Sirajuddin Haqqani is an internationally designated Taliban official who not only served as operational commander of the Haqqani network, but also held the role of deputy emir of the Taliban. After the death of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammed Omar was reported in July 2015, Sirajuddin Haqqani was elevated to the second spot in the Taliban leadership under its new emir, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour. “Taliban confirms death of Mullah Omar, names new leader,” France 24, July 30, 2015, http://www.france24.com/en/20150730-taliban-confrms-death-omar-names-new-leaderafghanistan- mansour. On September 7, 2021, Haqqani was appointed interior minister of the Taliban government.Matthieu Aikins and Jim Huylebroek, “Taliban Appoint Stalwarts to Top Government Posts,” New York Times, September 7, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/world/asia/taliban-women-protest-kabul-afghanistan.html.

Sirajuddin Haqqani’s father, Jalaluddin Haqqani, founded the Haqqani network in the 1970s. The group gained momentum during the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan during the 1980s. Jeffrey A. Dressler, “The Haqqani Network: From Pakistan to Afghanistan,” Institute for the Study of War, October 2010, http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/Haqqani_Network_0.pdf; “The Haqqani Nexus and the Evolution of al-Qa’ida,” The Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point, July 14, 2011, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/CTC-Haqqani-Report_Rassler-Brown-Final_Web.pdf. The Haqqanis are of the Pashtun Zadran tribe, based predominantly in the Paktia and Khost provinces in eastern Afghanistan. Jeffrey A. Dressler, “The Haqqani Network: From Pakistan to Afghanistan,” Institute for the Study of War, October 2010, http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/Haqqani_Network_0.pdf.

Sirajuddin Haqqani is wanted by the U.S. State Department and the FBI “Seeking Information Sirajuddin Haqqani,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed on March 12, 2015, http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/terrorinfo/sirajuddin-haqqani/view. for planning a 2008 attack on a hotel in Kabul that killed six people including American citizen Thor David Hesla. “Wanted: Information That Brings to Justice Sirajuddin Haqqani,” Reward for Justice, U.S. Department of State, accessed March 12, 2015, http://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/sirajuddin_haqqani.html. The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Haqqani as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 on March 11, 2008. Bureau of Counterterrorism, “Individuals and Entities Designated by the State Department Under E.O. 13224,” U.S. Department of State, http://go.usa.gov/3qkES.

On February 20, 2020, the New York Times published an op-ed by Haqqani defending the Taliban’s position in the then-ongoing negotiations with the United States, which led to an agreement between the Taliban and the United States later that month in Doha, Qatar. In his op-ed, Haqqani claimed the Taliban did not choose war and were forced to defend themselves. Haqqani wrote everyone was tired of war and he was convinced the killing must stop. The Times described Haqqani only as “the deputy leader of the Taliban,” without mentioning his suspected involvement in international terrorism or his wanted status by U.S. authorities. The omission drew criticism from government officials, media analysts, and New York Times reporters.Sirajuddin Haqqani, “What We, the Taliban, Want,” New York Times, February 20, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/opinion/taliban-afghanistan-war-haqqani.html; Peter Bergen, “What the New York Times didn’t tell readers about its Taliban op-ed is shocking,” CNN, February 21, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/21/opinions/new-york-times-taliban-op-ed-haqqani-bergen/index.html; Katie Shepherd, “New York Times hit for publishing op-ed by Taliban leader linked to ‘ruthless attacks,’” Washington Post, February 21, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/02/21/nyt-taliban-haqqani/. The New York Times’ senior correspondent in Afghanistan, Mujib Mashal, criticized the paper for declared Haqqani “is no Taliban peace-maker as he paints himself” and is “behind some of most ruthless attacks of this war with many civilian lives lost.”Katie Shepherd, “New York Times hit for publishing op-ed by Taliban leader linked to ‘ruthless attacks,’” Washington Post, February 21, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/02/21/nyt-taliban-haqqani/. On Twitter, Andrew Stroehlein, the European media director for Human Rights Watch, questioned why the Times printed Haqqani given his suspected involvement in war crimes.Andrew Stroehlein, Twitter post, February 20, 2020, 6:54 a.m., https://twitter.com/astroehlein/status/1230460599055929344?s=20. Retired four-star Marine General John R. Allen, who commanded American and NATO forces in Afghanistan during the Obama administration, told the Daily Beast the op-ed was an undeserved “strategic communications coup” for the Haqqani network.Lloyd Grove, “NYT Publishes Taliban ‘Terrorist’ Op-Ed, All Hell Breaks Loose,” Daily Beast, February 20, 2020, https://www.thedailybeast.com/nyt-publishes-taliban-terrorist-op-ed-all-hell-breaks-loose.

Under the terms of the February 2020 Doha Agreement, the Taliban agreed to end cooperation with al-Qaeda and not allow Afghanistan to be used as a base for foreign terrorist organizations.“Joint Declaration between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States of America for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan,” U.S. Department of State, February 29, 2020, https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/02.29.20-US-Afghanistan-Joint-Declaration.pdf. A June 2021 report by a U.N. monitoring team stated that the Taliban and al-Qaeda remained closely aligned and showed no indication of breaking ties.“Letter Dated 20 May 2021 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee Established Pursuant to Resolution 1988 (2011) Addressed to the President of the Security Council,” U.N. Security Council, June 1, 2021, https://www.undocs.org/pdf?symbol=en/S/2021/486. The report also claimed Haqqani was also a member of al-Qaeda’s leadership.Thomas Joscelyn, “U.N. Report Cites New Intelligence on Haqqanis’ Close Ties to al Qaeda,” FDD’s Long War Journal, June 7, 2021, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/06/u-n-report-cites-new-intelligence-on-haqqanis-close-ties-to-al-qaeda.php.

On August 6, 2021, the Taliban began an offensive against major Afghan cities with the seizure of Zaranj, capital of Nimruz province.Susannah George and Ezzatullah Mehrdad, “Taliban fighters overrun an Afghan provincial capital for the first time since withdrawal of foreign forces,” Washington Post, August 6, 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/06/afghanistan-taliban-nimruz/. By August 13, the Taliban controlled 17 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals and more than two-thirds of the country.Rahim Faiez, and Joseph Krauss, “Taliban sweep across Afghanistan’s south; take 4 more cities,” Associated Press, August 13, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-taliban-c6c8d4a41c554f36031a8131538d1402. By August 16, the Taliban laid siege to the presidential palace and took complete control of Kabul, after which the Taliban declared the war in Afghanistan had ended.“Taliban declares ‘war is over’ as president and diplomats flee Kabul,” Reuters, August 15, 2021, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/talibans-rapid-advance-across-afghanistan-2021-08-10/. A month after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, on September 7, 2021, the Taliban announced the official appointments within their caretaker government. Haqqani was named acting minister of the interior. Haqqani’s role provides him with extensive authority over policing and legal matters, as well as access to international actorsHaqqani remains on the FBI’s most-wanted list and subject to a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture. Nonetheless, since joining the Taliban government he has sought to shift negative international perceptions of the Taliban. He has met with international leaders such as EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan Tomas Niklasson and U.N. Under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths. In 2022, after long concealing his face, he allowed himself to be openly photographed and filmed in public.. The government is exclusively male, with many positions filled with veterans from their hardline movement in the early 1990s.Matthieu Aikins and Jim Huylebroek, “Taliban Appoint Stalwarts to Top Government Posts,” New York Times, September 7, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/world/asia/taliban-women-protest-kabul-afghanistan.html; Kathy Gannon, “Taliban form all-male Afghan government of old guard members,” Associated Press, September 8, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-pakistan-afghanistan-arrests-islamabad-d50b1b490d27d32eb20cc11b77c12c87.

Haqqani remains on the FBI’s most-wanted list and subject to a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture. Nonetheless, since joining the Taliban government he has sought to shift negative international perceptions of the Taliban. He has met with international leaders such as EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan Tomas Niklasson and U.N. Under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths. In 2022, after long concealing his face, he allowed himself to be openly photographed and filmed in public.“Taliban’s Most Wanted Mostly in Plain Sight,” Voice of America, May 18, 2022, https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-s-most-wanted-mostly-in-plain-sight/6579407.html. In a May 2022 interview with CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour, Haqqani proclaimed the Taliban “would like to have good relations with the United States.”“Exclusive: Amanpour speaks with Taliban deputy leader,” CNN, May 16, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2022/05/16/amanpour-sirajuddin-haqqani-interview-part-1-intl-vpx.cnn; Jo Shelley, Masoud Popalzai, Ehsan Popalzai, Ahmet Mengli and Rob Picheta, “Top Taliban leader makes more promises on women’s rights but quips ‘naughty women’ should stay home,” CNN, last updated May 19, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/18/asia/amanpour-haqqani-taliban-women-interview-intl/index.html. Haqqani said the Taliban don’t currently look at the United States or the international community as enemies. He also lauded expanding education for girls under Taliban rule.“Exclusive: Amanpour speaks with Taliban deputy leader,” CNN, May 16, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2022/05/16/amanpour-sirajuddin-haqqani-interview-part-1-intl-vpx.cnn; Jo Shelley, Masoud Popalzai, Ehsan Popalzai, Ahmet Mengli and Rob Picheta, “Top Taliban leader makes more promises on women’s rights but quips ‘naughty women’ should stay home,” CNN, last updated May 19, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/18/asia/amanpour-haqqani-taliban-women-interview-intl/index.html. While the United States has refused to deal with the Taliban government, some analysts have deemed the reward meaningless given Haqqani’s increasingly public persona.“Taliban’s Most Wanted Mostly in Plain Sight,” Voice of America, May 18, 2022, https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-s-most-wanted-mostly-in-plain-sight/6579407.html.

