[cite news]
url=http://news.bostonherald.com/international/middleEast/view.bg?articleid=1003786&format=text
title=Al-Qaida escapee from U.S. detention in Afghanistan lashes out at U.S. Saudi allies
publisher=Boston Herald
date= May 30, 2007
accessdate=2007-06-05] whom at the time American counter-terrorism analysts assert that al-Libi was a member of al Qaeda. al-Libi was one of several high-profile Bagram captives who escaped on the night of July 10 2005.Jarret Brachman, a former analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) who is now research director of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point states of al-Libi:
"He’s a warrior. He’s a poet. He’s a scholar. He’s a pundit. He’s a military commander. And he’s a very charismatic, young, brash rising star within Al-Qaeda, and I think he has become the heir apparent to Osama bin Laden in terms of taking over the entire global jihadist movement."
Scheuer states of him that "in the last year or so emerged as al-Qaeda's theological hardliner" and an "insurgent-theologian"
Background
al-Libi was born 1963,["Interview with Abu Yahya al-Libi," http://www.tajdeed.org, June 21, 2006, referenced in Scheuer, Michael F. [http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373586 Part1] and [http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373619 Part 2] ] ]al-Libi went to Afghanistan in the early 1990s
As detailed below, he was imprisoned by both Pakistani and U.S. authorities, but has claimed to have studied Islamic law, history and jurisprudence "for years among excellent and great scholars" who were in the field with al-Qaeda and other Islamist insurgent groups.
It is stated that "When he returned two years later" [from his Islamic studies in Mauritania, Africa] , "Afghanistan was no longer a battleground for militant Libyans, but rather a haven: the Taliban controlled most of the country. Mr. Libi’s training in warfare was minimal, and his early work as a preacher rarely touched on militant action, according to the Libyan man who said he had met Mr. Libi in Afghanistan, and who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns. “He started to visit training camps and talk about Shariah,” or Islamic law, this man said in a telephone interview, about “morals, etiquette, how to act.” "
Capture and escape
al-Libi is a citizen of Libya, who was captured by ISAF forces in the Invasion of Afghanistan
Early reports on the 2005 escape from Bagram Airbase included Qayad's name as one of the escapees.
Posters around the airbase identified "the Libyan, Mohammad Hassan Abu Bakar" as one of the escapees, but did not mention high-ranking al-Qaeda leader Omar al-Faruq as one of the escapees.[ [http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-07-11-afghanistan-escapees_x.htm?csp=N009 4 terror suspects escape from U.S. base in Afghanistan] ] - later reports removed the Libyan from the list of escapes and inserted al-Faruq. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/international/asia/04escape.html?ex=1291352400&en=24ad526cb83b3590&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Details Emerge on a Brazen Escape in Afghanistan - New York Times ] ] ]On November 4 2005, he appeared in a Ramadan video on the Arabic television station al-Arabiya, and mentioned that he had escaped from Bagram.
He was re-listed as an escapee, and as of October 2006 was listed among the Department of Defense's "Most Wanted", and a Terrorist Recognition Card repeated the earlier claim that he was indeed among the four escapees.[ [http://www.dia.mil/site6_images/cards/AF-PK.pdf Terrorist Recognition cards: Afghanistan/Pakistan] ] In addition, the name off the Airbase posters was added as an "alias".]Other
Al-Libi has produced a series of propaganda videos.
On June 22 2008 Abu Yahia Al Libi released a 19-minute video urging Somalians to resist United Nations forces in Somalia.[cite news]
url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gKOtmEruZ32U-yU3e-6meqQNf7LwD91FAPN80
title=Al-Qaida urges Somalis to fight UN
publisher=Associated Press
date=2008-06-22
accessdate=2008-06-24
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fap.google.com%2Farticle%2FALeqM5gKOtmEruZ32U-yU3e-6meqQNf7LwD91FAPN80&date=2008-06-24 mirror] ] Video releases
*Dec 16 2005 - Names and Information of Twelve Detainees in Bagram Prison in Afghanistan from Sheikh Abu Yehia al-Libi [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications131105&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Dec 21 2005 - Eid al-Fitr Sermon 2005 Eid al-Fitr Sermon by Abu Yehia al-Libi and Scene of Mujahideen Training Exercises [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications132805&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Dec 21 2005 - A Letter to Abu Musab al-Zarqaw from Abu Yehia al-Libi [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications132505&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Dec 27 2005 - Jihad or Resistance – An Examination of the Exchanging Terms from Islamic Law for Secular, Western Terms by Abu Yehia al-Libi [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications134105&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Mar 07 2006 - A Discussion Concerning the Facts and Claims of Extremism Within Islam by Abu Yehia al-Libi [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications154406&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Apr 17 2006 - Hamas and the Impending Exposure by Abu Yehia al-Libi [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications165906&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*May 09 2006 - [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications172206&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Abu Yahya al-Libi on 11 May 2006 [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications173306&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Abu Yahya al-Libi on 17 Jun. 2006 (English Subtitles)
*June 2005 - As-Sahab Interview with Abu Yahya al-Libi [http://clearinghouse.infovlad.net/showthread.php?t=3294] [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications186606&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Light & Fire in Eulogizing the Martyr Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (English Subtitles)
