| Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 20, 1970 Meftah, Algeria[1] |
| Allegiance | Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb |
| Rank | Emir |
| Battles/wars | Islamic insurgency in Algeria (2002–present) |
Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud (a.k.a. Abdelmalek Droukdel) (born April 20, 1970) is the emir, or leader, of the Algerian Islamic militant group Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), formerly the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC).
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Wadoud earned a university degree in mathematics before joining the insurgency in 1996.[2]
Abdel Wadoud was a regional leader of the GSPC for several years before becoming the group's commander in 2004 following the death of then-leader Nabil Sahraoui.[3]
Under Abdel Wadoud's leadership the GSPC has sought to develop itself from a largely domestic entity into a larger player on the international terror stage. In September 2006 it was announced that the GSPC had joined forces with al-Qaeda and in January 2007 the group officially changed its name to the "Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb."[4]
In December 2007 the United States Department of the Treasury imposed financial sanctions and froze Abdel Wadoud's assets under Executive Order 13224.[5]
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