On July 31, 2022, a CIA drone strike killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul’s Sherpoor area. According to U.S. President Joe Biden, Zawahiri had been staying in the house that had been targeted. The house reportedly belonged to a top aide to Haqqani.Matthew Lee, Nomaan Merchant, Mike Balsamo, and James Laporta, “Biden: Drone strike on al-Qaida leader delivered ‘justice,’” Associated Press, August 1, 2022, https://apnews.com/article/ayman-al-zawahri-al-qaida-terrorism-biden-36e5f10256c9bc9972b252849eda91f2. Some Afghan media outlets reported Haqqani’s son and son-in-law were also killed in the strike. During a White House briefing, a senior Biden administration official denied reports of any casualties other than Zawahiri. According to that official, the residence was a safe house operated by the Haqqani network and senior Haqqani network figures were aware of Zawahiri’s presence in Kabul. The official said Haqqani network members worked to conceal Zawahiri’s former presence at the house after the strike and moved Zawahiri’s wife, his daughter, and her children to another location.“Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official on a U.S. Counterterrorism Operation,” White House, August 1, 2022, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/08/01/background-press-call-by-a-senior-administration-official-on-a-u-s-counterterrorism-operation/. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the strike as a violation of “international principles.”Idrees Ali, “Al Qaeda leader Zawahiri killed in CIA drone strike in Afghanistan - U.S. officials,” Reuters, August 1, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/cia-carried-out-drone-strike-afghanistan-us-officials-say-2022-08-01/. After Zawahiri’s death, Haqqani’s links to the Zawahiri safehouse renewed criticism of normalization with Haqqani, as well as of the 2020 New York Times op-ed.David Rutz, “Critics recall Taliban leader’s 2020 New York Times op-ed after link established to slain al-Zawahri,” Fox News, August 2, 2022, https://www.foxnews.com/media/critics-recall-taliban-leaders-2020-new-york-times-op-ed-link-established.

Qasim al-Raymi was a U.S.-designated terrorist and the emir (leader) of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, (AQAP). He filled this position on June 16, 2015, one day after former AQAP leader Nasir al-Wuhayshi died in a U.S. drone strike.“Designations of AQAP Leaders Qasim al-Rimi and Nayif al-Qahtani,” U.S. Department of State, May 11, 2010, https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/143206.htm;
Khaled Wassef, “Al Qaeda’s new No. 1 in Yemen is no lackey,” CBS News, June 17, 2015, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/aqap-chief-qassem-al-rimi-is-no-lackey-to-fill-in-for-nasir-al-wuhayshi-killed-in-us-airstrike/;
Jane Onyanga-Omara, “Al-Qaeda second-in-command killed in U.S. airstrike,” USA Today, June 17, 2015, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/06/16/al-qaeda-says-leader-killed/28796037/. From 2006 until he began to lead AQAP, Raymi directed the movement of al-Qaeda fighters and played a key role in the group’s seizure of territory in Yemen’s southern provinces.Gregory D. Johnsen, “A Profile of AQAP’s Upper Echelon,” Combatting Terrorism Center, July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon. On January 31, 2020, the U.S. announced that it launched a drone strike against Raymi. The White House confirmed his death in an announcement on February 6, 2020.Gordon Lubold and Warren P. Strobel, “U.S. Targets Yemen Al Qaeda Leader in Drone Strike,” Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-targets-yemen-al-qaeda-leader-in-drone-strike-11580511550.; Rukmini Callimachi, Eric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes, “U.S. Strikes at Leader of Qaeda in Yemen,” New York Times, January 31, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/world/middleeast/qaeda-yemen-alrimi.html; Nikki Carvajal and Caroline Kelly, “White House announces death of terror leader Qassim al-Rimi,” CNN, February 7, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/06/politics/white-house-announces-death-of-aqap-leader/index.html.

Raymi, who was trained by al-Qaeda in Afghanistan in the 1990s,Thomas Joscelyn, “Fifteen years after the 9/11 attacks, al Qaeda fights on,” Long War Journal, September 11, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/09/fifteen-years-after-the-911-attacks-al-qaeda-fights-on.php. was imprisoned in 2005 in Sanaa, Yemen, for connections to terror activity.Gregory D. Johnsen, “Tracking Yemen’s 23 Escaped Jihadi Operatives- Part 2,” Jamestown Foundation, October 24, 2007, http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Bswords%5D=8fd5893941d69d0be3f378576261ae3e&tx_ttnews%5Bany_of_the_words%5D=Yemen&tx_ttnews%5Bpointer%5D=3&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=4466&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=7&cHash=dc7a3e8ab7#.VQhxnY7F-Qw. In February 2006, he escaped from prison alongside 22 other prisoners, including Wuhayshi, who was then a high-ranking member of al-Qaeda in Yemen—AQAP’s precursor.“Designations of AQAP Leaders Qasim al-Rimi and Nayif al-Qahtani,” U.S. Department of State, May 11, 2010, https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/143206.htm. Following his escape, Raymi helped Wuhayshi to rebuild al-Qaeda in Yemen’s fractured network, and the pair oversaw the merging of the Yemeni and Saudi al-Qaeda branches to form AQAP in 2009.Gregory D. Johnsen, “A Profile of AQAP’s Upper Echelon,” Combatting Terrorism Center, July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon. Raymi played a large role in “reviving the regional node of al-Qaeda” and “recruiting the current generation of militants making up the Yemen-based AQAP,” according to the U.S. Department of State.“Designations of AQAP Leaders Qasim al-Rimi and Nayif al-Qahtani,” U.S. Department of State, May 11, 2010, https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/143206.htm. Before officially taking over as AQAP’s emir, Raymi served as the group’s Military Commander and successfully captured territory throughout Yemen’s southwestern regions.Gregory D. Johnsen, “A Profile of AQAP’s Upper Echelon,” Combating Terrorism Center,” July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon. Raymi has been erroneously reported killed numerous times—including by a U.S. airstrike in June 2010.Gregory D. Johnsen, “A Profile of AQAP’s Upper Echelon,” Combating Terrorism Center,” July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon.

Following Raymi’s June 2015 preferment to head of AQAP, the leader reaffirmed his loyalty to al-Qaeda emir Ayman al-Zawahiri in a July 2015 online video. “I pledge allegiance to you [Zawahiri]…and to wage jihad in the cause of Allah the Almighty,” Raymi professed.Thomas Joscelyn, “New AQAP Leader renews allegiance to the ‘beloved father,’ Ayman al Zawahiri,” Long War Journal, July 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/09/fifteen-years-after-the-911-attacks-al-qaeda-fights-on.php. He said the pledge was on behalf of all of AQAP, and promised the fight against the United States would continue.Thomas Joscelyn, “New AQAP Leader renews allegiance to the ‘beloved father,’ Ayman al Zawahiri,” Long War Journal, July 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/09/fifteen-years-after-the-911-attacks-al-qaeda-fights-on.php.

The U.S. Department of State designated Raymi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224 on May 11, 2010.“Designations of AQAP Leaders Qasim al-Rimi and Nayif al-Qahtani,” U.S. Department of State, May 11, 2010, https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/143206.htm;
“Executive Order 13224,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, accessed March 17, 2015, http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/terror.pdf. On the same day, the U.N. Security Council added Raymi to its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List.“ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List,” United Nations Security Council, accessed November 8, 2018, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list.

In an October 30, 2018, al-Qaeda video message, the group revealed that Qasim al-Raymi was ill.“New video message from al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula: ‘Demolishing of the Espionage: Part One ‘Industry of the Espionage'’’,” Jihadology, October 30, 2018, (min. 11), https://jihadology.net/2018/10/30/new-video-message-from-al-qaidah-in-the-arabian-peninsula-demolishing-of-the-espionage-part-one-industry-of-the-espionage/; “Al-Qaeda in Yemen casually reveals its leader is unwell in new video,” BBC Monitoring, October 31, 2018, https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk. Thomas Joscelyn, Twitter post, November 9, 2018, 8:19 AM, https://twitter.com/thomasjoscelyn/status/1060929918266208264; Mina al-Lami, Twitter post, October 31, 2018, 8:35 AM, https://twitter.com/Minalami/status/1057657231943131136.

On November 9, 2018, the U.S. State Department offered a $10 million reward for information leading to Raymi’s capture.“Information that brings to justice Qasim al-Rimi,” U.S. Department of State, accessed November 9, 2018, https://rewardsforjustice.net/english/qasim_al_rimi.html. On January 31, 2020, the U.S. announced that it launched a drone strike against Raymi. The exact date of the drone strike has not yet been released, but local media reported that a U.S. drone strike occurred on January 25, 2020, in Yemen’s Marib Province. The drone strike against Raymi was not carried out by the U.S. military, and instead was orchestrated by the C.I.A., following months of tracking Raymi through aerial surveillance and other intelligence. According to a U.S. official briefed on the strike, the C.I.A. learned of Raymi’s locations from an informer in Yemen in November. Additionally, tribal leaders in the Marib claimed that the U.S. drone strike on January 25 destroyed a building that housed other al-Qaeda militants.Gordon Lubold and Warren P. Strobel, “U.S. Targets Yemen Al Qaeda Leader in Drone Strike,” Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-targets-yemen-al-qaeda-leader-in-drone-strike-11580511550.; Rukmini Callimachi, Eric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes, “U.S. Strikes at Leader of Qaeda in Yemen,” New York Times, January 31, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/world/middleeast/qaeda-yemen-alrimi.html. The White House confirmed Raymi’s death in an announcement on February 6, 2020.Nikki Carvajal and Caroline Kelly, “White House announces death of terror leader Qassim al-Rimi,” CNN, February 7, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/06/politics/white-house-announces-death-of-aqap-leader/index.html. According to the Site Intelligence Group, on February 23, al-Qaeda confirmed Raymi’s death. It is suspected that Raymi’s deputy, Khalid Batarfi, has taken over as the new AQAP leader.“Al-Qaida Confirms Death of AQAP Leader,” Voice of America, February 23, 2020, https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/al-qaida-confirms-death-aqap-leader.

Ahmed Abdi Godane (a.k.a. Mukhtar Abu Zubair) was the leader of Somali terrorist group al-Shabab. While in charge of the group, Godane expanded al-Shabab beyond Somalia and organized several of the group’s major terror attacks, including the 2013 Westgate Mall attack in Kenya.Sudarsan Raghavan, “Al-Shabab leader’s ambitions appear to be as complex as his personality,” Washington Post, September 26, 2013, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/investigators-search-rubble-of-kenyan-mall-for-bodies-clues-to-bloody-massacre/2013/09/25/b9b383e2-25e5-11e3-b75d-5b7f66349852_story.html?utm_term=.e03d73ef9bff. Godane died in a U.S. airstrike in September 2014.“US confirms al-Shabab leader Ahmed Godane killed,” BBC News, September 5, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29086800.

