitment,” AllAfrica, November 15, 2013. http://allafrica.com/stories/201311180744.html. 33 Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar Al Sharia Libya Relaunches Social Media Sites,” Long War Journal, April 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/ansar-al-sharia-libya-relaunches-social-media- sites.php. 34 Aaron Y. Zelin, “New Evidence on Ansar Al-Sharia in Libya Training Camps,” Al-Wasat, August 8, 2013. https://thewasat.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/new-evidence-on-ansar-al-sharia-in-libya-training- camps/. 35 Mawassi Lahcen, “Libya: Benghazi Rejects Islamist Violence,” AllAfrica, December 28, 2012, http://allafrica.com/stories/201212310264.html. ambushes, and booby-trapping.36 ASL also operates camps near Derna and Jebel Akhdar to train fighters for Syria. 37

Beyond training fighters for export to Syria, ASL has also trained militants for North African groups. For example, half of the 24 militants involved in the January 2013 In Amenas gas complex attack had trained in ASL camps in Benghazi. 38

Financing:

According to a February 2013 report by , in order to clamp down on drug dealers and crime in Benghazi, the Libyan government has provided “payments to Ansar al-Sharia militiamen… through other Benghazi brigades, including the 17th of February brigade, according to sources in… Libya’s new Parliament.”39 According to the report, the former chief of staff for Libya’s ground forces, Yousef Mangoush, was “diverting operational funds from the fledgling armed forces to the militia.”40

ASL also reportedly receives donations from Libyan expatriates for the social services that it provides.41

Key Leaders: ● Mohamed al-Zahawi (leader of ASL, deceased)42 ● Abu Tamim al-Libi (senior sharia jurist)43 ● Abu Sufyan Bin Qumu (leader of the Ansar al-Sharia branch in Derna) 44 ● Nasser al-Tarshani (head of ASL religious committee)45

36 Aaron Y. Zelin, “New Evidence on Ansar Al-Sharia in Libya Training Camps,” Al-Wasat, August 8, 2013, https://thewasat.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/new-evidence-on-ansar-al-sharia-in-libya-training- camps/. 37 “UN Blacklists Ansar Al-Sharia Armed Group,” Al Jazeera, November 20, 2014, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/11/un-blacklists-ansar-al-sharia-armed-group- 2014112015146686102.html. 38 Agence France-Presse, “UN Security Council Adds Libya's Ansar Al-Sharia to Terror List,” I24 News, November 20, 2014, http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/africa/51583-141120-un-security- council-adds-libya-s-ansar-al-sharia-to-terror-list. 39 Jamie Dettmer, “Libyan Government Turns to Ansar Al-Sharia Militia for Crime-Fighting Help,” Daily Beast, February 26, 2013, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/25/libyan-government-turns-to- ansar-al-sharia-militia-for-crime-fighting-help.html. 40 Jamie Dettmer, “Libyan Government Turns to Ansar Al-Sharia Militia for Crime-Fighting Help,” Daily Beast, February 26, 2013, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/25/libyan-government-turns-to- ansar-al-sharia-militia-for-crime-fighting-help.html. 41 Faisal Irshaid, “Profile: Libya’s Ansar Al-Sharia,” BBC News, June 13, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27732589. 42 “Leader of Libyan Islamists Ansar al-Sharia dies of wounds,” Reuters, January 23, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/23/us-libya-security-idUSKBN0KW1MU20150123. 43 Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar Al Sharia Libya Relaunches Social Media Sites,” Long War Journal, April 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/ansar-al-sharia-libya-relaunches-social-media- sites.php. 44 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Know Your Ansar Al-Sharia,” Foreign Policy, September 21, 2012, http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/21/know_your_ansar_al_sharia. 45 Mary Fitzgerald, “It Wasn’t Us,” Foreign Policy, September 18, 2012, http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/18/it_wasn_t_us. ● Hani al-Mansuri (spokesman)46 ● Wissam Bin Hamid (military commander in the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council)47

History:

● 1980s: Abu Sufyan Bin Qumu, the future founder of Ansar al-Sharia Derna, travels to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets as one of the original “Arab Afghans.”48 ● Early 1990s: After leaving Afghanistan, Bin Qumu travels to Sudan, where he works as a driver for one of Osama bin Laden’s construction companies.49 ● Late 1990s-Early 2000s: Bin Qumu leaves Sudan and returns to Afghanistan. There, he fights alongside al-Qaeda and the Taliban against U.S.-led forces.50 ● 2011: In Libya, reportedly forms the Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah rebel brigade during the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi. The brigade allegedly disbands after Gaddafi’s fall, but Khattala maintains that he can still pull his network of fighters together if need be. In early 2012, “several fighters” from Khattala’s group join Ansar al-Sharia. Khattala would become a key leader in Ansar al-Sharia Benghazi.51 ● July 28, 2011: Future members of ASL assassinate rebel commander Abdul Fattah Younes, a former minister in the Gaddafi government who had led a crackdown on Islamists in Libya. 52 ● 2012: Mohamed al-Zahawi, Nasser al-Tarshani, and other Libyan Islamists officially form the Ansar al-Sharia Brigade (katiba) in Benghazi (ASB), “with the goal of supporting sharia as the frame of reference in Libya,” according to al-Zahawi. 53

