More Leadeship Division in AQIM?

I am a fan of Silobreaker, one of about a dozen or so sites who have been interested in Al Qaeda and other Islamist group Activies in Africa for several years, before it was cool.

I recently came across this excellent summary of AQIM's activities, dated 1/15/09 by Silobreaker.

Though AQIM has been active since the date of this post, including the kidnapping of several hostages for ransom, and the Murder of Edwin Dyer.

If this murder of Edwin Dyer was commited by Abdel Hamid Abu Zaid of the Tarik Ibn Ziyad group, under Mokhtar Belmokhtar's watch, it may be that Mokhtar Belmokhtar will take action against Abu Zaid. Belmokhtar reportedly suspended his terrorist activities in late 2006 because of differences between he and Zaid.

It is important to discuss which AQIM leader was part of which activity, as each of the four AQIM groups are highly autonomous. They work together sometimes, share inteligence, but are very likely to operate independantly. Though recently depelted in battles in the Sahael, the different groups are back to conducting independant ambushes in their own territories

Silobreaker's has a great set of connnection maps I am reposting here.

Thanks Able2Act

-Shimron Issachar

Description: AQIM is an Algeria-based Sunni Muslim jihadist group that originally formed in 1998 as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), a faction of the Armed Islamic Group, which was the largest and most active terrorist group in Algeria. The GSPC was renamed in January 2007 after the group officially joined al-Qa?ida in September 2006. The GSPC had close to 30,000 members at its height but the Algerian Government?s counterterrorism efforts have reduced the group?s ranks to fewer than 1,000.

Since the 1990s, the group has focused most of its attacks on Algerian security personnel and facilities to achieve its primary goal of overthrowing the Algerian Government and establishing an Islamic caliphate. Following its formal alliance with al-Qaida, AQIM expanded its aims and declared its intention to attack Western targets. In late 2006 and early 2007, it conducted several improvised explosive devices (IED) attacks against convoys of foreign nationals working in the energy sector. AQIM in December 2007 attacked United Nations offices in Algiers with a car bomb and in February 2008 attacked the Israeli Embassy in Nouakchott, Mauritania, with small arms.

AQIM mainly employs conventional terrorist tactics, including guerrilla-style ambushes and mortar, rocket, and IED attacks. The group added the use of suicide bombings in April 2007, with attacks against government ministry and police buildings in Algiers that killed more than 30 people. AQIM leader Abdelmalek Droukdal announced in May 2007 that suicide bombings will become the group?s main tactic. The group claimed responsibility for a suicide truck bomb attack that killed at least eight soldiers and injured more than 20 at a military barracks in Algeria on 11 July 2007, the opening day of the All-Africa Games.

AQIM operates primarily in northern coastal areas of Algeria and in parts of the desert regions of southern Algeria and northern Mali. Its principal sources of funding include extortion, kidnapping, donations, and narcotics trafficking.
Leaders:
Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud (2007)
Mokhtar Belmokhtar
Mus'ab Abu Da'ud ((surrender in July 2007))
Kamel Bourgass (Imprisoned (England))
Observations: 2007: Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is trying to expand its attacks beyond Algeria, drawing on a rising number of recruits from all over North Africa, thus threatening regional security, but also security in Iraq and eventually even in Europe.

In Morocco and Tunisia, the number of volunteers looking to be trained in GSPC camps has steadily grown since 2005.

Compilation by Silobreaker

Although Silobreaker has relied on what it regards as reliable sources while compiling the content herein, Silobreaker cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, integrity or quality of such content and no responsibility is accepted by Silobreaker in respect of such content. Readers must determine for themselves what reliance they should place on the compiled content herein.

The Rest @ Silobreaker

Four AQIM Leaders added to the OFAC List

SALAH GASMI
AKAs:Salah Abu MuhamadSalah Abu MohamedBounouadher
DOB:l3 April l97lPOB:Zeribet El Oued, Biskra, Algeria

• Gasmi is the head of AQIM's information committee and is responsible for developing statements, circulating claims of responsibility for terrorist activities, and creating videos for AQIM.
• As AQIM's representative to the media, Gasmi issued AQIM's claim of responsibility for its kidnapping of the Austrian hostages. Gasmi is one of the principal figures negotiating with the Austrian government for the release of the hostages.
• He represents AQIM leader Abdelmalek Droukdel's interests in the negotiations. Droukdel was added to the U.N. list on August 27, 2007 and was named an SDGT by the Treasury Department on December 4, 2007.
• Gasmi also directs AQIM's internet communications with al Qaida senior leadership.
  

YAHIA DJOUADI

AKAs:Yahia Abu AmarAbu AlaAbou Alam

DOB:1 January 1967POB:M'Hamid, Sidi Bel Abbas, Algeria

• Djouadi is based in northern Mali and serves as the leader of AQIM in Africa's Sahara-Sahel region (also known as the AQIM South Zone).
• He is responsible for managing AQIM members in the South Zone and was actively recruiting Mauritanians as of early 2008.
• Djouadi provided financial and operational support to a Moroccan AQIM-affiliated extremist who planned to establish an AQIM support base in North Africa.
• Djouadi headed the AQIM military committee prior to his appointment as AQIM South Zone Emir.

AHMED DEGHDEGH

AKAs:Abd Al IllahAbu Abdallah
DOB:17 January 1967POB:Anser, Jijel, Algeria

Deghdegh is AQIM's finance chief.

• Deghdegh has relayed AQIM messages in ongoing hostage negotiations; as AQIM's designated negotiator, Deghdegh communicated stipulations for the release of the hostages and issued ransom demands.
• Deghdegh has acknowledged that AQIM has worked to undermine the interests of countries that support U.S. counterterrorism efforts.

ABID HAMMADOU

AKAs:Abid HamaduAbdelhamid Abu ZeidAbdelhamid Abou ZeidYoucef AdelAbu Abdellah
DOB:12 December 1965POB:Touggourt, Ouargla, Algeria

• Hammadou is the deputy leader of AQIM's Tarek Ibn Zaid battalion and is based in northern Mali.
• Hammadou was involved in kidnapping the Austrian tourists for AQIM in February 2008.
• In 2003, Hammadou participated in the kidnapping of 32 foreign tourists in Algeria by the GSPC, AQIM's predecessor organization.
• Hammadou was appointed by regional AQIM leader al-Para to lead the Tarek Ibn Zaid battalion, which carried out the kidnapping (El Para, AKA Saifi Ammari, was named an SDGT on December 5, 2003).
• Hammadou and other members of the battalion received part of the ransom paid to liberate the tourists and allegedly used the funds to purchase weapons.
• In June 2005, Hammadou led a unit of AQIM operatives in an attack on a Mauritanian military outpost that killed fifteen soldiers and wounded at least another fifteen.
• Hammadou established a camp for AQIM recruits in northern Mali that included training in combat techniques, making and defusing bombs, and guerilla tactics.

This means that any of their financial assets found anywhere that touch any US Bank will be siezed, and that significant US resources may be used to find them.

-Shimron

The Rest @ the US Office of Foreign Asset Control