Godane was born on July 10, 1977, in Hargeisa, Somaliland. In the 1990s, he worked with al-Barakaat, a money-transfer company that Somali ex-patriates used to send money to relatives in the country. Al-Barakaat shut down in late 2001 after the U.S. government froze its assets, charging that the company provided funding to Osama bin Laden.Christopher Anzalone, "The Life and Death of Al-Shabab Leader Ahmed Godane," CTC Sentinel, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/v2/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CTCSentinel-Vol7Iss96.pdf;
Paul Beckett, “Shutdown of Al Barakaat Severs Lifeline for Many Somalia Residents,” Wall Street Journal, December 4, 2001, https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1007426664516663320. In 1998, Godane traveled to Pakistan to study at a madrassa. From there, he traveled to Afghanistan to fight alongside the Taliban, gaining valuable training and battlefield experience.Nathaniel Horadam, "Profile: Ahmed Abdi Godane (Mukhtar Abu Zubair)," Critical Threats, November 14, 2011, http://www.criticalthreats.org/somalia/al-shabaab-leadership/ahmed-abdi-godane-mukhtar-abu-zubair-november-14-2011.

Godane returned to Somalia in 2001.Christopher Anzalone, "The Life and Death of Al-Shabab Leader Ahmed Godane," CTC Sentinel, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/v2/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CTCSentinel-Vol7Iss96.pdf. In October 2003, Godane joined al-Ittihad al-Islamiya (AIAI), an al-Qaeda-aligned terrorist organization in Somalia. While a member of the AIAI, Godane was allegedly involved in the murder of several foreign nationals, including Dick and Enid Eyeington, a British couple who had founded a school in the autonomous region of Somaliland.Tristan McConnell, "Who Is Al Shabaab Leader Ahmed Godane?" GlobalPost, October 1, 2013, http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/kenya/131001/who-al-shabaab-leader-ahmed-godane.

In 2006, the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a predecessor to al-Shabab, appointed Godane as its secretary-general. The ICU took control of Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu in June 2006. That December, Somalia’s transitional government requested an intervention from neighboring countries to quell tension in Mogadishu. Ethiopia, a majority Christian country, invaded Somalia and took Mogadishu with little opposition from the ICU.Jonathan Masters and Mohammed Aly Sergie, “Al-Shabab,” Council on Foreign Relations, last updated March 13, 2015, http://www.cfr.org/somalia/al-shabab/p18650. Following the Ethiopian invasion and the subsequent disintegration of the ICU, Godane was one of the key figures responsible for restructuring al-Shabab.Christopher Anzalone, "The Life and Death of Al-Shabab Leader Ahmed Godane," CTC Sentinel, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/v2/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CTCSentinel-Vol7Iss96.pdf.

Beginning in 2007, al-Shabab began attracting new recruits and donations. Godane took over the leadership of the group in May 2008 following the death of al-Shabab emir Aden Hashi Ayro in an American airstrike. After Godane’s accession to emir, he released an audio message praising al-Qaeda and pledging allegiance to bin Laden while vowing to carry out attacks on American soil.Frank Chothia, “Ahmed Abdi Godane: Somalia’s killed al-Shabab leader,” BBC News, September 9, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29034409.

Godane was responsible for expanding al-Shabab’s terrorist activities beyond Somalia’s border. He organized the July 2010 bombings in Kampala, Uganda, which claimed the lives of 76 people.“In prison with al-Shabab: What drives Somali militants?” BBC News, October 5, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-24379013. He also orchestrated al-Shabab’s first major violent attack on Kenyan soil, targeting the high-end Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi in a September 2013 attack that killed 67 people.Sudarsan Raghavan, “Al-Shabab leader’s ambitions appear to be as complex as his personality,” Washington Post, September 26, 2013, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/investigators-search-rubble-of-kenyan-mall-for-bodies-clues-to-bloody-massacre/2013/09/25/b9b383e2-25e5-11e3-b75d-5b7f66349852_story.html?utm_term=.e03d73ef9bff;
Daniel Howden, “Terror in Nairobi: the full story behind al-Shabaab’s mall attack,” Guardian (London), October 4, 2013, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/04/westgate-mall-attacks-kenya.

In February 2012, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri formally announced al-Shabab’s alignment with al-Qaeda. Godane had reportedly pursued the alliance for years, but bin Laden opposed the merger. Zawahri, in contrast to his predecessor, moved quickly to grant Godane’s request.Jonathan Masters and Mohammed Aly Sergie, “Al-Shabab,” Council on Foreign Relations, last modified March 13, 2015, http://www.cfr.org/somalia/al-shabab/p18650.

Godane’s leadership of al-Shabab was marked by internal divisions and conflict. Godane was a member of the Isaaq clan, which resides primarily in the northern part of Somalia, while al-Shabab draws its membership primarily from the south. Godane was therefore viewed by some as an outsider and he lacked the clan power base in al-Shabab that is crucial within Somali organizations.Nathaniel Horadam, "Profile: Ahmed Abdi Godane (Mukhtar Abu Zubair)," Critical Threats, November 14, 2011, http://www.criticalthreats.org/somalia/al-shabaab-leadership/ahmed-abdi-godane-mukhtar-abu-zubair-november-14-2011. As al-Shabab losses against forces of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) mounted, tensions rose over Godane’s strategy and tactics. The 2010 loss of Mogadishu to AMISOM reportedly humiliated Godane, and many members of al-Shabab rapidly became dissatisfied with Godane’s leadership.Matt Bryden, “The Reinvention of Al-Shabaab: A Strategy of Choice or Necessity,” Center for Strategic & International Studies, February 2014, http://csis.org/files/publication/140221_Bryden_ReinventionOfAlShabaab_Web.pdf;
Jonathan Masters and Mohammed Aly Sergie, “Al-Shabab,” Council on Foreign Relations, last updated March 13, 2015, http://www.cfr.org/somalia/al-shabab/p18650.

Some dissent al-Shabab members took to YouTube and Twitter to air their grievances. Others wrote a letter to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to complain that Godane had stacked internal councils with loyalists and fellow clansman while silencing opposition voices. They also lamented Godane’s treatment of foreign fighters and brutality toward fellow Muslims. In March 2012, American al-Shabab member Omar Shafik Hammami posted a YouTube video in which he described leaving the group because of disagreements over sharia (Islamic canonical law) and a fear for his life from Godane.Christopher Anzalone, "The Life and Death of Al-Shabab Leader Ahmed Godane," CTC Sentinel, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/v2/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CTCSentinel-Vol7Iss96.pdf.

In response, Godane established an internal elite secret police unit called the Amniyat to ensure his control over al-Shabab through a widespread purge of dissidents. Loyal only to Godane, Amniyat spied on rival commanders, carried out assassinations, and was better trained and compensated than other al-Shabab fighters.Jamie Dettmer, "Ahmed Abdi Godane Is Al-Shabab's Osama Bin Laden," Daily Beast, September 5, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/ahmed-abdi-godane-is-al-shababs-osama-bin-laden;
Frank Chothia, “Ahmed Abdi Godane: Somalia’s killed al-Shabab leader,” BBC News, September 9, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29034409. Godane ordered his Amniyat to kill a number of his rivals, particularly foreign fighters and even al-Shabab founders. In September 2013, the Amniyat killed Hammami and another foreign fighter, Usama al-Britani.Christopher Anzalone, "The Life and Death of Al-Shabab Leader Ahmed Godane," CTC Sentinel, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/v2/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CTCSentinel-Vol7Iss96.pdf. The Amniyat reportedly killed more than 200 dissidents.Ken Menkhaus, “Al-Shabab’s Capabilities Post-Westgate,” CTC Sentinel 7, no. 2 (February 2014): 4-9, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/v2/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/CTCSentinel-Vol7Iss2.pdf.

Following the purge, al-Shabab continued to carry out attacks in and around Mogadishu, as well as beyond Somalia’s borders while struggling with its territorial losses to AMISOM. In February 2013, a Puntland military court sentenced Godane in absentia to death for an October 29, 2008, attack in Somaliland’s capital of Hargeisa. Authorities suspected al-Shabab of responsibility the bombing of the U.N. compound and Ethiopian embassy in Hargeisa, which left 28 people dead.Frank Chothia, “Ahmed Abdi Godane: Somalia’s killed al-Shabab leader,” BBC News, September 9, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29034409;
Hussein Ali Noor, “Suicide bombers kill at least 28 in Somalia,” Reuters, October 29, 2008, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-blasts/suicide-bombers-kill-at-least-28-in-somalia-idUSTRE49S2XD20081029;
“Somalia: Puntland President speaks about Al Shabaab leader’s Death,” Garowe Online, September 7, 2014, http://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/puntland/somalia-puntland-president-addresses-al-shabaab-leaders-death.

Godane was killed in a US airstrike in southern Somalia on September 1, 2014, which the U.S. government confirmed four days later.“US confirms al-Shabab leader Ahmed Godane killed,” BBC News, September 5, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29086800;
“Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby on Ahmed Godane,” U.S. Department of Defense, September 5, 2014, https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/605172/.

Abu Fatima al-Jaheishi, real name Ni’ma Abd Nayef al-Jabouri, is a senior military leader in ISIS.Paul Cruickshank, Tim Lister, and Michael Weiss, “Who might lead ISIS if al-Baghdadi dies?,” CNN, July 2, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/11/middleeast/isis-leadership/;
“Exclusive: Top ISIS Leaders Revealed,” Daily Star (Beirut), October 17, 2014, http://dev.thedailystar.net/exclusive-top-isis-leaders-revealed-46127;
Tom Vanden Brook and John Bacon, “U.S. can’t confirm reports Islamic State leader killed,” USA Today, June 14, 2016, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/06/14/us-cant-confirm-reports-islamic-state-leader-killed/85859086/. According to an uncorroborated June 2016 media report, Jaheishi succeeded former ISIS deputy of Iraq Abu Muslim al-Turkmani after the latter was killed in a U.S. airstrike in August 2015.Tom Vanden Brook and John Bacon, “U.S. can’t confirm reports Islamic State leader killed,” USA Today, June 14, 2016, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/06/14/us-cant-confirm-reports-islamic-state-leader-killed/85859086/;
“Statement by NSC Spokesperson Ned Price on the Death of ISIL Deputy Leader Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali,” White House, August 21, 2015, https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/08/21/statement-nsc-spokesperson-ned-price-death-isil-deputy-leader-fadhil.