46 Aaron Y. Zelin, “The Terrorist Threat in North Africa,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, July 10, 2013, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/testimony/ZelinTestimony20130710- v2.pdf. 47 Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar al Sharia Libya showcases spoils of war, key personalities in video,” Long War Journal, December 29, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/12/ansar_al_sharia_liby_1.php. 48 Thomas Joscelyn, “Obama Administration’s Benghazi Bombshell,” Weekly Standard, January 7, 2014, http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-administrations-benghazi-bombshell_773986.html. 49 Thomas Joscelyn, “Obama Administration’s Benghazi Bombshell,” Weekly Standard, January 7, 2014, http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-administrations-benghazi-bombshell_773986.html. 50 Thomas Joscelyn, “Obama Administration’s Benghazi Bombshell,” Weekly Standard, January 7, 2014, http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-administrations-benghazi-bombshell_773986.html. 51 Mary Fitzgerald, “A Conversation with Abu Khattala,” New Yorker, June 18, 2014, http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2014/06/abu-khattala-before-his-capture.html. 52 David Kirkpatrick, Suliman Ali Zway, and Kareem Fahim, “Attack by Fringe Group Highlights the Problem of Libya’s Militias,” New York Times, September 15, 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/16/world/middleeast/attack-by-fringe-group-highlights-the-problem-of- libya-militias.html?_r=3&hp&pagewanted=all&. 53 Mary Fitzgerland, “It Wasn’t Us,” Foreign Policy, September 18, 2012, http://foreignpolicy.com/2012/09/18/it-wasnt-us/. ● June 2012: ASB leaders issue the “Ansar al-Sharia First Meeting,” a communique announcing the group’s official inauguration.54 ● August 24, 2012: ASB escalates its campaign against Sufi shrines in Libya. Militants attack a Sufi shrine in Zliten, destroying the tomb of 15th century Sufi scholar Abdel Salam al-Asmar and burning a mosque library.55 ● August 25, 2012: ASB militants deploy an excavator to central to destroy the Sidi Al-Sha’ab mosque, which contains the tomb of a Sufi saint.56 ● , 2012: The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence reports that “Individuals affiliated with terrorist groups, including AQIM, Ansar al Sharia, AQAP, and the Mohammad Jamal Network, participated in the September 11, 2012, attacks” against the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. 57 ● September 21, 2012: As many as 30,000 people march to ASB’s headquarters in Benghazi in protest of the prevalence of oppressive militias such as ASB in post-Gaddafi Libya. Hundreds of protesters storm ASB’s compound and force ASB militants to abandon the site.58 Simultaneously, more than 3,000 ASB supporters attend a counter protest in Benghazi.59 ● September 22, 2012 Ansar al-Sharia Derna disbands following the backlash after the U.S. consulate attack.60 ● Fall 2012: The Ansar al-Sharia Brigade in Benghazi changes its name to Ansar al-Sharia in Libya to portray a nationalist focus and emphasis on development of an Islamic state through social work and community, rather than violence.61 ● June 28, 2013: ASL establishes a branch in Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi’s hometown.62 ● August 6, 2013: ASL establishes another branch in Ajdabiya.63 ● October 2013 ASL opens a branch in Derna with the slogan, “A step toward building the Islamic state.”64

54 Faisal Irshaid, “Profile: Libya’s Ansar al-Sharia,” BBC News, June 13, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27732589. 55 Sharron Ward, “The Battle of the Shrines,” Foreign Policy, September 12, 2012, http://foreignpolicy.com/2012/09/12/the-battle-of-the-shrines/. 56 Sharron Ward, “The Battle of the Shrines,” Foreign Policy, September 12, 2012, http://foreignpolicy.com/2012/09/12/the-battle-of-the-shrines/. 57 “Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012,” U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (2014): 40, http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/benghazi2014/benghazi.pdf. 58 Maggie Michael, “Libyans storm militia in backlash of attack on US,” , September 21, 2012, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/libyans-march-against-militias-after-attack. 59 Yasmine Ryan, “Libyans Rise up against Militias' Dominance,” Al Jazeera, September 24, 2012. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/09/201292218380199890.html. 60 Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Peter Graff, “Libyan Army Tackles Rogue Militias as Two Disband,” Reuters, September 23, 2012, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/23/us-protests-libya- idUSBRE88M08D20120923. 61 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Libya’s Jihadists Beyond Benghazi,” Foreign Policy, August 12, 2013, http://mideastafrica.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/12/libyas_jihadists_beyond_benghazi. 62 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Libya’s Jihadists Beyond Benghazi,” Foreign Policy, August 12, 2013, http://mideastafrica.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/12/libyas_jihadists_beyond_benghazi. 63 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Libya’s Jihadists Beyond Benghazi,” Foreign Policy, August 12, 2013, http://mideastafrica.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/12/libyas_jihadists_beyond_benghazi. ● January 10, 2014: The U.S. government designates ASL branches in Benghazi and Derna as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. It also designates ASL leaders Ahmed Abu Khattala (ASL Benghazi) and Abu Sufyan Bin Qumu (ASL Derna) as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.65 ● May 16, 2014: Former Libyan army general Khalifa Haftar launches a massive offensive against Islamist militias in Benghazi—codenamed “Operation Dignity”—with a focus on ASL.66 ● June 2, 2014: ASL launches a counterattack against General Haftar's forces. Eighteen people are killed and more than seventy wounded in the heaviest fighting since the start of Operation Dignity.67 ● June 14, 2014: American commandos capture Ahmed Abu Khattala, who the U.S. government claims was a ringleader of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, and extradite him to stand trial in Washington, D.C.68 ● June 20, 2014: Islamist groups in Benghazi join together as the “Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries.” The coalition includes ASL, Libya Shield 1, the Brega Martyrs Brigade, the Rafallah al-Sahati Brigade, and the February 17th Martyrs Brigade.69 ● Late July 2014: The number of refugees crossing into neighboring Tunisia reportedly surpasses 6,000 people per day following intensified fighting near Benghazi and Tripoli. 70 ● July 24, 2014: ASL overruns the Camp 319 and 36th Battalion bases in Benghazi, capturing howitzers, a 2K12 Kub mobile air defense system, Strela-2 MANPAD's, ammunition, and military vehicles. 71 ● July 30, 2014: ASL announces that it has seized all of Benghazi and declares the city an “Islamic Emirate.”72 More than sixty people are killed in the previous week’s fighting.73

