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MOKHTAR BELMOKHTAR: the ALGERIAN JIHAD’S SOUTHERN AMIR the Terrorism Monitor Is by Andrew Black VOLUME VII, ISSUE 12 u MAY 8, 2009 IN THIS ISSUE: BRIEFS..................................................................................................................................1 LATEST SURGE OF VIOLENCE IN IRAQ TESTS AL-MALIKI’S GOVERNMENT By Babek Rahimi...............................................................................................................3 TALIBAN LEADER MULLAH NAZIR DEFENDS JIHAD IN SOUTH WAZIRISTAN By Abdul Hameed Bakier..................................................................................................4 Mullah Nazir EUROPOL REPORT DESCRIBES AFGHANITAN-PAKISTAN CONNECTION TO TRENDS IN EUROPEAN TERRORISM By Thomas Renard...........................................................................................................6 Terrorism Monitor is a publication of The Jamestown Foundation. MOKHTAR BELMOKHTAR: THE ALGERIAN JIHAD’S SOUTHERN AMIR The Terrorism Monitor is By Andrew Black.............................................................................................................8 designed to be read by policy- makers and other specialists yet be accessible to the general public. The opinions expressed within are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily AL-QAEDA’S ABU YAHYA AL-LIBI ATTACKS PAKISTAN’S “CRIMINAL reflect those of The Jamestown ARMY” IN NEW BOOK Foundation. A 29-page Arabic-language book entitled Sharpening the Blades in the Battle Against the Government and Army of Pakistan was released by al-Fajr Media Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution of this or any Center on April 30. The author is Abu Yahya al-Libi, a leading al-Qaeda Jamestown publication is strictly ideologue and Pakistan-based member of al-Qaeda’s core leadership. prohibited by law. Most of Abu Yahya’s work is dedicated to vilification of Pakistan’s security services, and condemning the army, intelligence agencies and police as collaborators in “the non-believer alliance that is waging war on the religion of Islam”, saying “They have established military bases and private air spaces for the various types of aircrafts of the disbelievers. They have facilitated and protected their supply lines and set up prisons to detain the monotheist believers…There is no doubt after this that this criminal army is an accomplice to the Christian armies in the crimes they carry out. They are their accomplices, and the punishment will be jihad against them.” For comments or questions about our publications, please send an Abu Yahya calls on scholars of religion to promote jihad in preparation email to [email protected], or for a decisive battle against the disbelievers. “This is an invitation for the contact us at: virtuous scholars of Pakistan and their righteous proselytizers to recognize the 1111 16th St. NW, Suite #320 responsibility they have in inciting the believers to fight, and that the day of epic Washington, DC • 20036 Tel: (202) 483-8888 and dire meeting is coming, regardless of how hard we try to postpone or avoid Fax: (202) 483-8337 it.” Copyright ©2009 TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TERRORISM MONITOR, VISIT http://www.jamestown.org TerrorismMonitor Volume VII u Issue 12 u May 8, 2009 The al-Qaeda leader outlines three reasons to fight the 3. The Pakistan Army is an enemy that assaults Islam Pakistani military and “the rest of the institutions that and must be fought. Abu Yahya accuses the military are considered the pillars of their tyranny”: and the security services of Pakistan of invading homes, demolishing houses and torturing men and women. “It 1. Islamic scholars are agreed that non-believing rulers is needless to wait for them to launch a new assault. I must be removed from power. “The non-believer want to emphasize that it is imperative for people to be (whether he is a non-believer to begin with or an compelled to fight these sects [i.e. the security services]. apostate) is an object of humiliation and contempt, The fight is not limited to Waziristan, Peshawar, Suhat inferiority and lowliness.” Abu Yahya insists that or other places, but extends to every speck of Pakistani Salafists have always taken the lead in preventing non- territory.” Abu Yahya sees no difference between the believers from assuming power in Muslim communities. current situation and that encountered at the time Abu Yahya takes care to present the arguments made of the “apostate communist Russian occupation of by famous religious scholars in support of overthrowing Afghanistan.” With Pakistani forces clearly allying non-believers, relying heavily on the works of Hanafi themselves with the “Christian Crusaders and their scholars (the dominant school of Islamic jurisprudence helpers,” the al-Qaeda ideologue concludes there is no in Pakistan) such as Abu Bakr al-Jassas al-Hanafi law that would prevent Muslims from fighting them. (d.961), Imam Ja’afar Al-Tahawi (d.935) and Ali ibn Sultan al-Qari (d.1605). Condemning the government’s decision to allow Shari’a rule in Swat, Abu Yahya insists this is nothing According to Abu Yahya, the president of Pakistan is just less than