Abu Yahya al-Libi

There are multiple individuals alleged to be associated with al Qaeda, whose name contains some variation of al Libi (the Libyan); see Al Libi (disambiguation).

Abu Yahya al-Libi (Arabic: أبو يحيى الليبي‎), c. 1963,[1] is an Islamist ideologue and leading high-ranking official within al-Qaeda, and an alleged member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.[1][2][3] and is believed to be able to speak Urdu, Pashto and Arabic.[1]

It is believed that he has also used the aliases Hasan Qaiid (Hasan Qayad or Hassan Qayid) and Yunis al-Sahrawi.[2][4] Also Hassan Qaed al-Far[5]

Al-Libi is a citizen of Libya, who was held in extrajudicial detention in the Bagram interim detention facility.[6] whom at the time American counter-terrorism analysts assert that al-Libi was a member of al Qaeda. al-Libi was one of several high-profile Bagram captives who escaped on the night of July 10, 2005.[2][3][6]

Jarret Brachman, a former analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), states of al-Libi:

"He’s a warrior. He’s a poet. He’s a scholar. He’s a pundit. He’s a military commander. And he’s a very charismatic, young, brash rising star within Al-Qaeda, and I think he has become the heir apparent to Osama bin Laden in terms of taking over the entire global jihadist movement."[2]

Scheuer states of him that "in the last year or so emerged as al-Qaeda's theological hardliner" and an "insurgent-theologian"[3] He is also an official on al-Qaeda's Shariah Committee. [7]

Contents

Background

The nisba patronymic of "al-Libi" suffixed to his name indicates that the bearer or his ancestors were from Libya. Al-Libi was born 1963,[1] but Scheuer believes there is little "information available about al-Libi beyond his record as an insurgent",[8]

Al-Libi went to Afghanistan in the early 1990s[2] and whilst bin Laden is an engineer and al-Zwahiri is a doctor, al-Libi is said to be an Islamic scholar who "spent two years in Africa studying Islam".[2] It is believed after going to Afghanistan in the 90's, he was "was sent back to northern Africa to study Islam in Mauritania."[2]

As detailed below, he was imprisoned by both Pakistani and U.S. authorities. He has claimed to have studied Islamic law, history and jurisprudence "for years among excellent and great scholars" who were in the field with al-Qaeda and other Islamist insurgent groups.[8]

It is stated that "When he returned two years later" [from his Islamic studies in Mauritania, Africa], "Afghanistan was no longer a battleground for militant Libyans, but rather a haven: the Taliban controlled most of the country. Mr. Libi’s training in warfare was minimal, and his early work as a preacher rarely touched on militant action, according to the Libyan man who said he had met Mr. Libi in Afghanistan, and who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns. “He started to visit training camps and talk about Shariah,” or Islamic law, this man said in a telephone interview, about “morals, etiquette, how to act.” [2]

Capture and escape

Al-Libi is a citizen of Libya, who was captured by ISAF forces in the Invasion of Afghanistan[1] a year after 9/11 (Pakistani authorities and turned over to American authorities, who eventually put him in the Bagram prison.)[2] and was held in extrajudicial detention in the Bagram interim detention facility.[6] American counter-terrorism analysts assert that al-Libi was a member of al Qaeda. al-Libi was one of several high-profile Bagram captives who escaped on the night of July 10, 2005.[2][3][6]

Early reports on the 2005 escape from Bagram Airbase included Qayad's name as one of the escapees.[4]

Posters around the airbase identified "the Libyan, Mohammad Hassan Abu Bakar" as one of the escapees, but did not mention high-ranking al-Qaeda leader Omar al-Faruq as one of the escapees.[9] - later reports removed the Libyan from the list of escapes and inserted al-Faruq.[10]

On November 4, 2005, he appeared in a Ramadan video on the Arabic television station al-Arabiya, and mentioned that he had escaped from Bagram.[4]

He was re-listed as an escapee, and as of October 2006 was listed among the Department of Defense's "Most Wanted", and a Terrorist Recognition Card repeated the earlier claim that he was indeed among the four escapees.[1] In addition, the name off the Airbase posters was added as an "alias".[1]