64 Aya Elbrqawi, “Slow Death of Derna,” AllAfrica, February 28, 2014, http://allafrica.com/stories/201403031054.html. 65 “Terrorist Designations of Three Ansar Al-Shari’a Organizations and Leaders,” U.S. Department of State, January 10, 2014, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/01/219519.htm. 66 “Retired General Launches War against Islamists in Eastern Libya,” IHS Jane’s 360, July 21, 2014. http://www.janes.com/article/41023/retired-general-launches-war-against-islamists-in-eastern-libya. 67 “More Fighting Grips Libya's Benghazi,” Deutsche Welle, June 2, 2014, http://www.dw.de/more- fighting-grips-libyas-benghazi/a-17677091. 68 Karen DeYoung, Adam Goldman, and Julie Tate, “U.S. Captures Benghazi Suspect in Secret Raid,” Washington Post, June 17, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-captured- benghazi-suspect-in-secret-raid/2014/06/17/7ef8746e-f5cf-11e3-a3a5-42be35962a52_story.html. 69 Agence France-Presse, “Splits Emerge between Libyan Islamists and Jihadists,” Yahoo News, August 18, 2014. http://news.yahoo.com/splits-emerge-between-libyan-islamists-jihadists-183000425.html. 70 “Thousands Flee Libya Violence to Tunisia,” Al Arabiya, July 30, 2014, http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/07/29/Islamists-overrun-Benghazi-army-base- killing-30-.html. 71 Jeremy Binnie, “Libya's Anti-Islamist Offensive Suffers Setback,” IHS Jane’s 360, July 24, 2014, http://www.janes.com/article/41155/libya-s-anti-islamist-offensive-suffers-setback. 72 “Benghazi Declared ‘Islamic Emirate’ by Militants,” Al Arabiya, July 31, 2014, http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/07/31/Libya-s-Ansar-al-Sharia-declares-Islamic- state-in-Benghazi.html. 73 Agence France-Presse, “Islamists Seize Key Benghazi Army Base as Tripoli Fire Rages,” Yahoo News, July 29, 2014, http://news.yahoo.com/islamists-main-military-benghazi-004825173.html. ● August 26, 2014: Islamist group Libya Dawn rejects Ansar al-Sharia’s offer of an alliance between the two organizations, stating it “announces its rejection of terrorism and extremism, and stresses that it does not belong to a terrorist organization.”74 ● Summer 2014: Abu Sufyan Bin Qumu, founder of Ansar al-Sharia in Derna and current leader of ASL Derna, swears allegiance to ISIS.75 ● September 15, 2014: At least nineteen are killed in a violent, 24 hour clash between Haftar’s forces and ASL in Benghazi. 76 ● October 3, 2014: Multiple suicide bombings by the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council, Libya Shield, and Ansar al-Sharia kill at least forty Libyan soldiers and wound dozens more in Benghazi. 77 ● October 15, 2014: At least twelve people are killed in Benghazi during a renewed offensive by forces under General Haftar. Haftar reportedly captures a major military base from ASL. The offensive coincides with the “15 October Uprising.” Inspired by posters and Twitter hashtag “#15OctoberUprising,” residents across the region coordinate a grassroots revolt against Islamist groups.78 ● October 14, 2014: A U.S. federal grand jury indicts Ahmed Abu Khatalla for his involvement in the 2012 attacks on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi. 79 ● October 17, 2014: ASL’s leader Mohamed Al-Zahawi is injured in an airstrike in Benghazi and flown to Turkey for treatment.80 ● November 19, 2014: ASB and ASD are added to the U.N.’s al-Qaeda sanctions list, noting the groups’ connections to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).81 ● December 29, 2014: ASL releases a video showcasing captured tanks and heavy weapons it acquired after raiding one of General Khalifa Hafter’s camps on December 26, 2014. The video includes two ASL leaders, Wissam Bin Hamid and Mohammad al-Darsi. 82

