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In This Issue VOLUME VII, ISSUE 9 u APRIL 10, 2009 IN THIS ISSUE: BRIEFS.....................................................................................................................1 JOURNAL OF THE TURKISTAN ISLAMIC PARTY URGES JIHAD IN CHINA By Murad Batal al-Shishani..............................................................................3 HAFIZ GUL BAHADUR: A PROFILE OF THE LEADER OF THE NORTH WAZIRISTAN TALIBAN By Sadia Sulaiman and Syed Adnan Ali Shah Bukhari.................................4 Faisal Mostafa MOTIVATIONS AND METHODS OF INDIA’S UNITED LIBERATION FRONT OF ASOM (ULFA) Terrorism Monitor is a publication By Derek Henry Flood.....................................................................................6 of The Jamestown Foundation. The Terrorism Monitor is UK CHARITY FUNDING ARMS AND TRAINING FOR BANGLADESHI TERRORISTS designed to be read by policy- By James Brandon..........................................................................................9 makers and other specialists yet be accessible to the general public. The opinions expressed within are solely those of the SAUDI AL-QAEDA LEADER OUTLINES NEW STRATEGY AND TACTICS authors and do not necessarily OF AL-QAEDA IN THE ARABIAN PENINSULA reflect those of The Jamestown Foundation. In a statement delivered on Saudi Arabia’s state-owned Al-Ikhbariyah TV, a former leading member of al-Qaeda in Yemen, now in detention in Riyadh, described the revised tactical and strategic approach taken by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution of this or any Peninsula, a new organization that combines the Saudi Arabian and Yemeni Jamestown publication is strictly branches of al-Qaeda (Al-Ikhbariyah TV, March 27). Captured in Afghanistan prohibited by law. in 2001, al-Awfi was detained as an enemy combatant in Guantanamo under the name Mohamed Atiq Awayd al-Harbi (prisoner no. 333). In November 2007, al- Awfi was transferred to Saudi Arabia, where he entered the Counseling Program run by Saudi Arabia’s Advisory Committee responsible for the rehabilitation of Islamist extremists (see Terrorism Monitor, August 16, 2007; January 25, 2008). Shortly after entering the program, al-Awfi fled Saudi Arabia along with Sa’id Ali al-Shihri “Abu Sayyaf,” another former Guantanamo Bay prisoner who was transferred to Saudi custody at the same time as al-Awfi. Al-Shihri became the deputy leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen and is a suspect in last September’s car- For comments or questions about bombing outside the American Embassy in Sana’a that killed 16 people. The our publications, please send an two men headed for Yemen, mainly because it was accessible in comparison to email to [email protected], or Iraq or Afghanistan. contact us at: 1111 16th St. NW, Suite #320 In January, al-Awfi appeared in a 19-minute video with three other al-Qaeda Washington, DC • 20036 Tel: (202) 483-8888 leaders to announce the unification of the Saudi Arabian and Yemeni chapters Fax: (202) 483-8337 of al-Qaeda in a new organization, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Others Copyright ©2009 TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TERRORISM MONITOR, VISIT http://www.jamestown.org TerrorismMonitor Volume VII u Issue 9 u April 10, 2009 in the video included Sa’id al-Shihri, Qasim al-Rimi The sincerity of al-Awfi’s latest act of repentance was “Abu-Hurayrah” (military commander) and Abu Basir questioned by some in Saudi Arabia; one daily newspaper Nasir al-Wuhayshi, the group’s leader (Al-Malahim asked, “How much can we trust Muhammad al-Awfi? Establishment for Media Production/al-Fajr Media ... It is an embarrassment when terrorists continue to Center, January 24). Aside from issuing warnings to fool us with naïve justifications and stories, then try to the “Crusader states” and the Saudi security services, destroy us once more” (Jedda al-Madinah, March 30). al-Awfi warned “the brothers in prison” against Noting his rejection of takfiri ideology, a Saudi economic participating in the Saudi rehabilitation program, run daily noted: “We hope what al-Awfi has revealed would by “the ignorant oppressor Muhammad bin Nayif” and serve as a clear message to those who might think that “the liar Turki al-Uttayan.” He accused the latter of al-Qaeda was an organization that seeks jihad in the heading a “psychological investigations delegation” to name of God” (Al-Iqtisadiyah, March 28). Guantanamo to help extract confessions from prisoners there. FORMER MILITANT DESCRIBES DECLINE OF ISLAMIC MOVEMENT OF UZBEKISTAN Al-Awfi now maintains he did not want to appear in the January 24 video and argued with the leadership A former member of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan over this issue. Eventually he was ordered to appear in (IMU), Abubakr Xoldorovich Kenjaboyev, appeared a certain place to make the video, but objected to the on state-owned Uzbek TV on March 30 to describe message he was told to read. Al-Awfi, who claims the the decline of the once powerful IMU. Kenjaboyev message did not represent his viewpoint or ideas, was identifies himself as an ideological leader who joined