Reports in July 2015 suggested Jaheishi headed ISIS’s military committee and was ranked among the group’s top five commanders.Paul Cruickshank, Tim Lister, and Michael Weiss, “Who might lead ISIS if al-Baghdadi dies?,” CNN, July 2, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/11/middleeast/isis-leadership/;
“Exclusive: Top ISIS Leaders Revealed,” Daily Star (Beirut), October 17, 2014, http://dev.thedailystar.net/exclusive-top-isis-leaders-revealed-46127;
Tom Vanden Brook and John Bacon, “U.S. can’t confirm reports Islamic State leader killed,” USA Today, June 14, 2016, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/06/14/us-cant-confirm-reports-islamic-state-leader-killed/85859086/. Jaheishi is believed to have previously headed ISIS’s operations in southern Iraq. He also reportedly served as the ISIS-appointed governor of Kirkuk.Hisham al-Hashimi, “Revealed: the Islamic State ‘cabinet’, from finance minister to suicide bomb deployer,” Telegraph (London), July 9, 2014, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10956193/Revealed-the-Islamic-State-cabinet-from-finance-minister-to-suicide-bomb-deployer.html;
“Exclusive: Top ISIS Leaders Revealed,” Al Arabiya, February 13, 2014, http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/02/13/Exclusive-Top-ISIS-leaders-revealed.html. Following reports that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been seriously injured in both July and October of 2015, media outlets suggested Jaheishi as his possible successor.Paul Cruickshank, Tim Lister, and Michael Weiss, “Who might lead ISIS if al-Baghdadi dies?,” CNN, July 2, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/11/middleeast/isis-leadership/;
Vicky Nanjappa, “Meet ISIS chief Baghdadi’s 9 possible successors,” OneIndia, October 13, 2015, http://www.oneindia.com/international/meet-isis-chief-bhagdadi-s-9-possible-successors-1898036.html;
Vicky Najappa, “To become the next ISIS chief these are the pre-requisites,” OneIndia, June 14, 2016, http://www.oneindia.com/india/become-the-next-isis-chief-these-are-the-pre-requisites-2127103.html.

According to Jordanian ISIS expert Hassan Abu Haniyeh, as of February 2017 Jaheishi reportedly served as the governor of the Middle Euphrates River Valley, the region surrounding the Syrian city of Deir Ez Zor. “كيف يختار "داعش" قياداته.. وما أبرز الجنسيات؟,” Al Alam, February 18, 2017, http://www.alalam.ir/news/1926837/%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81-%D9%8A%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1--%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B4--%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%87---%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%9F. This move suggests that Jaheishi left Iraq for Syria as ISIS continued to lose ground to Iraqi and Coalition forces. However, on November 3, 2017, Russian and pro-regime forces captured the ISIS-controlled city of Deir Ez Zor along the Euphrates and by early 2018 ISIS only controlled a few villages along the eastern side of the river.“Weekly Conflict Summary November 2-8, 2017,” Carter Center, November 8, 2017, https://www.cartercenter.org/resources/pdfs/peace/conflict_resolution/syria-conflict/weekly-conflict-summary-2017.11.02-08.pdf; “ Conflict Summary December 21, 2017-January 10, 2018,” Carter Center, January 10, 2018, https://www.cartercenter.org/resources/pdfs/peace/conflict_resolution/syria-conflict/weekly-conflict-summary-2017.12.21-2018.01.10.pdf. Jaheishi’s whereabouts since are unknown.

Born Ahmed Diriye, Ahmed Umar Abu Ubaidah (a.k.a. Abu Diriye) is the current emir of Somali terror group al-Shabaab.“Security Council 751 and 1907 Committee on Somalia and Eritrea Adds Ahmed Diriye to 1844 Sanctions List,” U.N. Security Council, September 24, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11579.doc.htm. Abu Ubaidah has led al-Shabaab since the September 2014 death of the group’s previous emir, Ahmed Godane, in a U.S. drone strike.Thomas Joscelyn, “Shabaab names new emir, reaffirms allegiance to al-Qaeda,” Long War Journal, September 6, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/09/shabaab_names_new_em.php.

Abu Ubaidah reportedly comes from the Dir clan and joined al-Shabaab in 2006.Feisal Omar and Abdi Sheikh, “Somalia’s al Shabaab name new leader after U.S. strike, warn of revenge,” Reuters, September 6, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/07/us-somalia-usa-islamist-idUSKBN0H10LK20140907. Godane was also a member of the Dir clan, and he and Abu Ubaidah were reportedly very close.Ludovica Iaccino, “Who is Sheikh Ahmed Umar, Al-Shabaab’s Ruthless New Leader?,” International Business Times, September 8, 2014, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/who-sheikh-ahmed-umar-al-shabaabs-ruthless-new-leader-1464553. Dir is one of the main clans in Somalia and also has members in some regions of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti.World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples – Somalia: Overview,” Minority Rights Group International, May 2011, http://www.refworld.org/docid/4954ce42c.html.

Abu Ubaidah is a longtime senior member of al-Shabaab and supposedly served as Godane’s deputy. Some sources believe that Abu Ubaidah was a member of the Amniyat, the most feared division of al-Shabaab. Godane created the Amniyat to be the internal police and intelligence arm of the organization in 2013.Jamie Dettmer, "Ahmed Abdi Godane Is Al-Shabab's Osama Bin Laden," Daily Beast, September 5, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/ahmed-abdi-godane-is-al-shababs-osama-bin-laden;
Frank Chothia, “Ahmed Abdi Godane: Somalia’s killed al-Shabab leader,” BBC News, September 9, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29034409. The Amniyat is made up of specially trained members who carry out high-level missions such as assassinations and are responsible for exposing rivals and informants within the wider group.Ludovica Iaccino, “Who is Sheikh Ahmed Umar, Al-Shabaab’s Ruthless New Leader?,” International Business Times, September 8, 2014, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/who-sheikh-ahmed-umar-al-shabaabs-ruthless-new-leader-1464553.

Abu Ubaidah is believed to have been a part of the internal purge that occurred in 2013.Ludovica Iaccino, “Who is Sheikh Ahmed Umar, Al-Shabaab’s Ruthless New Leader?,” International Business Times, September 8, 2014, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/who-sheikh-ahmed-umar-al-shabaabs-ruthless-new-leader-1464553. Then-leader Godane sought to ruthlessly consolidate power by killing his rivals within the organization and driving less violent members into exile. The Amniyat reportedly killed more than 200 dissidents during the purge.Ken Menkhaus, “Al-Shabab’s Capabilities Post-Westgate,” CTC Sentinel, February 2014, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/v2/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/CTCSentinel-Vol7Iss2.pdf.

Following Godane’s death on September 1, 2014, analysts believe that Abu Ubaidah was a conservative choice to succeed Godane in order to ensure a smoother transition from Godane’s leadership. Also considered was Mahad Karate, who was appointed deputy emir.Hassan M. Abukar, “After Godane: Al-Shabaab’s new leadership fights internal reform,” African Arguments, October 1, 2014, http://africanarguments.org/2014/10/01/after-godane-al-shabaabs-new-leadership-fights-internal-reform-by-hassan-m-abukar/. Less than a month after Abu Ubaidah’s appointment, the U.N. Security Council added him to its terrorist sanctions list.“Security Council 751 and 1907 Committee on Somalia and Eritrea Adds Ahmed Diriye to 1844 Sanctions List,” U.N. Security Council, September 24, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11579.doc.htm. The United States followed in 2015.“Transnational Criminal Organizations Designations; Counter Terrorism Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, April 21, 2015, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20150421.aspx. In November 2015, through its Rewards for Justice program, the U.S. Department of State offered a reward of up to $6 million for information leading to the “identification or whereabouts” of Abu Ubaidah.Matthew Lee, “US offers millions in rewards for info on al-Shabab leaders,” Associated Press, November 10, 2015, https://apnews.com/article/c39ed3c1d1df4ea0844523a3f25befb3.

According to analyst Hassan M. Abukar, Abu Ubaidah heads a faction within the group that closely follows Godane’s policies of ruling through the consolidation of power and brutal suppression of opposition.Hassan M. Abukar, “After Godane: Al-Shabaab’s new leadership fights internal reform,” African Arguments, October 1, 2014, http://africanarguments.org/2014/10/01/after-godane-al-shabaabs-new-leadership-fights-internal-reform-by-hassan-m-abukar/. Abu Ubaidah reportedly commands a set of regional commanders who manage al-Shabaab’s presence in southern Somalia, Mogadishu, Bay and Bokool, Puntland and Somaliland, and Juba Valley.Abdi O. Shuriye, “Research: Al-shabaab’s Leadership Hierarchy and its Ideology,” Horn Affairs, May 7, 2012, http://hornaffairs.com/en/2012/05/07/research-al-shabaabs-leadership-hierarchy-and-its-ideology/. Abu Ubaidah has also appointed a Shura council of 10 members who oversee al-Shabaab’s regional commanders.

In November 2019, Abu Ubaidah appeared in a video naming the United States as the group’s primary target and demanded supporters attack Americans wherever they could. Though Abu Ubaidah’s face was obscured, it was the first time that he had been seen on camera since succeeding Godane in 2014. The footage of Abu Ubaidah in the video was reportedly shot before September 30, 2019, when al-Shabaab attempted a raid on Baledogle Airfield, a base used by U.S. forces in Somalia.Harun Maruf, “Al-Shabab Chief Partially Seen on Video for First Time,” Voice of America, November 5, 2019, https://www.voanews.com/africa/al-shabab-chief-partially-seen-video-first-time.