74 Agence France-Presse, “Libya Dawn Islamists ‘reject Ansar Al-Sharia Terror,’” Yahoo News, August 26, 2014, http://news.yahoo.com/libya-dawn-islamists-reject-ansar-al-sharia-terror-110335904.html. 75 Aya Elbrqawi, “Derna Cries for Help,” AllAfrica, December 1, 2014. http://allafrica.com/stories/201412020345.html. 76 “Reports: Relatives of Libyan Ambassador Kidnapped in Tripoli,” Middle East Eye, December 17, 2014. http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/reports-relatives-libyan-ambassador-kidnapped-tripoli-1500294764. 77 “Libya Suicide Blasts Leave 40 Soldiers Dead,” Al Jazeera, October 3, 2014, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/libyan-soldiers-killed-benghazi-violence- 201410211526230704.html. 78 “Benghazi Residents Take up Arms as Haftar Makes Gains,” Middle East Eye, December 17, 2014, http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/libya-1558812714. 79 Julia Edwards, “Benghazi Suspect,” Reuters, October 14, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/14/us-usa-security-benghazi-idUSKCN0I32R620141014. 80 “Ansar Al-Sharia leader ‘almost certainly’ killed in Libya,” Middle East Eye, December 14, 2014. http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/ansar-al-sharia-leader-almost-certainly-killed-libya-2105958401. 81 “Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Two Entities to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, November 19, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11659.doc.htm; Thomas Joscelyn, “UN recognizes ties between Ansar al Sharia in Libya, al Qaeda,” Long War Journal, November 19, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/11/un_designates_ansar.php. 82 Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar al Sharia Libya showcases spoils of war, key personalities in video,” Long War Journal, December 29, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/12/ansar_al_sharia_liby_1.php. ● January 3, 2015: About 20 Coptic Christians are reportedly being held hostage in Libya. Before ISIS claims responsibility, one Libyan government official states that the kidnappers are ASL, which has connections to ISIS.83 ● January 23, 2015: ASL leader Mohamed al-Zahawi dies from wounds suffered months prior when fighting pro-government forces.84 ● January 26, 2015: Libyan army forces accuse ASL of firing rockets on residential buildings in Benghazi, killing six and wounding 20.85 ● Late January 2015: ASL releases a series of photos highlighting the group’s policing efforts in Benghazi, showing a fleet of police cars and a police headquarters.86 ● February 14, 2015: Gunmen from an “al-Qaeda inspired militia” seize radio and television stations in Sirte, Libya. An anonymous resident reported that the station began to play religious songs and lessons. Earlier that week, militants from ASL had “warned the station to stop broadcasting music.”87 ● February 15, 2015: Libyan jihadists loyal to ISIS release a five-minute video depicting the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians on a beach in Libya. 88 ● February 16, 2015: 35 Egyptian Coptic Christians are kidnapped in areas controlled by ASL and ISIS.89 ● March 19, 2015: ASL releases photographs showing 14 graduates of an ASL training camp in or near Benghazi. The photos show the uniformed fighters training in small arms, in hand to hand combat, and studying in a classroom setting.90 ● March 23, 2015 ASL releases a statement acknowledging the death of Mohamed al-Areibi, a senior commander in Benghazi.91 ● March 24, 2015 Libyan forces accuse ASL of launching a suicide bombing against an army checkpoint in Benghazi, killing seven.92

83 Agence France-Presse, “Isis claims abduction of 21 Christians in Libya,” Guardian (London), January 12, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/12/isis-abducts-christians-libya-egypt. 84 “Leader of Libyan Islamists Ansar al-Sharia dies of wounds,” Reuters, January 23, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/23/us-libya-security-idUSKBN0KW1MU20150123. 85 Reuters, “Gunmen Kidnap Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister,” Times of Malta, January 26, 2015. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150126/world/Gunmen-kidnap-Libyan-deputy-foreign- minister.553447. 86 Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar Al Sharia Photos Focus on Governance Efforts near Benghazi,” Long War Journal, February 2, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/02/ansar_al_sharia_phot.php. 87 “Islamic Militants Seize Radio, TV Stations in Central Libya,” New York Times, February 14, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/14/world/middleeast/ap-ml-libya.html. 88 “Islamic State: Egyptian Christians held in Libya ‘killed,’” BBC News, February 15, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-31481797. 89 Gianluca Mezzofiore, “Libya: More Egyptians ‘kidnapped by IS or Ansar al-Sharia’ after Egypt airstrikes,” International Business Times, February 16, 2015, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/libya-more- egyptians-kidnapped-by-ansar-al-sharia-after-egypt-airstrikes-1488216. 90 Bill Roggio, “Ansar Al Sharia in Libya Releases Photos of Graduates from Its ‘mujahideen Training Camps,’” Long War Journal, March 15, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/03/ansar-al- sharia-in-libya-releases-photos-of-graduates-from-its-mujahideen-training-camps.php. 91 Ayman al-Warfalli, Ayman, “Suicide Bombing Kills Seven in Libya's Benghazi as Army Launches Revenge Strike,” Yahoo News, March 24, 2015. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/suicide-bombing-kills-seven- libyas-benghazi-183554499.html. ● March 30, 2015 ASL’s senior sharia official, Abu Abdullah al-Libi, swears allegiance to ISIS and breaks from ASL, taking a group of fighters with him.93

Violent Activities: ● July 28, 2011: Future members of ASL assassinate rebel commander Abdul Fattah Younes, a previous minister in the Gaddafi government who had led a crackdown on Islamists in Libya. 94 ● August 24, 2012: ASB escalates its campaign against Sufi shrines in Libya. Militants attack a Sufi shrine in Zliten, destroying the tomb of 15th century Sufi scholar Abdel Salam al-Asmar and burning a mosque library.95 ● August 25, 2012: ASB militants deploy an excavator to central Tripoli to destroy the Sidi Al-Sha’ab mosque, which contains the tomb of a Sufi saint.96 ● September 11, 2012: The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence reports that “Individuals affiliated with terrorist groups, including AQIM, Ansar al Sharia, AQAP, and the Mohammad Jamal Network, participated in the September 11, 2012, attacks” against the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens.97 ● June 2, 2014: ASL launches a counterattack against General Haftar’s “Operation Dignity” campaign against ASL and other Islamist militias. Eighteen people are killed and more than seventy wounded in the heaviest fighting since the start of Operation Dignity. 98 ● June 20, 2014: Islamist groups in Benghazi join together as the “Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries.” The coalition includes ASL, Libya Shield 1, the Brega Martyrs Brigade, the Rafallah al-Sahati Brigade, and the February 17th Martyrs Brigade.99

