9/11 anniversary: Ayman al-Zawahiri confirms June death of Abu Yahya al-Libi - Telegraph

9/11 anniversary: Ayman al-Zawahiri confirms June death of Abu Yahya al-Libi - Telegraph

Abu Yahya al-Libi

AP, Officials: CIA drone targets al-Qaida's No. 2, 5 Jun 2012 "A CIA drone strike Monday targeted al-Qaida's second in command, Abu Yahia al-Libi, in Pakistan, but it was unclear whether he was among those hit, U.S. officials said."

Abu Yahya al-Libi

Views from the Occident, Abu Yahya al-Libi's New Book: Jihad & the Battle of Uncertainty/Vagueness/Doubt "Abu Yahya al-Libi, a senior Al-Qa'ida Central (AQC) leader based in Pakistan-Afghanistan who is often referred to as the group's mufti (chief jurist), has penned a new book, Jihad and the Battle of Uncertainty/Vagueness/Doubt, الجهاد و معركة الشبهات . The 45-page book was published by the Al-Fajr (Dawn) Media Center, a shadowy transnational jihadi-takfiri media outlet that distributes all the visual, audio, and written media productions of AQC and its two main affiliates, Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in North and Northwest Africa and Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) based in Yemen."

Abu Yahya al-Libi('s brother)

Jarret Brachman, Today I Interviewed Abu Yahya al-Libi’s Older Brother, Abd al-Wahhab Muhammad Qaid (Abu Idris) "In what I would call the culminating interview of my career, today I spent 2-hours with Abu Yahya al-Libi’s older brother in the warden’s office at Bu Salim Reform and Rehabilitation Center (prison). No photos allowed on this one, which is too bad b/c I cant possibly convey how surreal of an experience this was."

I think this interview/scoop will be very interesting.

China, Uighurs and al-Qaeda

bloomberg.com, Al-Qaeda Declares Holy War on China Over Oppression of Uighurs, 8 Oct 09 "A leading al-Qaeda theologian and possible successor to Osama bin Laden called for a holy war against China, which he accused of “Satanic” oppression of Muslims in the westernmost province of Xinjiang.

"“The state of atheism is heading to its fall,” Abu Yahya al-Libi said in a video posted on an unspecified Islamic Web site, Reuters reported yesterday. China has carried out massacres of Muslim ethnic Uighurs in Xinjiang and pursued policies aimed at “their demise and destruction” while “looting their wealth and undermining their culture and religion,” Reuters citing him saying."

Libyan Islamic Fighting Group

Jarret Brachman, Why the LIFG’s Revisions are Falling on Our Deaf Ears, Sep 21, 2009 "Today’s blog is a plea to my readers who are in positions to influence counterterrorism policy with regard to al-Qaida. For once, the Libyans are doing something right and everyone else is standing around staring at their shoes. In short, this is the most significant development in the war on terror this year and, well, nobody knows – and if they know – they don’t seem to care. Not only does it matter that the senior leaders of an organization formerly in bed with al-Qaida are now renouncing al-Qaida, but the biggest story here is this:

"ABU YAHYA AL-LIBI’S OLDER BROTHER, ABU IDRIS, IS AMONG THE SIGNATORIES ON THE LIFG’S REVISIONS. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE IS AN “OLDER BROTHER SCOLDS YOUNGER BROTHER” STORY HERE THAT IS BEING TOTALLY MISSED. THIS ISN’T INFO-OPS – IT’S REAL LIFE." [that's Dr Brachman's emphasis!].

This is a useful post, which provides background detail on an issue that is somewhat underreported (greater attention being given to Harrach (below). It also points to other related articles, including Thomas Hegghammer, Libyan Jihad Revisions [which itself points to kitab al-dirasat al-tashihiyya, “the Book of Correctional Studies”, being published on oealibya.com]. Clearly, it needs some further detailed analysis.

Osama bin Laden recording + implications/analysis

VOA, New Bin Laden Tape Calls Obama Powerless to Stop Afghanistan War, 14 Sep 09 "The latest audio recording, attributed to Bin Laden, again attempts to justify al-Qaeda's September 11, 2001, terror attack on the United States as being part of the group's quest for the liberation of Palestine.

"The tape was provided by an American-based firm, IntelCenter, which monitors terrorist propaganda. It says the 11-minute video shows a still picture of bin Laden while audio of the address plays."

Times Online, Osama bin Laden’s tired ravings go on. But who is listening?, 15 Sep 09 "There was a time when a videotape of his rantings was a sensation. In the first two years after 9/11, his calls for global jihad inspired frustrated followers across the Muslim world and taunted the Bush Administration for its failure to find him. Intelligence agents scrutinised the rocky backdrop to his videotaped rantings on al-Jazeera for clues to his whereabouts. Governments agonised over his continuing malign hold over al-Qaeda’s global franchise.

"Few now care. The message has become repetitive..."

Available through the usual channels.

Also see The Lede (NYT), Bin Laden’s Reading List for Americans "While Oprah’s seal of approval on a book cover is sought after in America, Osama Bin Laden’s is, to put it mildly, not. On Monday, the authors of three books apparently recommended to American readers by the leader of Al Qaeda in his latest communique might be wondering how one goes about returning an unsolicited endorsement to a shadowy militant who has been in hiding for eight years."

This refers to Jarret Brachman's article for Foreign Policy, The Next Osama "Much ofal Qaeda's evolution over the last eight years is embodied in one man, SheikhAbu Yahya al-Libi, director of al Qaeda's jurisprudence committee and a likely successorto Osama bin Laden. Young, media-savvy, ideologically extreme, and masterful atjustifying savage acts of terrorism with esoteric religious arguments, AbuYahya offers the global al Qaeda movement everything that its old guard cannot."