A Study of "Martyrs in a Time of Alienation" (XIII)

A Study of "Martyrs in a Time of Alienation"
Part XIII

In January 2008, Al-Fajr Media Center, an al-Qaida affiliated media group, released an extensive issue in its series, "Biographies of the Martyrs in the Land of Khorasan."  The book -- in the summary translation used here -- consists of 120 brief biographies of men who died in the insurgency against Coalition forces and regional governments.  The following is a brief analysis (in green) of the book's content based on a summary translation available through WNC (Dialog), see the "Introduction" post for record information.

Previous posts can be found here.  This is Part XIII.

Sayfallah al−Zahrani: His name is Muhannad al−Zahrani from Saudi Arabia. He traveled to Iraq where he received his first military training then moved on to Afghanistan. He joined Al−Qa'ida fighters in the tribal area between Pakistan and Afghanistan where he finished his military training and was later killed in a bombing of their position.

Al-Zahrani’s bio seems typical of the current generation of Saudi AQ members: Iraq, Afghanistan, and then…where?  Yemen?  Somalia?

Talut al−Ta'ifi: Khalid Husayn al−Qathami from Saudi Arabia. He traveled to Kandahar, Afghanistan where he received military training and fought in Kabul and northern Afghanistan against the northern alliance until he was injured. He moved to Pakistan for treatment and was later killed in the tribal areas on Pakistan−Afghanistan borders.

Another Saudi easily transiting the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Had he survived, he would be a senior member of an AQ cadre.

Abu−A'id al−Falastini: His name is Khalil Bin−Sa'id al−Dik. He is a Palestinian from Jordan. He began his studies in the US as student of civil aviation then went on to graduate as a computer engineer. He accompanied Abdallah Azzam (central figure in rallying support for Afghan mujahidin against the Soviet invasion) during his tour in the US. He fought with Afghanistan and Bosnia before he settled in Peshawar, Pakistan where he was the first to publish the popular military encyclopedia and Abdallah Azzam's sermons and writings on compact disk. He was arrested in Jordan before he returned to Afghanistan where he met Abu−Zubaydah for the first time. He moved to Shahi−Kot after US Afghanistan where he remained until he was assassinated by an alleged "Pakistani agent."

Khalil al-Deek is one of the most well known subjects in the document.  He was a US-based AQ supporter who worked for the same “charity” as Adam Gadahn in SoCal. The bio notes with confidence what Western CT officials would only suggest: that he was one of the authors of AQ’s pre-9/11 Encyclopedia of Jihad.  It’s difficult to say whether this is information drawn from AQ knowledge of al-Deek or from circular reporting available on the Internet. However, this bio does highlight the murky lines between charity work and violent jihad, between non-profit media production and incitement to violence. 

Abu−Amir al−Sudani: His name is Mustafa (last name not provided) from Sudan. He was killed in an air raid in the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A Sudanese native, probably one of many, who could easily return to their home country to fight if US or other Western forces feel compelled to occupy parts of southern Sudan.

Abu−Amir al−Falastini: He grew up in Kuwait and traveled to Afghanistan from Yemen where he earned a living as a trader. He fought in Kandahar after the US invasion then fled to Shahi−Kot area after the fall of the Taliban where he was killed in an air bombing.

This biography highlights the fluid nature of violent jihad, where average men will participate in fighting, return to the daily grind, and jump back into it at the first sign of opportunity.  It suggests a deeper, spiritual role than a simple call to fight.

Abu−al−Abbas al−Kurdi: He is from Kurdistan, Iraq. He traveled to Afghanistan where he fought in support of the Taliban until the US invasion. He moved to Shahi−Kot in eastern Afghanistan where he was killed in a battle with US and Afghan forces.

This bio highlights the connections between the so-called independent jihadi groups of pre-2003 Northern Iraq and AQ.  Apparently, al-Kurdi never got the memo that there were no connections between the Iraqi groups and AQ.

Abdallah al−Mudir al−Libi: His name is Bashir (last name not provided). He traveled to Sudan and Yemen before he joined mujahidin in Afghanistan where he played various roles. He fled to the tribal areas in Afghanistan after the US invasion where he was later killed in an air bombing.

A Libyan by birth, this jihadi moved easily into Sudan – probably in the 1990s – through Yemen and into Afghanistan.  His bio suggests here too the fluid borders between North Africa, East Africa, and the regions of AQ’s most significant fighting.