92 Ayman al-Warfalli, Ayman, “Suicide Bombing Kills Seven in Libya's Benghazi as Army Launches Revenge Strike,” Yahoo News, March 24, 2015. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/suicide-bombing-kills-seven- libyas-benghazi-183554499.html. 93 Thomas Joscelyn, “Spiritual Leader of Libya’s Biggest Jihadi Group Pledges Allegiance to ISIS,” Newsweek, April 8, 2015, http://www.newsweek.com/top-judge-libyas-biggest-jihadi-group-pledges- allegiance-isis-320408. 94 David Kirkpatrick, Suliman Ali Zway, and Kareem Fahim, “Attack by Fringe Group Highlights the Problem of Libya’s Militias,” New York Times, September 15, 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/16/world/middleeast/attack-by-fringe-group-highlights-the-problem-of- libya-militias.html?_r=3&hp&pagewanted=all&. 95 Sharron Ward, “The Battle of the Shrines,” Foreign Policy, September 12, 2012, http://foreignpolicy.com/2012/09/12/the-battle-of-the-shrines/. 96 Sharron Ward, “The Battle of the Shrines,” Foreign Policy, September 12, 2012, http://foreignpolicy.com/2012/09/12/the-battle-of-the-shrines/. 97 “Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012,” U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (2014): 40, http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/benghazi2014/benghazi.pdf. 98 “More Fighting Grips Libya's Benghazi,” Deutsche Welle, June 2, 2014, http://www.dw.de/more- fighting-grips-libyas-benghazi/a-17677091. 99 Agence France-Presse, “Splits Emerge between Libyan Islamists and Jihadists,” Yahoo News, August 18, 2014. http://news.yahoo.com/splits-emerge-between-libyan-islamists-jihadists-183000425.html. ● July 24, 2014: ASL overruns the Camp 319 and 36th Battalion bases in Benghazi capturing howitzers, a 2K12 Kub mobile air defense system, Strela-2 MANPAD's, ammunition, and military vehicles.100 ● July 30, 2014: ASL announces that it has seized all of Benghazi and declares the city an “Islamic Emirate.”101 More than sixty people are killed in the previous week’s fighting.102 ● September 15, 2014: At least nineteen are killed in a violent, 24 hour clash between Haftar’s forces and ASL in Benghazi. 103 ● October 3, 2014: Multiple suicide bombings by the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council, Libya Shield, and Ansar al-Sharia kill at least forty Libyan soldiers and wound dozens more in Benghazi. 104 ● December 29, 2014: ASL releases a video showcasing captured tanks and heavy weapons it acquired after raiding one of General Khalifa Hafter’s camps on December 26, 2014. The video includes two ASL leaders, Wissam Bin Hamid and Mohammad al-Darsi. 105 ● January 3, 2015: About 20 Coptic Christians are reportedly being held hostage in Libya. Before ISIS claims responsibility, one Libyan government official states the kidnappers are ASL, which has connections to ISIS.106 ● January 26, 2015: Libyan army forces accuse ASL of firing rockets on residential buildings in Benghazi, killing six and wounding 20.107 ● Late January 2015: ASL releases a series of photos highlighting policing efforts in Benghazi, showing a fleet of police cars and a police headquarters.108 ● February 14, 2015: Gunmen from an “al-Qaeda inspired militia” seize radio and television stations in Sirte, Libya. An anonymous resident reported that the

100 Jeremy Binnie, “Libya's Anti-Islamist Offensive Suffers Setback,” IHS Jane’s 360, July 24, 2014, http://www.janes.com/article/41155/libya-s-anti-islamist-offensive-suffers-setback. 101 “Benghazi Declared ‘Islamic Emirate’ by Militants,” Al Arabiya, July 31, 2014, http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/07/31/Libya-s-Ansar-al-Sharia-declares-Islamic- state-in-Benghazi.html. 102 Agence France-Presse, “Islamists Seize Key Benghazi Army Base as Tripoli Fire Rages,” Yahoo News, July 29, 2014, http://news.yahoo.com/islamists-main-military-benghazi-004825173.html. 103 “Reports: Relatives of Libyan Ambassador Kidnapped in Tripoli,” Middle East Eye, December 17, 2014. http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/reports-relatives-libyan-ambassador-kidnapped-tripoli- 1500294764. 104 “Libya Suicide Blasts Leave 40 Soldiers Dead,” Al Jazeera, October 3, 2014, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/libyan-soldiers-killed-benghazi-violence- 201410211526230704.html. 105 Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar al Sharia Libya showcases spoils of war, key personalities in video,” Long War Journal, December 29, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/12/ansar_al_sharia_liby_1.php. 106 Agence France-Presse, “Isis claims abduction of 21 Christians in Libya,” Guardian (London), January 12, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/12/isis-abducts-christians-libya-egypt. 107 Reuters, “Gunmen Kidnap Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister,” Times of Malta, January 26, 2015. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150126/world/Gunmen-kidnap-Libyan-deputy-foreign- minister.553447. 108 Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar Al Sharia Photos Focus on Governance Efforts near Benghazi,” Long War Journal, February 2, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/02/ansar_al_sharia_phot.php. station began to play religious songs and lessons. Earlier that week, militants from ASL had “warned the station to stop broadcasting music.”109 ● February 16, 2015: 35 Egyptian Coptic Christians are kidnapped in areas controlled by ASL and ISIS.110 ● March 19, 2015: ASL releases photographs showing 14 graduates of an ASL training camp in or near Benghazi. The photos show the uniformed fighters training in small arms, in hand to hand combat, and studying in a classroom setting. 111 ● March 24, 2015 Libyan forces accuse ASL of launching a suicide bombing against an army checkpoint in Benghazi, killing seven.112 Designations by U.S. Government:

January 10, 2014: The State Department designated Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi and Ansar al-Sharia in Derna as Foreign Terror Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorist entities. Additionally, the State Department designated Ahmed Abu Khattala (ASL Benghazi) and Abu Sufyan Bin Qumu (ASL Derna) as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.113

Designations by Foreign Governments:

November 19, 2014: The United Nations adds Ansar al-Sharia Benghazi and Ansar al- Sharia Derna to the list of “Entities and other groups and undertakings associated with Al Qaida.” 114

November 19, 2014: New Zealand lists Ansar al-Sharia Benghazi and Ansar al-Sharia Derna as organizations affiliated with al-Qaeda.115