In August 2020, Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) announced via its Twitter account that al-Shabaab temporarily transferred power to Abu Ubaidah’s deputy, Abukar Aden, due to the emir’s health concerns.“Al-Shabaab leader hands over power to deputy amid “ill-health” speculations,” Garowe Online, August 29, 2020, https://www.garoweonline.com/index.php/en/news/somalia/al-shabaab-leader-hands-over-to-deputy-amid-ill-health-speculations. NISA also claimed that a “bitter power struggle” ensued as al-Shabaab’s deputy emir Mahad Karate clashed with Abu Ubaidah’s supporters over the alleged nomination of a new leader.Japheth Ogila, “Change of guard for Al-Shabaab as leader falls sick,” The Standard (Kenya), August 31, 2020, https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/africa/article/2001384609/change-of-guard-for-al-shabaab-as-leader-falls-sick.

Nonetheless, in a video released on March 27, 2021, Abu Ubaidah called for called for attacks on American and French interests in Djibouti. He also lashed out at Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh, accusing him of turning Djibouti into a “military base from where every war against the Muslims in East Africa is planned and executed.”“Al-Shabaab calls for attacks on U.S, French interests in Djibouti,” Africa News, March 29, 2021, https://www.africanews.com/2021/03/29/al-shabaab-calls-for-attacks-on-u-s-french-interests-in-djibouti/. Later that year, al-Shabaab released recorded audio of Abu Ubaidah threatening electoral delegates ahead of elections scheduled to begin in July 25.“Al-Shabaab leader threatens electoral delegates ahead of the polls,” Garowe Online, July 20, 2021, https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/al-shabaab-leader-allegedly-threatens-electoral-delegates-ahead-of-the-polls.

On July 31, 2022, a CIA drone struck and killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, Afghanistan.Idrees Ali, “Al Qaeda leader Zawahiri killed in CIA drone strike in Afghanistan - U.S. officials,” Reuters, August 1, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/cia-carried-out-drone-strike-afghanistan-us-officials-say-2022-08-01/; Matthew Lee, Nomaan Merchant, Mike Balsamo, and James Laporta“Biden: Drone strike on al-Qaida leader delivered ‘justice,’” Associated Press, August 1, 2022, https://apnews.com/article/ayman-al-zawahri-al-qaida-terrorism-biden-36e5f10256c9bc9972b252849eda91f2. Following Zawahiri’s death, al-Qaeda scholars have suggested that Abu Ubaidah could be a potential successor to lead the terror network given his role in al-Qaeda’s Hittin Committee which directs the group’s global operations.Snigdha Choudhury, “Explained: Who Will Be The Next Al-Qaeda Leader And What Is The Process To Pick New Emir,” India, August 4, 2022, https://www.india.com/explainer/explained-who-will-be-the-next-al-qaeda-leader-and-what-is-the-process-to-pick-new-emir-5552869/; Jeff Seldin, “US Warns Al-Shabab Attack on Ethiopia ‘Not a Fluke’,” Voice of America, July 28, 2022, https://www.voanews.com/a/us-warns-al-shabab-attack-on-ethiopia-not-a-fluke/6677868.html.

Concerns regarding Abu Ubaidah’s health resurfaced when, in October 2022, the U.S. military said it had killed top al-Shabaab leader Abdullahi Nadir in an airstrike in southwestern Somalia. Nadir was a co-founder of al-Shabaab and was reportedly in line to succeed Abu Ubaidah as the group’s emir.Abdiqani Hassan, “U.S. military says it killed al-Shabaab leader in Somali air strike,” Reuters, October 3, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/somalia-says-it-killed-al-shabaab-co-founder-2022-10-03. Given Ubaidah’s expertise in evading security forces, on November 18, 2022, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice Program announced a $10 million dollar reward—almost double the $6 million that was originally offered in November 2015—for information leading to the identification or capture of Abu Ubaidah, deputy emir Mahad Karate, and al-Shabaab military instructor Jehad Mostafa.“Rewards for Justice – Reward Offers for Information on Key Leaders of al-Shabaab Ahmed Diriye, Mahad Karate, and Jehad Mostafa, and the Disruption of its Financial Mechanisms,” U.S. Department of State, November 18, 2022, https://www.state.gov/rewards-for-justice-reward-offers-for-information-on-key-leaders-of-al-shabaab-ahmed-diriye-mahad-karate-and-jehad-mostafa-and-the-disruption-of-its-financial-mechanisms/.

Mukhtar Robow is a co-founder and former deputy leader of al-Shabaab in Somalia. Robow reportedly left the group in 2013 after disagreements with the group’s now-deceased leader Ahmed Abdi Godane. In August of 2017, Robow surrendered to Somali authorities.Omar Nor, “Former Al-Shabaab deputy leader surrenders,” CNN, August 13, 2017, http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/13/africa/al-shabaab-robow-surrenders/index.html. In late 2018, Robow attempted to run for president of Somalia’s South West state before being arrested by Somali’s federal government.Christopher Anzalone and Stig Jarle Hansen, “The Saga of Mukhtar Robow and Somalia’s Factitious Politics,” War on the Rocks, January 30, 2019, https://warontherocks.com/2019/01/the-saga-of-mukhtar-robow-and-somalias-fractious-politics/. Robow was subsequently placed under house arrest for three years.“Somalia names former al-Shabab spokesperson as religion minister,” Al Jazeera, August 2, 2022, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/2/somalia-names-former-al-shabaab-spokesperson-as-minister. On August 2, 2022, Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre appointed Robow as Somalia’s minister for religious affairs.Abdi Sheikh, “Somalia appoints al Shabaab co-founder as religion minister,” Reuters, August 2, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/somalia-names-former-al-shabaab-spokesperson-minister-2022-08-02/.

Robow has publicly acknowledged that he grew up in Mogadishu, but there is some uncertainty surrounding his exact birthdate and birthplace.Will Connors, Siobhan Gorman, and Sarah Childress, "Somali Militant Group Built Training Camps, Al Qaeda Links," Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2010, http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703722804575369112124063190. The U.S. government lists his place of birth as Xudur, Somalia, with an alternate place of birth of Keren, Eritrea, based on an Eritrean passport registered to “Mukhtar Abdullahi Ali,” one of Robow’s aliases. The government lists Robow’s birthday as simply “1969,” while acknowledging that his Eritrean passport provides an alternate birthdate of October 10, 1969.“Treasury Targets Somali Terrorists,” U.S Department of the Treasury, November 20, 2008, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp1283.aspx.

Robow studied law at the University of Khartoum and taught Arabic in Mogadishu.Will Connors, Siobhan Gorman, and Sarah Childress, "Somali Militant Group Built Training Camps, Al Qaeda Links," Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2010, http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703722804575369112124063190. In 1996, he founded the first Islamist training camp in Somalia in al-Hudda, Bakool region."Are These the Faces behind Westgate Mall Attack?" Daily Nation, September 29, 2013, http://mobile.nation.co.ke/News/Are-these-the-faces-behind-Westgate-mall-attack/-/1950946/2012542/-/format/xhtml/-/m3ga9k/-/index.html. In 2000, Robow traveled to Afghanistan and trained alongside al-Qaeda and the Taliban for approximately one year. It was there that he reportedly learned guerrilla warfare tactics and bomb-making skills, which he transported back to Somalia.Will Connors, Siobhan Gorman, and Sarah Childress, "Somali Militant Group Built Training Camps, Al Qaeda Links," Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2010, http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703722804575369112124063190.

In 2003, Robow and some other younger members of the Somali Islamist group al-Itihad al-Islamiya (AIAI) broke with the organization to form Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujhadeen, now known as as al-Shabaab. Robow was joined by future al-Shabaab leaders Godane, Aden Hashi Ayrow, and Ibrahim Haji Jama. Their stated goal was to establish a “Greater Somalia” state based on sharia (Islamic law).Dagne, Ted. "Somalia: Current Conditions and Prospects for a Lasting Peace," Congressional Research Service, October 8, 2010, http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL33911_20101008.pdf.

The new group joined forces with an association of sharia courts called the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) to provide an alternative government for Somalia. Robow was appointed to serve as a high-level militant commander in the fight against local warlords in Mogadishu. When members of the ICU fled Somalia in 2006 in the wake of an Ethiopian invasion, Robow became the head spokesman for al-Shabaab while also continuing to serve as a militant commander. Under his leadership, al-Shabaab conducted a series of suicide and conventional attacks in 2006 and 2007 against Somalia Transitional Federal Government (TFG), Kenyan, and Ethiopian forces within Somalia.“Mukhtar Robow,” National Counterterrorism Center, accessed November 25, 2014, http://www.nctc.gov/site/profiles/robow.html.

Robow is a Salafist who has sought to impose sharia beyond the borders of Somalia and to cultivate a closer relationship between al-Qaeda and al-Shabaab. Robow backed sending al-Shabaab forces abroad and has encouraged non-Somalis to join al-Shabaab in Somalia.Abdulkadir Khalif, "Defiant Al-Shaabab Reaches out to Somalis in Diaspora," Daily Nation, September 19, 2009, http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/-/1066/660576/-/136eb3uz/-/. Robow also sought to expand al-Shabaab operations to other countries, but he differed with other al-Shahab leaders—notably former emir Ahmed Abdi Godane—over whether to expand al-Shabaab beyond Somalia. Although Robow supportive of the al-Shabaab relationship with al-Qaeda, for example, he believed that Somalia and the Horn of Africa should be the focus of al-Shabaab operations.

Robow had a contentious relationship with Godane, who was killed in a 2014 U.S. airstrike. Godane ousted Robow as al-Shabaab’s spokesperson in 2009 following Robow’s apparent attempt to negotiate with Somalia’s transitional government. Robow also withdrew militants loyal to him from Godane’s control following the failure of a 2010 al-Shabaab offensive. Tensions between Godane and Robow apparently reached their height in 2013 and Robow was forced into hiding amid violent clashes between the two camps.Nathaniel Horadam, "Profile: Sheikh Mukhtar Robow (Abu Mansur)," Critical Threats, November 14, 2011, http://www.criticalthreats.org/somalia/al-shabaab-leadership/sheikh-mukhtar-robow-abu-mansur-november-14-2011. “He refused to listen to us and is interested in nothing else, but in power,” Robow commented about Godane in June 2013.Ahmednor Ugas, “Al Shabaab Leader Speaks out,” Somali Current, accessed November 27, 2014, http://www.somalicurrent.com/2013/09/20/al-shabaab-leader-speaks-out/.