the told to read it without changes because the wording IMU in 2000 and later left the Waziristan-based group in the message was carefully chosen. After careful to form a new group opposed to the leadership of IMU reconsideration of the takfiri approach taken by his co-founder Qari Tahir Yuldash. al-Qaeda colleagues, al-Awfi crossed back into Saudi Arabia and surrendered himself to authorities in mid- As might be expected, Kenjaboyev devoted much of February after first contacting a shaykh at the Advisory his interview to attacks on Yuldash (or Yuldashev), a Committee (YemenOnline, February 17). radical preacher and sole leader of the IMU since the death of co-founder Juma Namangani in a November, According to al-Awfi, the organization decided on a 2001 U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan. Kenjaboyev alleged major change in tactics and strategy, moving away that Yuldash and his family enjoyed a life of wealth and from the methods of former Saudi Arabian al-Qaeda comfort, unlike the harsh conditions endured by other leader Abd al-Aziz bin Abd al-Muhsin al-Miqrin (killed members of the movement. The refusal of the IMU June 18, 2004 after overseeing a number of terrorist leader to adopt the three children of Juma Namangani blasts and kidnappings). The group’s assessment of al- after his death “tells everything about him.” Miqrin’s campaign declared al-Miqrin had blundered by concentrating his forces in Riyadh. In the new The former militant said his dispute with Yuldash began strategy al-Qaeda would mount attacks in Saudi Arabia when he objected to the Yuldash-approved curriculum from bases in Yemen, leaving only a small group of religious instruction and weapons training used in the of 30 to 40 individuals in the southern mountains children’s schools of the IMU camps: “If the children of Saudi Arabia to carry out small-scale operations are taught worldly subjects, there is the risk that they such as assassinations and sniping attacks. For major may begin realizing what is right and what is wrong. operations, a reconnaissance and surveillance team The result could be that the orders of the leaders of the would enter Saudi Arabia to collect detailed intelligence Islamic movement will be defied, especially as the IMU before returning to their base in Yemen, where the members are decreasing in number now. The idea is that operation would be carefully planned. After a major [lost members] will be easily replaced if the children are strike the attackers would slip back across the border trained to be militants at madrassas.” into Yemen, exhausting Saudi security forces in a fruitless search within Saudi Arabia. Training was to Since its move to Pakistan’s northwest frontier in late be aimed at producing fighters who could operate on 2001, the IMU has steadily lost its political significance various fronts, including guerrilla fighting, mountain and is further away than ever from its goal of establishing warfare and jungle fighting (Al-Ikhbariyah TV, March an Islamic Caliphate in Central Asia. Stranded in a 27). strange and foreign land with little more than Islam 2 TerrorismMonitor Volume VII u Issue 9 u April 10, 2009 in common with the local peoples, the IMU has been Qaeda affiliated groups in regions such as Afghanistan, unable to conduct operations in Central Asia and has North Africa and “East Turkistan” (China’s Xinjiang likewise failed to integrate itself into the local Taliban province). The first issue was republished on jihadi movement and join the jihad in Afghanistan or Pakistan websites in January, with the second issue following in any meaningful way. Lacking purpose, some of the in February (almedad.com, January 26; al-faloja.info, exiled fighters have turned to crime, including those who February 20). hire themselves out as assassins. Although they continue to find hospitality from some tribal elements in North The three issues are similar to other jihadist journals Waziristan, the Uzbek militants have suffered steady such as Sawt al-Jihad (Voice of Jihad), published by al- attrition in numbers from attacks by tribal lashkars and Qaeda in Saudi Arabia between 2004 and 2007, Sada government security forces. al-Malahim (The Echo of Battles), produced by al- Qaeda in Yemen, or Qaddaya Jihadiyh (Jihadi Issues), After leaving the IMU, Kenjaboyev says he passed published by al-Yaqeen Media Center. Turkistan al- through Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, where he Muslimah follows the practice of dividing the articles claims he was twice offered the opportunity of leading between political and religious topics, serving as both a U.S.-funded Islamic movement consisting of other “alternative” media and a recruitment tool for jihadis. former IMU fighters: “They said the U.S.A. was willing to provide every help we would need… The result they Turkistan al-Muslimah focuses on Chinese government wanted was to create conflicts in certain regions… In discrimination against the Turkic Uyghur Muslims of this way, they tried to use the flag of Islam as a cover to China, while excluding mention of China’s Hui (Han achieve their personal interests.” Chinese) Muslims.
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