November 26, 2014: Turkey lists ASL as a terrorist organization.116

109 “Islamic Militants Seize Radio, TV Stations in Central Libya,” New York Times, February 14, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/14/world/middleeast/ap-ml-libya.html. 110 Gianluca Mezzofiore, “Libya: More Egyptians ‘kidnapped by IS or Ansar al-Sharia’ after Egypt airstrikes,” International Business Times, February 16, 2015, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/libya-more- egyptians-kidnapped-by-ansar-al-sharia-after-egypt-airstrikes-1488216. 111 Bill Roggio, “Ansar Al Sharia in Libya Releases Photos of Graduates from Its ‘mujahideen Training Camps,’” Long War Journal, March 15, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/03/ansar-al- sharia-in-libya-releases-photos-of-graduates-from-its-mujahideen-training-camps.php. 112 Ayman al-Warfalli, “Suicide Bombing Kills Seven in Libya's Benghazi as Army Launches Revenge Strike,” Yahoo News, March 24, 2015, https://ca.news.yahoo.com/suicide-bombing-kills-seven-libyas- benghazi-183554499.html. 113 “Terrorist Designations of Three Ansar Al-Shari’a Organizations and Leaders,” U.S. Department of State, January 10, 2014, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/01/219519.htm. 114 Mirjam Donath, “U.N. Blacklists Libya's Ansar Al-Sharia, Involved in Benghazi Attack,” Reuters, November 19, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/19/us-libya-security-un- idUSKCN0J32KX20141119. 115 “Designated Individuals and Organisations,” New Zealand Police, March 16, 2015, https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/designated-entities-16-03-2015.pdf. 116 “Turkey Blacklists Libya’s Ansar Al-Sharia,” Hurriyet Daily News, November 26, 2014, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-blacklists-libyas-ansar-al- sharia.aspx?pageID=238&nID=74841&NewsCatID=510.

November 29, 2014: The United Kingdom lists Ansar al-Sharia-Benghazi and Ansar al- Sharia Derna as terrorist organizations.117

Ties to entities designated by the U.S. or foreign governments:

Al-Qaeda Central: United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond stated that both AS Derna and AS Benghazi “have links with Al Qaeda and are responsible for acts of terror in Libya, including bomb attacks, kidnappings, and murder.” In November 2014, the United Nations sanctioned ASL as an entity associated with al-Qaeda.118 Many members of ASL are personally connected to AQ, including former Guantanamo detainee and founder of AS Derna, Abu Sufyan Bin Qumu. Following the capture of Abu Anas al- Libi, ASL called for the release of the al-Qaeda militant “by all possible means.”119 The emir of the organization, Mohamad al-Zahawi, has spoken favorably about al-Qaeda. Officially, however, ASL denies any connections to AQ.120

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM): French intelligence believes that members of AQIM have traveled to Libya and met with ASL fighters in Ubari, southern Libya.121 The United Nations, in their designation of ASL as an entity associated with al-Qaeda, stated that ASL was also associated with AQIM and worked to train fighters traveling to Mali. 122 AQIM frequently re-tweets tweets by official ASL twitter accounts.123

Al-Mulathameen (“The Masked”) Brigade: ASL has provided training to al- Mulathameen militants. Half of the 24 operatives involved in the January 2013 In Amenas gas complex attack trained in ASL camps in Benghazi. 124 French intelligence

117 “Proscribed Terrorist Organisations,” U.K. Home Office, February 3, 2015, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/400902/Proscription- 20150123.pdf. 118 Thomas Joscelyn, “UN Recognizes Ties between Ansar Al Sharia in Libya, Al Qaeda,” Long War Journal, November 19, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/11/un_designates_ansar.php. 119 Nadia Radhwan, “Libya: Ansar Al-Sharia Intensifies Recruitment,” AllAfrica, November 15, 2013, http://allafrica.com/stories/201311180744.html. 120 Faisal Irshaid, “Profile: Libya’s Ansar Al-Sharia,” BBC News, June 13, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27732589. 121 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Libya's Jihadists Beyond Benghazi,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, August 12, 2013, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/libyas-jihadists-beyond- benghazi. 122 Thomas Joscelyn, “UN Recognizes Ties between Ansar Al Sharia in Libya, Al Qaeda,” Long War Journal, November 19, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/11/un_designates_ansar.php. 123 Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar Al Sharia Libya Relaunches Social Media Sites,” Long War Journal, April 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/ansar-al-sharia-libya-relaunches-social-media- sites.php. 124 Agence France-Presse, “UN Security Council Adds Libya's Ansar Al-Sharia to Terror List,” I24 News, November 20, 2014, http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/africa/51583-141120-un-security- council-adds-libya-s-ansar-al-sharia-to-terror-list. has also alleged that Moktar Belmoktar, founder and leader of the Masked Brigade, traveled to Ubari and met with ASL fighters.125

Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia (AST): The United Nations, in their designation of ASL, noted that ASL has a support network among Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia (AST).126 Tunisian security officials have stated that logistical, financial, and operational ties exist between the two groups, and that ASL has sold weapons to AST.127 Videos of Tunisians captured and interrogated by civilians in Libya suggest that members of AST are traveling into Libya to train with ASL. An anonymous, founding member of Ansar al- Sharia in Tunisia commented in a 2013 interview that the relations between Ansar al- Sharia in Egypt, AST, and ASL are like a “spider web.” Members of the three organizations met and travelled together in the Gaza Strip and in northern Sinai in 2012, meeting with Palestinian Salafists about administration, organization, and management.128