Robow’s departure from al-Shabaab weakened the organization as it split the group between two camps. Robow is a member of the Rahanweyn clan, which reportedly comprised the majority of al-Shabaab’s initial membership. He is also one of the few founding al-Shabaab members still active. Robow was largely popular among al-Shabaab’s members while Godane, though said to be charismatic, grew unpopular as a result of his autocratic methods. Reports suggest that al-Shabaab’s new emir, Ahmed Umar Abu Ubaidah, had asked Robow to rejoin the group.Tres Thomas, "Analysis: Is Al-Shabaab Stronger or Weaker after Godane’s Death?" Somalia Newsroom, September 22, 2014, http://somalianewsroom.com/2014/09/22/analysis-is-al-shabaab-stronger-or-weaker-after-godanes-death/. Rahanweyn fighters followed Robow when he left the group and later reportedly fought against al-Shabaab on his behalf.Derek Gannon, “Al-Shabaab clash with militia of exiled founder Mukhtar Robow in southern Somalia,” SOFREP, August 10, 2017, https://sofrep.com/87492/al-shabaab-clash-militia-exiled-founder-mukhtar-robow-southern-somalia/; Feisal Omar, “Somalia Islamist insurgency splits as loyalty of key commander wavers,” Reuters, June 30, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-security/somalia-islamist-insurgency-splits-as-loyalty-of-key-commander-wavers-idUSKBN19L255.

In June 2017, the U.S. government canceled its $5 million reward for Robow, reportedly as part of negotiations to encourage Robow to defect from al-Shabaab.Feisal Omar, “Somalia Islamist insurgency splits as loyalty of key commander wavers,” Reuters, June 30, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-security/somalia-islamist-insurgency-splits-as-loyalty-of-key-commander-wavers-idUSKBN19L255. During the summer of 2017, Robow reportedly led his followers into combat against al-Shabaab in Abal, Somalia. On August 13, 2017, Robow surrendered to Somali authorities in the Somali town of Hudur, south of Mogadishu.Omar Nor, “Former Al-Shabaab deputy leader surrenders,” CNN, August 13, 2017, http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/13/africa/al-shabaab-robow-surrenders/index.html; “Somali insurgent leader Robow defects to government: military,” Reuters, August 13, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-defection-idUSKCN1AT09P.

On October 4, 2018, Robow announced his candidacy for the presidency of Somalia’s South West regional state. He claimed that his deep experience with al-Shabaab’s internal workings made him the ideal leader to defeat them.Mohamed Olad Hassan, “Somali Ex-Militant Leader Runs for Political Office,” Voice of America, October 4, 2018, https://www.voanews.com/africa/somali-ex-militant-leader-runs-political-office. The following day, the Somali federal government said that Robow was forbidden from running for office because of existing U.N. Security Council terrorism sanctions against him.Mohamed Olad Hassan, “Somali Government Blocks Ex-Militant From Seeking Political Office,” Voice of America, October 5, 2018, https://www.voanews.com/africa/somali-government-blocks-ex-militant-seeking-political-office. Legally, however, the federal government’s power to prevent a regional candidate from pursuing office was unclear, and Robow continued his run for office.Leela Jacinto, “Trading Bullets for Ballots, Former al Shabaab No. 2 Tests Somalia’s Democratic Process,” France 24, November 26, 2018, https://www.france24.com/en/20181125-somalia-elections-al-shabaab-former-deputy-candidate-democracy-mukhtar-robow. Federal police, backed by Ethiopian peacekeepers, then arrested him on December 13, 2018, just days before the election, and detained him in Mogadishu without formal charge.Leela Jacinto, “Arrest of Ex-Shabaab-Leader-Turned-Politician Sparks Deadly Clashes in Somalia,” France 24, December 15, 2018, https://www.france24.com/en/20181215-somalia-arrest-ex-shabaab-leader-politician-deadly-clashes.

Robow’s arrest provoked widespread backlash in the region. There was a mass resignation of members from the South West Electoral Committee, who opposed the “direct interference and manipulation in the electoral process from the federal government.” Rioting in the streets of South West state resulted in the deaths of 11 people.Leela Jacinto, “Arrest of Ex-Shabaab-Leader-Turned-Politician Sparks Deadly Clashes in Somalia,” France 24, December 15, 2018, https://www.france24.com/en/20181215-somalia-arrest-ex-shabaab-leader-politician-deadly-clashes. On December 30, 2018, U.N. Envoy to Somalia Nicholas Haysom wrote to the federal government in Mogadishu to request an explanation for the legal basis of Robow’s imprisonment, and to demand an investigation into the deaths of protesters. In response, the government expelled Haysom and accused him of meddling with internal affairs.Abdi Sheikh, “Somalia Orders Top U.N. Official to Leave,” Reuters, January 2, 2019, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-un/somalia-orders-top-u-n-official-to-leave-idUSKCN1OW083.

On July 1, 2021, Robow began a hunger strike in order to protest his continued detention by the Somali federal government.“Ex-Al-Shabaab deputy leader goes on hunger strike in Mogadishu,” Garowe Online, July 4, 2021, https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/ex-al-shabaab-deputy-mukhtar-robow-goes-to-hunger-strike-in-mogadishu. After serving more than three years under house arrest, on August 2, 2022, Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre appointed Robow as Somalia’s minister for religious affairs. According to media sources, Robow’s appointment can potentially strengthen government forces in the insurgent-heavy Bakool region.Abdi Sheikh, “Somalia appoints al Shabaab co-founder as religion minister,” Reuters, August 2, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/somalia-names-former-al-shabaab-spokesperson-minister-2022-08-02/; “Somalia names former al-Shabab spokesperson as religion minister,” Al Jazeera, August 2, 2022, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/2/somalia-names-former-al-shabaab-spokesperson-as-minister.

Saudi-born Ibrahim al-Asiri was the chief bomb-maker for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).“Department of State’s Terrorist Designation of Ibrahim Assan Tali Al-Asiri,” U.S. Department of State, March 24, 2011, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/03/158911.htm. Before joining AQAP, Asiri belonged to an al-Qaeda-affiliated cell in Saudi Arabia, where he plotted a series of bombings on domestic oil facilities.“Department of State’s Terrorist Designation of Ibrahim Assan Tali Al-Asiri,” U.S. Department of State, March 24, 2011, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/03/158911.htm;
Gregory D. Johnsen, “A Profile of AQAP’s Upper Echelon,” Combating Terrorism Center, July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon. Asiri traveled to Yemen in 2007 to join AQAP and became notorious for designing a score of bomb attacks aimed at targets in the United States. These include the underwear bomb plots of 2009—carried out by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab—and again in 2012, as well as the cargo plane bomb plot in 2010. Asiri was also implicated in his brother Abdullah al-Asiri’s 2009 assassination attempt of Saudi Prince Muhammad bin Nayif in Jeddah.“Department of State’s Terrorist Designation of Ibrahim Assan Tali Al-Asiri,” U.S. Department of State, March 24, 2011, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/03/158911.htm. Asiri died in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in the second half of 2017.David Martin, “U.S. officials confident drone strike killed chief al Qaeda bomb maker,” CBS News, August 20, 2018, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ibrahim-al-asiri-chief-al-qaeda-bomb-maker-killed-in-u-s-drone-strike/; Samuel Chamberlain, “Al Qaeda bomb maker killed in Yemen drone strike last year, US official confirms,” Fox News, August 20, 2018, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/08/20/al-qaeda-bomb-maker-killed-in-us-drone-strike-in-yemen-official-says.html.

According to his sister, Asiri grew devout and reclusive following the death of one of his brothers in a car crash in 2000. “It was after that that they [Asiri and his younger brother Abdullah] started swapping video tapes and cassettes on the mujaheddin [holy warriors],” she told Saudi Arabian media.Sudarsan Raghavan, Peter Finn, “Al-Qaeda bombmaker Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri has tried to attack the U.S. three times, officials say,” Washington Post, May 8, 2012, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/al-qaeda-bomb-maker-ibrahim-hassan-al-asiri-has-tried-to-attack-the-us-three-times-officials-say/2012/05/08/gIQA16pkBU_story.html?utm_term=.a069c4edd08d. At the time of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Asiri was a chemistry student at Riyadh’s King Saud University. Soon after the invasion, Asiri reportedly attempted to cross the border in order to join al-Qaeda in Iraq, but was arrested by Saudi authorities and handed a nine-month prison sentence.Sudarsan Raghavan, Peter Finn, “Al-Qaeda bombmaker Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri has tried to attack the U.S. three times, officials say,” Washington Post, May 8, 2012, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/al-qaeda-bomb-maker-ibrahim-hassan-al-asiri-has-tried-to-attack-the-us-three-times-officials-say/2012/05/08/gIQA16pkBU_story.html?utm_term=.a069c4edd08d.

Following his release, Asiri and his brother Abdullah formed a militant cell linked to Saudi Arabia’s al-Qaeda wing and plotted attacks against the Kingdom’s security forces, oil facilities, and royal family. In 2007, Asiri and his brother joined AQAP in Yemen, where he would go on to become the terror group’s most notorious bomb-maker.Sudarsan Raghavan, Peter Finn, “Al-Qaeda bombmaker Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri has tried to attack the U.S. three times, officials say,” Washington Post, May 8, 2012, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/al-qaeda-bomb-maker-ibrahim-hassan-al-asiri-has-tried-to-attack-the-us-three-times-officials-say/2012/05/08/gIQA16pkBU_story.html?utm_term=.a069c4edd08d;
Gregory D. Johnsen, “A Profile of AQAP’s Upper Echelon,” Combating Terrorism Center, July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon.

In March 2011, the U.S. Department of State designated Asiri as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. In 2014, the U.S. Department of State Rewards for Justice Program offered $5 million for information leading to the location of Asiri and other AQAP leaders, including the group’s leader Qasim al-Raymi. Asiri was also wanted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Interpol had released a notice warning the public about the dangers he posed.“Ibrahim Hassan Tali al-Asiri,” U.S. Department of State, accessed December 27, 2016, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/ibrahim_al_asiri.html;
Bill Roggio, “AQAP confirms military commander killed in US airstrike, Long War Journal, February 5, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/02/aqap-confirms-military-commander-killed-in-us-airstrike.php. Asiri was featured in an audio recording released by AQAP on January 11, 2016, in which he vowed to continue fighting the United States, stating, “By God, we [AQAP] will not continue to let you go as long as there is a pulsing vein in our body.”“Bomb-making terrorist threatens, US, Saudi Arabia over executions,” Fox News, January 11, 2016, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/01/11/al-qaida-threatens-saudis-us-over-execution-militants.html.

