MUST READ: JIHAD'S NEW LEADERS

Jihad's New Leaders
by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross and Kyle Dabruzzi

The recent deaths of prominent Al-Qaeda terrorists such as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq and Abu Hafs al-Urdani in Dagestan, as well as a host of less publicized kills and captures, have hastened the arrival of a new generation of jihadist leaders. As they learn from their predecessors' mistakes, these new leaders may become even more lethal.

Five new terrorist leaders have demonstrated their importance:

1) Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys in Somalia,
2) Abu Ayyub al-Masri in Iraq,
3) Matiur Rehman and
4) Faqir Mohammed in Pakistan, and
5) Aris Sumarsono (also known as Zulkarnaen) in Indonesia.

Even if these leaders prove short-lived, their decisions have already had a profound effect on the course of the global war on terror.

They may represent disparate communities, but each of these new terrorist leaders employs similar strategies. First, they are more aware of their international image than their predecessors. While they seek to shock and strike fear into their enemies, they also wish to appear reasonable to their constituents and the larger Muslim population. While the Taliban engaged in massacres, and Zarqawi distributed videos showing the beheading of captives, the new leaders minimize overt acts of brutality that could undermine public support. Second, the new jihadists consider management of civil society more than did their predecessors. They do not wish to preside over failed states. The Islamic Courts Union (ICU) actually raised Somalia's standard of living modestly.[1] Third, these new leaders have exploited advanced communications technologies to improve their outreach and forge broader alliances. It should not surprise that jihadist movements have grown stronger.

Examination of each of their cases and areas of operation demonstrates how these new jihadist leaders have enacted these new strategies.

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Pertinent Links:

1) Jihad's New Leaders