ISIS: After AQIM rejected ISIS in favor of a continued allegiance to al-Qaeda, ISIS has looked to ASL as a possible partner in North Africa. In July 2014, jihadist militants associated with ISIS began posting statements on social media sites and jihadist forums hoping to push ASL to pledge allegiance to ISIS.129 Although it seems that many in the group favor better relations with ISIS, especially the younger generation, ASL has not yet formally backed an alliance with ISIS.130 In their designation, the U.N. stated that ASL trained foreign fighters traveling to Syria in camps in Derna and Benghazi, but not necessarily to fight alongside ISIS.131 ISIS’s growing popularity in Libya has posed a major threat to ASL, and many Libyan members of ISIS are in fact defectors from ASL. ISIS’s recent wave of attacks across the country has captured international attention.132 ISIS now controls the previously ASL-held cities of Sirte and Derna, but despite the loss, ASL has been able to maintain a presence in both cities.133 In mid-2014, cooperation

125 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Libya's Jihadists Beyond Benghazi,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, August 12, 2013, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/libyas-jihadists-beyond- benghazi. 126 Agence France-Presse, “UN Security Council Adds Libya's Ansar Al-Sharia to Terror List,” I24 News, November 20, 2014, http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/africa/51583-141120-un-security- council-adds-libya-s-ansar-al-sharia-to-terror-list. 127 Faisal Irshaid, “Profile: Libya’s Ansar Al-Sharia,” BBC News, June 13, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27732589. 128 Aaron Y. Zelin, “Tunisia: Uncovering Ansar Al-Sharia,” Think Africa Press, October 25, 2013, http://thinkafricapress.com/tunisia/uncovering-ansar-al-sharia. 129 Mawassi Lahcen, “Libya: ISIS Woos Ansar Al-Sharia in Libya,” AllAfrica, July 31, 2014, http://allafrica.com/stories/201408010598.html. 131 Thomas Joscelyn, “UN Recognizes Ties between Ansar Al Sharia in Libya, Al Qaeda,” Long War Journal, November 19, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/11/un_designates_ansar.php. 131 Thomas Joscelyn, “UN Recognizes Ties between Ansar Al Sharia in Libya, Al Qaeda,” Long War Journal, November 19, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/11/un_designates_ansar.php. 132 Mark Willis, “Tripoli-allied Troops Begin Islamic State Assault,” Middle East Eye, February 18, 2015, http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/tripoli-allied-troops-begin-islamic-state-assault-1467960076. 133 Laura Dean, “How Strong Is the Islamic State in Libya?,” USA Today, February 20, 2015, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/02/20/islamic-state-libya/23728623/; Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar Al Sharia Libya Relaunches Social Media Sites,” Long War Journal, April 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/ansar-al-sharia-libya-relaunches-social-media-sites.php. between the two groups began to increase. After 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians were beheaded by ISIS in Libya, local media claimed that 35 more Egyptians had been captured by ISIS and ASL.134 Furthermore, ASL’s tactics shifted to recognize greater ISIS influence. In November 2014, ASL released a video, in the same style of ISIS beheading videos, showing the killing of a captured solider who had allegedly fought under Libya’s General Haftar.135 In the summer of 2014, the leader of ASL’s Derna’s branch, Abu Sufyan Bin Qumu, became the first of ASL’s leadership to pledge allegiance to ISIS. 136 In March 2015, ASL’s senior sharia official, Abu Abdullah al-Libi, swore allegiance to ISIS when he tweeted a photo of a book entitled The Legal Validity of Pledging Allegiance to the Islamic State. His pledge was accepted by the head of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and the jurist subsequently broke from ASL, taking a group of fighters with him. 137 Many feel that a pledge of allegiance from ASL to ISIS is imminent, and is likely to happen within the next couple of months.138

Media Coverage and Analysis:

Benghazi Consulate Attack Within 24 hours of the consulate attack, news agencies had already began connect Ansar al-Sharia with the assault. BBC was one of the first to establish the role of the group, asserting on September 12, 2012 that Ansar al-Sharia Benghazi “took advantage of a demonstration against a trailer for a controversial American film.”139 This catapulted Ansar al-Sharia Benghazi onto the global stage, as it was the first time the organization had been widely discussed by international media.

American media coverage focused on the attack as a result of the spontaneous protests surrounding the controversial film “.” In a November 2012 study by George Mason University’s Center for Media and Public Affairs, researchers found that major U.S. news agencies portrayed the attack as a spontaneous protest four times as often as the attack was framed as a premeditated terrorist attack. The researchers posited that this was a result of the Obama administration’s initial characterization of the attack

134 Gianluca Mezzofiore, “Libya: More Egyptians ‘kidnapped by IS or Ansar Al-Sharia’ after Egypt Airstrikes,” International Business Times, February 16, 2015, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/libya-more- egyptians-kidnapped-by-ansar-al-sharia-after-egypt-airstrikes-1488216. 135 Umberto Bacchi, “Isis Libyan Allies Behead General Khalifa Haftar’s Soldier in Shocking Video,” International Business Times, February 16, 2015, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/isis-libyan-allies- behead-general-khalifa-haftars-soldier-shocking-video-1474650. 136 Aya Elbrqawi, “Derna Cries for Help,” AllAfrica, December 1, 2014. http://allafrica.com/stories/201412020345.html. 137 Thomas Joscelyn, “Ansar Al Sharia Libya Relaunches Social Media Sites,” Long War Journal, April 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/ansar-al-sharia-libya-relaunches-social-media- sites.php. 138 Thomas Joscelyn, “Spiritual Leader of Libya’s Biggest Jihadi Group Pledges Allegiance to ISIS,” Newsweek, April 8, 2015, http://www.newsweek.com/top-judge-libyas-biggest-jihadi-group-pledges- allegiance-isis-320408. 139 Robin Banerji, “Did Ansar Al-Sharia Carry out Libya Attack?,” BBC News, September 12, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19575753. as a result of the spontaneous escalation of the protests.140 In a September 2012 article, NPR appeared to adopt this view. In an interview with ASL leader Mohamed al-Zahawi in which he denies ties to the consulate attack and al-Qaeda, NPR portrays the group as an unpopular but an almost necessary force to keep peace and stability in the country following the civil war. NPR asserts that it is unlikely that ASL was connected to the consulate attack, saying, “they’re not interested in provoking the West right now,” and discouraging U.S. intervention by stating, “any American attempts to retaliate for the death of its personnel would backfire, the leaders say. At that point it could even draw al- Qaida into the fight over the future of this fragile transitional nation.”141