On August 17, 2018, Yemeni security officials and a tribal leader told the Associated Press that Asiri had died in a U.S. drone strike in Marib, Yemen, during the second half of 2017.Maggie Michael and Ahmed al-Haj, “Al-Qaida bomb master killed in U.S. strike, officials say,” Associated Press, August 17, 2018, https://apnews.com/7699a2a003a44466a480a0969c017810. According to the reports, the drone targeted Asiri’s car, killing him and two to four of his associates. On August 20, U.S. officials confirmed Asiri’s death in the 2017 strike.David Martin, “U.S. officials confident drone strike killed chief al Qaeda bomb maker,” CBS News, August 20, 2018, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ibrahim-al-asiri-chief-al-qaeda-bomb-maker-killed-in-u-s-drone-strike/; Samuel Chamberlain, “Al Qaeda bomb maker killed in Yemen drone strike last year, US official confirms,” Fox News, August 20, 2018, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/08/20/al-qaeda-bomb-maker-killed-in-us-drone-strike-in-yemen-official-says.html. A U.N. Security Council report called Asiri’s death a “serious blow to [AQAP’s] operational capability.”“Letter dated 16 July 2018 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security Council,” U.N. Security Council, July 27, 2018, http://undocs.org/S/2018/705.

Khairat el-Shater is the imprisoned deputy supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood.Reuters Staff, “Egypt Brotherhood deputy leader Shater arrested,” Reuters, July 5, 2013, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-protests-shater/egypt-brotherhood-deputy-leader-shater-arrested-idUSBRE96410L20130705. As a senior leader of the organization, el-Shater plays a key in policymaking and as a chief strategist,Matthew Kaminski, “Khairat Al Shater: The Brother Who Would Run Egypt,” Wall Street Journal, June 22, 2012, https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304765304577482690379062050. though it is unclear to what extent he currently operates from prison. A member of the Muslim Brotherhood for over 20 years, el-Shater was the organization’s first candidate for the Egyptian presidency in 2012 before he was banned from running, allowing for Mohammed Morsi to replace him and win the runoff presidential election.Andreas Gorzewski, “Egypt’s Mohammed Morsi faces another death sentence,” Deutsche Welle, June 17, 2018, http://www.dw.com/en/egypts-mohammed-morsi-faces-another-death-sentence/a-19339362. El-Shater is considered a chief financier of the Brotherhood, though his assets were frozen by the military government following his July 2013 arrest.Naomi Conrad, “Underground with the Muslim Brotherhood,” Deutsche Welle, July 2, 2015, http://www.dw.com/en/underground-with-the-muslim-brotherhood/a-18558234. El-Shater had been arrested numerous times on charges ranging from terrorism and inciting violence against protesters to profiteering and money laundering.Bradley Hope, “Khairat Al Shater – Muslim Brotherhood power broker and now target of Egyptian anger,” National (Abu Dhabi), July 3, 2013, http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/khairat-al-shater-muslim-brotherhood-power-broker-and-now-target-of-egyptian-anger. He has served in Egyptian prison since July 5, 2013, on charges of inciting violence in the days before Morsi’s 2013 ouster and for spying for Hamas.El-Sayed Gamaledine, “Muslim Brotherhood's second-man El-Shater arrested: Security official,” Ahram Online, July 6, 2013, http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/75815/Egypt/Politics-/Muslim-Brotherhoods-secondman-ElShater-arrested-Se.aspx; “Egypt court issues preliminary death sentence to Morsi in ‘jailbreak case,’” Reuters, May 16, 2015, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-mursi/egypt-court-hands-mursi-death-sentence-in-blow-to-muslim-brotherhood-idUSKBN0OW0XC20150616.

El-Shater was born on May 4, 1950, in the province of Daqahliya, Egypt. He earned an engineering degree from Alexandria University.“Profile: Egypt's Khairat al-Shater,” Al Jazeera, April 1, 2012, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/04/20124117205835954.html. He served in the Egyptian military for two years, and then went on to earn a master’s degree in engineering from Mansura University.“Profile: Egypt's Khairat al-Shater,” Al Jazeera, April 1, 2012, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/04/20124117205835954.html. El-Shater joined the Muslim Brotherhood in 1981 after years as a student activist.“Profile: Egypt's Khairat al-Shater,” Al Jazeera, April 1, 2012, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/04/20124117205835954.html. In 1995, el-Shater became the head of the Brotherhood's Greater Cairo branch.“Profile: Egypt's Khairat al-Shater,” Al Jazeera, April 1, 2012, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/04/20124117205835954.html. That same year, he was tried by a military court for trying to “revive” the Muslim Brotherhood and sentenced to five years in prison.“Profile: Egypt's Khairat al-Shater,” Al Jazeera, April 1, 2012, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/04/20124117205835954.html.

El-Shater was the chief strategist of the Muslim Brotherhood and a successful businessman. He owned a furniture and fabric business with stores in luxurious neighborhoods in Cairo. He was reportedly worth several million dollars.Abul-Magd Zeinab, "The Brotherhood's businessmen," Egypt Independent (Cairo), February 13, 2012, http://www.egyptindependent.com//opinion/brotherhoods-businessmen. He and other Muslim Brotherhood leaders were arrested in 2006 and in 2007, he was sentenced to seven years in prison by a military court for providing students with weapons and military training.Yolande Knell, “Egypt candidate: Muslim Brotherhood’s Khairat al-Shater,” BBC News, April 2, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-17583661. Despite being in prison, el-Shater still reportedly ran his profitable business and maintained his decision-making responsibilities in the Muslim Brotherhood. Considered a political prisoner, he was released from prison in March 2011, weeks after the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.Amira Howeidy, “Meet the Brotherhood’s enforcer: Khairat El-Shater,” Ahram Online, March 29, 2012, http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/37993.aspx. Foreign Policy magazine named el-Shater one of its “Top 100 Global Thinkers” in December 2011.Kedar Pavgi, “The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers,” Foreign Policy, November 29, 2011, http://foreignpolicy.com/2011/11/28/the-fp-top-100-global-thinkers-4/.

In the lead-up to the 2012 Egyptian presidential election, the Muslim Brotherhood pledged that it would not field its own candidate. El-Shater himself used the case of an Islamist victory in the 1991 Algerian elections as a warning: “When Islamists there reached power quickly, the military establishment turned against them.”David D. Kirkpatrick, “Islamist Group Breaks Pledge to Stay Out of Race in Egypt,” New York Times, March, 31, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/world/middleeast/brotherhood-chooses-a-candidate-in-egypt.html. On March 31, 2012, the FJP broke its pledge and named el-Shater as its presidential candidate,Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, “Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to field presidential candidate,” CNN, April 1 2012, http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/01/world/meast/egypt-brotherhood-president/. but the Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces barred him from running because he had been recently incarcerated. Egypt’s election rules excluded candidates who had been incarcerated within six years.“Egypt bars 10 candidates from election,” Al Jazeera, April 15, 2012, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/04/2012414185229419379.html. The Muslim Brotherhood instead put FJP chairman Mohammed Morsi forward as its presidential candidate. Morsi went on to win the election in June 2012.David D. Kirkpatrick, “Named Egypt’s Winner, Islamist Makes History,” New York Times, June 24, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/world/middleeast/mohamed-morsi-of-muslim-brotherhood-declared-as-egypts-president.html.

El-Shater represented the Muslim Brotherhood during negotiations with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which had seized power following Mubarak’s fall. He was critical of the military for its power grab and insisted the generals hand the reins of government over to the democratically elected Morsi.Matthew Kaminski, “Khairat Al Shater: The Brother Who Would Run Egypt,” Wall Street Journal, June 22, 2012,  https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304765304577482690379062050. According to news reports, el-Shater and the Muslim Brotherhood’s board held significant influence over the Morsi government.David D. Kirkpatrick, “Named Egypt’s Winner, Islamist Makes History,” New York Times, June 24, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/world/middleeast/mohamed-morsi-of-muslim-brotherhood-declared-as-egypts-president.html. El-Shater became known as a backroom operator due to his importance within the Brotherhood and powerful business connections.Bradley Hope, “Khairat Al Shater – Muslim Brotherhood power broker and now target of Egyptian anger,” National (Abu Dhabi), July 3, 2013, http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/khairat-al-shater-muslim-brotherhood-power-broker-and-now-target-of-egyptian-anger. He met with foreign diplomats and executives of global companies who visited Egypt.Bradley Hope, “Khairat Al Shater – Muslim Brotherhood power broker and now target of Egyptian anger,” National (Abu Dhabi), July 3, 2013, http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/khairat-al-shater-muslim-brotherhood-power-broker-and-now-target-of-egyptian-anger. He even served as a diplomatic envoy for the Brotherhood on a trip to Qatar to discuss developments in Egypt and the region.“Brotherhood’s deputy supreme guide heads to Qatar for talks,” Egypt Independent (Cairo), March 5, 2012, http://www.egyptindependent.com/brotherhoods-deputy-supreme-guide-heads-qatar-talks/. Due to his prolific activities on behalf of the Brotherhood in the Morsi administration, many within the Egyptian government and the general population reportedly grew to resent el-Shater, making him a target for civil anger.Bradley Hope, “Khairat Al Shater – Muslim Brotherhood power broker and now target of Egyptian anger,” The National, July 3, 2013, http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/khairat-al-shater-muslim-brotherhood-power-broker-and-now-target-of-egyptian-anger.