*Jul 26 2006 - Labik Video Production: “They Are Coming,” of Mujahideen Training Exercises in Afghanistan and Speeches from Abu Yehia al-Libi [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications199606&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Jul 31 2006 - As-Sahab Video Eulogy from Abu Yehia al-Libi for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications199906&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Jihadi Poems
*Combat, Not Compromise (English Subtitles) [http://booksbytheulemaofjihad.wordpress.com/2008/05/24/more-abu-yahya-al-libi-books-in-pdf/ transcript]
*Oct 27 2006 - “The Infidel Karzai Regime and the Necessity of War” [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications222906&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Nov 02 2006 - Abu Yahya al-Libi Video Eulogy for Faruq al-Iraqi Produced by as-Sahab [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications224306&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Dec 26 2006 - Our Battle Between Intensity [of the Past] and the Caution of Tomorrow [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications238206&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Feb 01 2007 - And the Crusade Continues... The AIDs Children in Libya (English Subtitles) [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications248507&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Feb 12 2007 - Labik Productions Presents Selected Pictures of a Shari’a Course Led by Abu Yahya al-Libi in a Mujahideen Training Center [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications252407&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Feb 08 2007 - The Adha Holiday Sermon 1427H
*Mar 22 2007 - Iraq: Between Indications of Victory and Conspiratorial Intrigues (English Subtitles) [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications265207&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Mar 25 2007 - To the Army of Difficulty in Somalia (English Subtitles) [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications265907&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Apr 30 2007 - Palestine, an Alarming Scream and a Warning Cry [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications278007&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*May 30 2007 - The Tawheed of Saud... and the True Tawheed (English Subtitles) [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications288907&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Jun 06 2007 - Eulogy for Mullah Dadullah (Eulogy for Taliban Commander Mullah Dadullah) [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications291507&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Jul 31 2007 - The Masters of the Martyrs (Of the Masters of Martyrs) [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications306207&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Sep 09 2007 - Dots on the Letters (English Subtitles) [As-Sahab Second Interview with Shaykh abu Yahia Al-Libi] [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications314207&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Nov 07 2007 - The Closing Statement for the Religious Training that was Held at One of the Mujahideen Centers (Final Session of the Shari’a Course Held at a Mujahideen Center). [http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=678_1211217159 Video] . The transcript of this speech is titled 'Balancing Between Jihad and Seeking Knowledge'. [http://ia360928.us.archive.org/2/items/balancing_transcript/dawra_transcript.pdf Transcript] (Apr 19 2008 - [Eid al-Adha 1428] ). [http://www.archive.org/download/balancing_transcript/dawra_transcript.pdf video and transcript links] , [http://siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications340408&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 SITE Intel Group on speech]
*Going Forth - Nafeer (Go Forth) Khutbah [http://www.archive.org/download/kip9vD/VC.avi video] [http://tibyan.wordpress.com/2008/03/27/balancing-between-jihad-and-seeking-knowledge/ more links]
*The Companion
*Dec 18 2007 - Trumpet of War - [http://revolution.muslimpad.com/2007/12/20/as-sahab-media-shaykh-abu-yahya-al-libbi-trumpet-of-war/ Video] [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications334507&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*Jan 08 2007 - The Fire of the Magi in the Arabian Peninsula [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications242507&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*January 20, 2008
*Feb 11 2008 - Selected Notifications Of Jihad - [http://revolution.muslimpad.com/2008/04/27/shaykh-abu-yahya-al-libi-selected-notifications-of-jihad/ Transcript]
*March 03 2008 - “Companion of the Path”, Abu Yahya Al-Libi Delivers Eulogy for Abu Laith Al-Libi
*March 10 2008 - I am Not a Deceiver, Nor Will I Allow Someone to Deceive Me [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications348508&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 Site institute on speech]
*May 22 2008 - Abu Yahya al-Libi Derides Moderation of Islam [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications363308&Category=publications&Subcategory=0]
*June 23, 2008 - Somalia - No Peace without Islaam [http://itn.co.uk/news/7f3ee831fd03471c368413310b0c1d06.html UK News article] , video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeoYHqxZmHk part 1] , [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G17BHngJVYw part 2] , [http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showpost.php?p=119193&postcount=3 video discussion] , [http://siteintelgroup.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications368608&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 SITE Intel Group on speech]
ee also
*Adam Yahiye Gadahn
*Osama bin Laden
*Ayman al-Zawahiri
References
External links
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/04/world/asia/04qaeda.html? Rising Leader for Next Phase of Al Qaeda's War] NYTimes April 4 2008
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/profiles/abu_yahya_al-libi.htm Global Security profile]
* [http://wordpress.com/tag/abu-yahya-al-libi/ al-Libi blog]
* [http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=6303 IslamicAwakening on Abu Yahya al-Libi]
* [http://www.siteintelgroup.org/bin/search/search.cgi Site Institute links]