an admission that the rest of Pakistan is not another in the line of non-believers, arguing, “If Muslims ruled by Shari’a and that the armed forces were fighting in Pakistan are ordered by the Shari’a to remove those Muslims in Swat with the intention of preventing the non-believing and corrupt rulers, it will be achieved only implementation of Islamic law. Pakistan’s army “was through fighting their army and intelligence services that established and founded not to implement Shari’a, as defend and protect them, strengthen their power, stand they claim, but to prevent it; not to help those seeking in the path of Muslims, and prevent them from fulfilling to implement it, but to fight them and not remove non- their duty.” Abu Yahya dismisses the idea that the army Islamic rulers, but to strengthen them and fight with provides collective security to the Muslim community them.” and should not be fought as contradictory. “How would [Shari’a] order us to disavow a non-believer’s rule over FORMER ISI CHIEF HAMID GUL CLAIMS U.S. us and at the same time forbid us from that because the SUPPLIES ARMS AND MONEY TO PAKISTANI non-believing ruler’s group that defends him pretends TALIBAN to be Muslim, or is Muslim?” Abu Yahya notes the Pakistani armed forces are a volunteer force and thus Hamid Gul, the former chief of Pakistan’s controversial their members are legitimate targets for the mujahideen. Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, claimed the United States was supplying arms and cash to Pakistan’s 2. The Pakistan Army rejects Islamic law. Abu Yahya Taliban movement in a recent interview with al-Sharq says the army and intelligence services do not abide by al-Awsat (April 25). most Islamic teachings and use all their power to prevent the implementation of Shari’a. Gul also claimed ISI support for the Taliban ended in 1989, but says he maintains social relations with Abu Yahya makes numerous appeals for believers to Afghan al-Qaeda elements: “They are old friends… attack NATO supply lines running through Pakistan. But it is not true at all to say that Pakistani intelligence “[The government] opened the doors of supplies to the officials are now supporting the Taliban movement occupying enemy so that now more than 80 percent of and that this is their policy. This is incorrect.” One of its military, logistics and other supplies come through Hamid Gul’s “old friends” is the leader of the Haqqani Pakistan, under the protection of the Pakistani army… Network, best known for its suicide attacks on U.S., These forces guarded their convoys, military bases, and Coalition and diplomatic targets. “Jalalludin Haqqani secret prisons, and were used to pursue the mujahideen is a personal friend of mine. When I sent my two sons to wherever they are- directly handing them over to Afghanistan to wage jihad against the Soviet forces they Christian America to violate their honor and desecrate fought alongside Jalalludin Haqqani’s men. He is a very, the book of God before their eyes to spite them.” very good man.” 2 TerrorismMonitor Volume VII u Issue 12 u May 8, 2009 Gul described four types of fighters active in the tribal Afghanistan. They will be defeated in Afghanistan and regions of Pakistan: they will have to leave Afghanistan in 2010 or 2011.” • Fighters who are dedicated to avenging Pakistani military operations, especially the 2007 Latest Surge of Violence in Iraq assault on Islamabad’s Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) Tests al-Maliki’s Government • “Criminal elements” that fled Pakistan’s cities By Babak Rahimi and have taken refuge in the tribal regions. These are not provided any support by the other hese are challenging times for Nuri al-Maliki. mujahideen. Despite the victory of his coalition, the Dawlat al- TQanun (State of Law) in the provincial elections, • U.S. Intelligence has established 50 mujahideen al-Maliki’s government is facing major security threats units in the tribal areas. These are formed from and political unrest that could undermine his political local and foreign elements and supported by authority before December’s general elections. Indian intelligence agencies. On the security front, Iraq has seen an outburst of • Mujahideen who want to fight in Afghanistan violence with a series of at least 18 attacks in April. but are forced instead to defend themselves The twin bombing in the Shi’a shrine-city of Kazemayn from attacks by Pakistan’s military. “This is was the deadliest of all, adding 60 people to a death what the Americans want. They want to see toll of more than 150 in merely a week (al-Jazeera, these mujahideen fighting against the Pakistani April 24; Etemad, April 26). The recent string of army and not crossing the borders to fight the attacks is reminiscent of the February 2006 Samarra Americans and the international forces.” The shrine bombings that unleashed a wave of sectarian former ISI chief maintains the United States hostilities, bringing the country to the brink of civil war. is supplying the Pakistani Taliban with arms, With responsibility for the attacks being claimed by equipment and money to fight the Pakistani the Islamic State of Iraq—a coalition of Sunni militants army.
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