Bryant Neal Vinas, an American, took part in 2008 with other masked fighters in an al-Qaeda propaganda video featuring al Libi.[11] Vinas was captured in November 2008, and convicted of participating in and supporting al-Qaeda plots in Afghanistan and the U.S.[11][12][13][14]

Reports of death

It was reported by Pakistani sources on 11 December 2009 that Abu Yahya al Libi was killed in a U.S Drone strike in Pakistan; however, later reports identified the man killed as Saleh al-Somali.[15]

Other

Al-Libi has produced a series of propaganda videos.[6] On May 30, 2007 a 45 minute video, starring al-Libi came to light.

On June 22, 2008 Abu Yahia Al Libi released a 19-minute video urging Somalis to resist United Nations forces in Somalia.[16]

He also appeared in a July 2009 video from al-Sahab entitled, "Swat: Victory or Martyrdom," about the Pakistani military's campaign against Pashtun militias and jihadi groups in the Swat Valley. On March 12, 2011 al-Libi has urged his countrymen to overthrow Moammar Gadhafi's regime and establish Islamic rule, expanding the terror network's attempts to capitalize on the wave of unrest sweeping the region. That was put on in a video posted on a militant website. [17]

Video releases

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Terrorist Recognition cards: Afghanistan/Pakistan
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j New York Times, Rising Leader for Next Phase of Al Qaeda’s War, April 4, 2008
  3. ^ a b c d Scheuer, Michael F. Part1 and Part 2
  4. ^ a b c BBC News: Key 'al-Qaeda militant' surfaces
  5. ^ SITE Intel Group: SITE Publications - Names and Information of Twelve Detainees in Bagram Prison in Afghanistan from Sheikh Abu Yehia al-Libi
  6. ^ a b c d e "Al-Qaida escapee from U.S. detention in Afghanistan lashes out at U.S. Saudi allies". Boston Herald. May 30, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20070929091641/http://news.bostonherald.com/international/middleEast/view.bg?articleid=1003786&format=text. Retrieved 2007-06-05. 
  7. ^ http://news.siteintelgroup.com/component/content/article/6-jihadist-news/510-al-qaeda-official-addresses-libyans
  8. ^ a b "Interview with Abu Yahya al-Libi," http://www.tajdeed.org, June 21, 2006, referenced in Scheuer, Michael F. Part1 and Part 2
  9. ^ 4 terror suspects escape from U.S. base in Afghanistan
  10. ^ Schmitt, Eric; Golden, Tim (December 4, 2005). "Details Emerge on a Brazen Escape in Afghanistan". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/international/asia/04escape.html?ex=1291352400&en=24ad526cb83b3590&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss. Retrieved April 23, 2010. 
  11. ^ a b Rotella, Sebastian; Meyer, Josh (July 24, 2009). "A young American's journey into Al Qaeda; Bryant Neal Vinas of Long Island, N.Y., tells investigators how he trained and fought alongside terrorists.". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/24/nation/na-american-jihadi24. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
  12. ^ Rotella, Sebastian and Josh Meyer U.S.-born militant who fought for Al Qaeda is in custody. Los Angeles Times. July 22, 2009.
  13. ^ Rashbaum, William K. and Souad Mekhennet. L.I. Man Pleaded Guilty in Attack on U.S. Base in Afghanistan. New York Times July 22, 2009
  14. ^ "Transcript of Guilty Plea; U.S. v John Doe; Sealed Pages". US District Court, Eastern District of NY. January 28, 2009. http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/FeaturedDocs/US_v_Vinas_guiltytranscript.pdf. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
  15. ^ "Sources: Drone Killed Top Qaeda Operative". CBS News. December 11, 2009. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/11/world/main5967266.shtml. 
  16. ^ "Al-Qaida urges Somalis to fight UN". Associated Press. 2008-06-22. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gKOtmEruZ32U-yU3e-6meqQNf7LwD91FAPN80. Retrieved 2008-06-24.  mirror
  17. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=13126025

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