On July 5, 2013, el-Shater was arrested on charges of inciting violence following the military coup d’état that removed Morsi from the presidency.El-Sayed Gamaledine, “Muslim Brotherhood's second-man El-Shater arrested: Security official,” Ahram Online, July 6, 2013, http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/75815/Egypt/Politics-/Muslim-Brotherhoods-secondman-ElShater-arrested-Se.aspx. Egyptian courts twice attempted to try him, but both times the panel of judges withdrew from the trial, citing that they felt “uneasy.”“Judges in Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Trial Quit,” Al Jazeera, October 29, 2013, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/10/29/judges-in-egyptianbrotherhoodtrialquit.html. On February 28, 2015, el-Shater was convicted on charges related to violence near the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters four days before Morsi’s ouster in 2013. He received a sentence of life imprisonment.“Egypt sentences four members of Muslim Brotherhood to death,” Toronto Star, February 28, 2015, https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/02/28/egypt-sentences-four-members-of-muslim-brotherhood-to-death.html. El-Shater was convicted alongside the Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie and 12 others who received life sentences. Four Brotherhood members were sentenced to execution.“Egypt sentences four members of Muslim Brotherhood to death,” Toronto Star, February 28, 2015, https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/02/28/egypt-sentences-four-members-of-muslim-brotherhood-to-death.html. On May 16, 2015, el-Shater and other Brotherhood members were given preliminary death sentences for charges of spying for Hamas.“Egypt court issues preliminary death sentence to Morsi in ‘jailbreak case,’” Ahram Online, May 16, 2015, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-mursi/egypt-court-hands-mursi-death-sentence-in-blow-to-muslim-brotherhood-idUSKBN0OW0XC20150616. The death sentence charges were finalized on June 16, 2015, but can be appealed.Mahmoud Mourad and Omar Fahmy, “Egypt court hands Mursi death sentence in blow to Muslim Brotherhood, June 16, 2015, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-mursi/egypt-court-hands-mursi-death-sentence-in-blow-to-muslim-brotherhood-idUSKBN0OW0XC20150616. El-Shater remains imprisoned in the Tora Supermax Prison on the outskirts of Cairo.“Egypt: Serious Abuses in Scorpion Prison,” Human Rights Watch, September 28, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/09/28/egypt-serious-abuses-scorpion-prison/.

Khalid al-Barnawi is the captured leader of Boko Haram’s dissident splinter group, Ansaru. Nigerian authorities arrested al-Barnawi in Lokoja, Koji state, in early April 2016.“Khalid al-Barnawi: Nigeria Islamist group head 'arrested',” BBC News, April 3, 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35956301.

Despite disagreements between Boko Haram and Ansaru, the two groups cooperate on various attacks, which enabled al-Barnawi to maintain leadership positions in both groups. Like other Ansaru leaders, al-Barnawi historically refused to show his face or issue individual statements.Jacob Zenn, “Leadership Analysis of Boko Haram and Ansaru in Nigeria,” Combatting Terrorism Center, February 24, 2014, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/leadership-analysis-of-boko-haram-and-ansaru-in-nigeria.

According to the Combatting Terrorism Center, al-Barnawi has been “uniquely capable” of strengthening Boko Haram’s ties with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), al-Shabab, the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJWA), and the al-Qaeda core. He has carried out kidnappings for numerous jihadist groups, and was reportedly “willing” to carry out kidnappings for Ansaru, Boko Haram, MUJWA, AQIM, or any other jihadist group, “regardless of ideology.” Since Ansaru’s creation in early 2012, al-Barnawi allegedly “drifted” from Ansaru to Boko Haram in favor of for-profit kidnappings.Jacob Zenn, “Leadership Analysis of Boko Haram and Ansaru in Nigeria,” Combatting Terrorism Center, February 24, 2014, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/leadership-analysis-of-boko-haram-and-ansaru-in-nigeria.

Al-Barnawi trained with AQIM in Algeria in the mid-2000s,Jacob Zenn, “Ansaru, a Profile of Nigeria’s Newest Jihadist Movement,” Jamestown Foundation, January 10, 2013, http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=40287&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=621#.VO9Gy7PF8zA. where he may have developed internationalist Islamist ideologies.“A Brief Look at Ansaru’s Khalid al-Barnawi- AQIM’s Bridge Into Northern Nigeria,” Jametown Foundation Militant Leadership Monitor, March 27, 2013, http://mlm.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=40648&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=686#.VO9PhrPF8zA. He therefore may be only marginally committed to Boko Haram’s goal of an Islamic State in Nigeria, and more interested in attacking international targets.“A Brief Look at Ansaru’s Khalid al-Barnawi- AQIM’s Bridge Into Northern Nigeria,” Jametown Foundation Militant Leadership Monitor, March 27, 2013, http://mlm.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=40648&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=686#.VO9PhrPF8zA.

The U.S. Department of State designated al-Barnawi a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224 on June 21, 2012.“Terrorist Designations of Boko Haram Commander Abubakar Shekau, Khalid al-Barnawi and Abubakar Adam Kambar,” U.S. Department of State, June 21, 2012, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/06/193574.htm.

Yahya Abu Hammam, born Djamel Okacha, is a U.S.- and U.N.-designated terrorist and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)’s emir (leader) in West Africa and the Sahel.“Treasury Designates an Additional Senior Leader of Al-Qa’ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, February 14, 2013, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1855.aspx; Bill Roggio, “US adds senior AQIM commander to terrorist list,” Long War Journal, February 16, 2013, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/02/us_adds_aqim_command.php; Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Djamel Akkacha to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, February 5, 2013, http://www.un.org/press/en/2013/sc10908.doc.htm. He has reportedly waged jihad since joining an AQIM predecessor group in the early 2000s.Tim Lister and Paul Cruickshank, “Al Qaeda reported to suffer double blow in Sahara,” CNN, March 3, 2013, http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/03/world/aqim-double-blow; Lamine Chikhi, “New leader named for Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb: TV,” Reuters, March 24, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-algeria-qaeda-okacha-idUSBRE92N0C020130324. Hammam was reportedly killed by the French military in late February 2019.Caleb Weiss, “French Military Claims Senior JNIM Leader Killed,” Long War Journal, February 22, 2019, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2019/02/french-military-claims-senior-jnim-leader-killed.php.

U.S. officials reportedly consider Hammam to be a senior aide to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.“Tunisia: Drone Strike ‘Targeted Al-Qaeda Leader’,” AllAfrica, June 5, 2012, http://allafrica.com/stories/201206070378.html. He is also considered the second-in-command and “right-hand man” of AQIM emir Abdelmalek Droukdel, who reportedly appointed Hammam to his current position in 2012.Lamine Chikhi, “New leader named for Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb: TV,” Reuters, March 24, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-algeria-qaeda-okacha-idUSBRE92N0C020130324; Tim Lister and Paul Cruickshank, “Al Qaeda reported to suffer double blow in Sahara,” CNN, March 3, 2013, http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/03/world/aqim-double-blow; Malek Bachir and Nefis Khider, “Armed Islamist leaders in Libya claim al-Qaeda's Belmokhtar is still alive,” Middle East Eye, June 13, 2018, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/algeria-libya-mokhtar-belmokhtar-alive-qaeda-aqim-islamic-state-1799384986; “QDi 313. DJAMEL AKKACHA,” United Nations Security Council, accessed October 9, 2018, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/djamel-akkacha. Since AQIM merged with local Salafist groups Ansar Dine and al-Murabitoun to form Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) in 2017, Hammam also functions as the deputy of Ansar Dine leader Iyad Ag Ghaly.Nefis Khider, “EXCLUSIVE: Sahel al-Qaeda offered immunity in 'secret French-backed deal',” Middle East Eye, April 23, 2018, https://www.middleeasteye.net/algeria-france-mali-secret-agreement-militant-surrender; Thomas Joscelyn, “Analysis: Al Qaeda groups reorganize in West Africa,” Long War Journal, March 13, 2017, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/03/analysis-al-qaeda-groups-reorganize-in-west-africa.php.

Hammam previously led AQIM’s al-Fourqan Brigade.Bill Roggio, “US adds senior AQIM commander to terrorist list,” Long War Journal, February 16, 2013, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/02/us_adds_aqim_command.php. He also served as AQIM’s “governor” in Timbuktu, Mali, when the city was held by Islamist rebels between April 2012 and January 2013.Adam Nossiter, “In Timbuktu, Harsh Change Under Islamists,” New York Times, June 2, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/world/africa/in-timbuktu-mali-rebels-and-islamists-impose-harsh-rule.html; Adama Diarra, “French, Malians retake Timbuktu, rebels torch library,” Reuters, January 29, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mali-rebels-idUSBRE90O0C720130129.

In 2013, Hammam has been designated as a terrorist by the United States, the United Nations, the European Union, and France.“Yahya Abu el Hammam,” U.S. Department of State Rewards for Justice, accessed October 9, 2018, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/yahya_hammam.html; “Liste Unique de Gels,” La direction générale du Trésor, accessed October 9, 2018, https://www.tresor.economie.gouv.fr/Ressources/11448_liste-unique-de-gels. The United Nations referred to Hammam as a “coordinator” of groups associated with AQIM in northern Mali, and noted that he was responsible for several attacks in the region.“Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Djamel Akkacha to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, February 5, 2013, http://www.un.org/press/en/2013/sc10908.doc.htm. Hammam has reportedly kidnapped several European hostages, some of whom have been released in exchange for ransom payments that help to finance AQIM’s activities.“Treasury Designates an Additional Senior Leader of Al-Qa’ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, February 14, 2013, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1855.aspx.

Hammam has allegedly met with several AQIM and ISIS leaders in Libya in spring 2018. Rumors about close cooperation between the terrorist groups have subsequently circulated, but are later assessed as unlikely by Algerian security experts.Malek Bachir and Nefis Khider, “Armed Islamist leaders in Libya claim al-Qaeda's Belmokhtar is still alive,” Middle East Eye, June 13, 2018, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/algeria-libya-mokhtar-belmokhtar-alive-qaeda-aqim-islamic-state-1799384986.

In late February 2019, the French military claimed to have killed Hammam in the region of Timbuktu in northern Mali. According to government reports, French forces deployed in support of Operation Barkhane—France’s counter-insurgency campaign in Africa’s western Sahel—observed three suspicious moving vehicles. During the French attempt to intercept the vehicles, the occupants opened fire. French air support allegedly killed Hammam and two of his deputies in the fighting. However, AQIM has not confirmed his death.Caleb Weiss, “French Military Claims Senior JNIM Leader Killed,” Long War Journal, February 22, 2019, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2019/02/french-military-claims-senior-jnim-leader-killed.php.