Fox News was critical of the Obama administration in the aftermath of the attacks. The organization focused on what they saw as inaction on the part of the government, both in lack of response and in lack of investigation. Fox was most critical of U.S. government hesitation to characterize the assault on the consulate as a “terrorist attack.”142

Extreme Rhetoric:

Captions on photos of ASL militants in a Benghazi training camp, March 19, 2015 “This is the latest class of the protectors of the Shariah and the opposers of injustice graduating from the mujahideen training camps to join their brothers in the battlefronts in order to complete the journey of jihad.”143 Pro-, Pro-Violence

Mohamed al-Zahawi, May 2014144 “We remind America, if they intervene, of their defeats in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia, because they would face in Libya something much worse...It was America who urged Haftar to turn the country towards war and bloodshed.” Anti-American

Ahmed Abu Khattala, April 2014145 “What is terrorism? Is what the Americans are doing in the world not terrorism? They have made themselves our enemy through their actions. If my enemy classifies me as such, it means nothing to me… We will never be at peace with the West, because Islam

140 Stephen Dinan, “Study: Media Accepted Obama Version of Benghazi Attack,” Washington Times, November 2, 2012, http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2012/nov/2/study-media- accepted-obama-version-benghazi-attack/. 141 Leila Fadel, “Libyan Group Denies Role In U.S. Consulate Attack,” NPR, September 20, 2012, http://www.npr.org/2012/09/20/161459963/libyan-group-denies-role-in-u-s-consulate-attack. 142 “ Aired Nearly 1,100 Benghazi Segments Across 5 Programs, Study Finds,” Huffington Post, September 16, 2014, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/16/fox-news-benghazi-media-matters- study_n_5824878.html. 143 Bill Roggio, “Ansar al Sharia in Libya releases photos of graduates from its ‘mujahideen training camps,’” Long War Journal, March 19, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/03/ansar-al- sharia-in-libya-releases-photos-of-graduates-from-its-mujahideen-training-camps.php. 144 Ayman Al-Warfalli, “Libyan Islamists to U.S.: Don't Interfere or Face Worse than Iraq,” Reuters, May 28, 2014, http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/05/27/libya-violence-idINKBN0E72KX20140527. 145 Mary Fitzgerald, “A Conversation with Abu Khattala,” New Yorker, June 18, 2014, http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2014/06/abu-khattala-before-his-capture.html. will always prevail… America and other countries are trying to impose their own ideologies and views here. They will divide Libya if they continue this.” Anti-American

Mohamed al-Zahawi, ASL Leader, September 2012146 “Al-Qaeda's strategy is aimed at weakening US hegemony on the Muslim nation…[Ayman al-Zawahiri’s statements] are a wake-up call for Muslims. They help galvanise the Muslim nation, maintain its dignity and pride. Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri is keen on safeguarding Muslim rights.” Anti-American, Pro-Violence

Mohamed al-Zahawi, September 2012147 “Do you think that the killing of the US ambassador is more heinous than the several insults made about the Prophet, peace be upon him?... I swear by God that we can tolerate the killing of all people and wiping all countries off the map but we cannot tolerate a single swear word that could hurt our prophet…They are weeping buckets on this ambassador but they won't shed any tears when dozens of Muslims are injured in these protests against the blasphemous film.” Anti-American, Pro-Violence

Mohamed al-Zahawi, September 2012148 “Make no mistake, there is a massive American onslaught on Muslim countries. The crusaders want to occupy our countries and act as our guardians. They do not respect our sovereignty.” Anti-American

Mohamed al-Zahawi regarding recent ASL destruction of Sufi shrines, September 2012149 “It is a religious duty to remove these shrines because people worship the deceased and this is prohibited. It is not me who says so but rather our religion.” Anti-Sufi

ASL Written Statement to the BBC, September 2012150

146 Ahmed Maher, “Meeting Mohammad Ali Al-Zahawi of Libyan Ansar Al-Sharia,” BBC News, September 18, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19638582. 147 Ahmed Maher, “Meeting Mohammad Ali Al-Zahawi of Libyan Ansar Al-Sharia,” BBC News, September 18, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19638582. 148 Mary Fitzgerald, “A Conversation with Abu Khattala,” New Yorker, June 18, 2014, http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2014/06/abu-khattala-before-his-capture.html. 149 Ahmed Maher, “Meeting Mohammad Ali Al-Zahawi of Libyan Ansar Al-Sharia,” BBC News, September 18, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19638582.

150 Wyre Davies, “Meeting Libya's Ansar Al-Sharia,” BBC News, September 13, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19582810. “Democracy is a human condition where laws are made by people. Only God has the authority to make law and that is why Islam and Sharia are incompatible with democracy.” Anti-Democracy, Pro-Islamism

Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi Twitter Account Description151 “The goals of Ansar al-Sharia brigade is to implement the laws of Allah on the land, and reject the human implemented laws and earthly made constitutions. There will be nothing ruling in this country other than the laws of Allah.” Anti-Democracy, Pro-Islamism

151 Tim Lister and Paul Cruickshank, “What Is Ansar Al Sharia, and Was It behind the Consulate Attack in Benghazi?” CNN, November 16, 2012, http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/16/politics/benghazi-ansar-al-sharia/.