<http://www.jamestown.org/images/tm_banner1.gif> <http://www.jamestown.org/images/tm_banner2.gif> December 14, 2006 - Volume IV, Issue 24 * This will be the last issue of Terrorism Monitor for 2006. It will resume publication on January 18, 2007. IN THIS ISSUE: - Harith al-Dari: Iraq's Most Wanted Sunni Leader By Lydia Khalil - The Ideological Voices of the Jihadi Movement By Chris Heffelfinger - Hizb-ut-Tahrir's Growing Appeal in the Arab World By James Brandon - Nigeria Continues to Slide Toward Instability By John C.K. Daly <http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/images/pdf-icon.gif> <http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bvrmzsbefttoqxcjpcap jrntamzkbfp&link=bfquewynzhmjncyfgfqjdsezgfqnbid> View PDF Version _____ Harith al-Dari: Iraq's Most Wanted Sunni Leader By Lydia Khalil According to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Harith al-Dari has "nothing to do with inciting sectarian and ethnic sedition." Al-Dari, the leader of the Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS), has been an outspoken critic of the Shiite-led Iraqi government and is rumored to be affiliated with the 1920 Revolution Brigades, an indigenous Iraqi insurgent group. In November, the Iraqi Interior Ministry issued a warrant for the arrest of the controversial Sunni leader for "inciting terrorism and violence among the Iraqi people." The Iraqi government has been critical of him in the past and it is unclear what finally triggered the Interior Ministry to issue a warrant for his arrest. Al-Dari's published statements and numerous interviews, however, give us a clear window into his attitudes and actions regarding the insurgency. He is certainly a supporter of what he labels the "resistance" and what others label as "terrorism." <http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bvrmzsbefttoqxcjpcap jrntamzkbfp&link=azcetnelncvqkfqvggsphngxxfrmbcp> READ FULL STORY * * * The Ideological Voices of the Jihadi Movement By Chris Heffelfinger It is news to few observers that thousands, even millions, of young Muslims are influenced-to some extent-by jihadi literature circulating on various Islamist websites and discussion forums. The mujahideen's use of the internet for communication, indoctrination, recruitment and public relations has been well demonstrated. Through this medium, a field of preachers and ideologues compete for the vast audience of young Muslims, attempting to sway their opinion and bring them to the "correct" practice and understanding of Islam. Those backing the global jihadi movement have succeeded in capturing this audience-perhaps more so than other contenders-and have gained a wide following of careful but loyal readers. This phenomenon was studied in-depth by the recent Militant Ideology Atlas published at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. The study examined the most popular texts read online from one of the websites most frequently used by al-Qaeda to host their literature-http://tawhed.ws. The literature is critical because it provides deeper motivation to the believer, who seeks ideological backing before taking action. According to the study, a group of Muslim scholars-Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, Abu Basir al-Tartusi, Abu Qatada al-Filistini, 'Abd al-Qadir bin 'Abd al-'Aziz and a few other Saudi clerics-are the primary Salafi opinion-makers guiding the jihadi movement. These scholars are relied upon for their credibility since they have either been imprisoned or exiled by their home countries. They are also perceived as being true to Islam and putting the interests of Muslims before themselves, making them sincere, legitimate and incorruptible. For the mujahideen, they are portrayed as scholarly authorities and the source for doctrinal legitimacy. <http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bvrmzsbefttoqxcjpcap jrntamzkbfp&link=bbhrkaidcvrnoqtubwzygmlpmrkybph> READ FULL STORY * * * Hizb-ut-Tahrir's Growing Appeal in the Arab World By James Brandon Hizb-ut-Tahrir (or Hizb al-Tahrir) is an ostensibly non-violent Islamic political movement dedicated to the recreation of a global caliphate. Although founded in Jordanian-ruled Jerusalem in 1953, it has traditionally been strongest in Europe and Central Asia. Today, however, it is becoming increasingly popular in the Arab world. Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HT) works covertly to convince Muslims to overthrow their present governments peacefully and establish a worldwide caliphate, which will then impose conservative Islam over all Muslim majority countries. Once this is accomplished, HT hopes that the caliphate will make the whole world Islamic through conversion in the first instance and, as a last resort, offensive jihads against all non-Muslim states. HT is highly organized and has national leaderships as well as an overall leader, Abu Rashta, who lives in secret in Lebanon. The group says that it will take power peacefully by persuading influential members of the elite to overthrow the government. The organization is illegal in all Arab countries except for Lebanon, Yemen and the UAE where it is tolerated. The group does not believe in using either elections or violence to take power and there is no evidence that HT members have carried out any attacks in the Arab world. There is mounting evidence, however, that HT is growing in popularity in the Arab world. <http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bvrmzsbefttoqxcjpcap jrntamzkbfp&link=ccbhgucuvarqkwafprtfjtbbntekbnn> READ FULL STORY * * * Nigeria Continues to Slide Toward Instability By John C.K. Daly The ongoing unrest in Nigeria's volatile delta region is having an inflationary impact on oil prices, with no resolution to the crisis in sight. The turmoil in the delta, the center of the country's oil industry, is largely driven by poverty and corruption. This year has seen steadily increasing disturbances, forcing cuts of over 20% of the country's daily output of oil. The effect of militant activity is exacerbated by ineptitude and corruption in the country's oil industry. Despite being the world's eighth largest oil exporter and fifth largest importer to the United States, Nigeria must re-import refined oil products-such as gasoline-because of decades of neglect of its own refineries. In January, Nigerian officials speaking on condition of anonymity acknowledged that rampant corruption meant that an estimated 10 percent of the country's daily 2.5 million barrel exports were being purloined. World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz told reporters in October that "over the past 40 years, about US$300 billion in oil wealth has disappeared from the country." The effect on government revenues is significant since Nigeria's oil industry provides 20% of Nigeria's GDP, 95% of the country's foreign exchange earnings and nearly 65% of its budgetary revenues. In one of the most scandalous signs of the rampant graft in January, Nigeria's Navy Command in Delta State confiscated a barge containing 250,000 tons of petroleum at Egborode, an amount equivalent to a Very Large Crude Carrier. <http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bvrmzsbefttoqxcjpcap jrntamzkbfp&link=acynshpswlyztvwnvrcbxcoycmsmbpm> READ FULL STORY _____ <http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bvrmzsbefttoqxcjpcap jrntamzkbfp&link=annuvqgyficzmjymdzrnmvqdyhrobpa> "The Jamestown Foundation has been at the forefront of serious reporting and analysis of the current terrorist threat. Readers will find Unmasking Terror filled with insights that enhance their understanding of terrorism." --Dr. Joseph S. Nye, Jr. Distinguished Service Professor at Harvard University and author of Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics ************************ DISCLAIMER: Terrorism Monitor is a publication of the Jamestown Foundation. The opinions expressed in it are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Jamestown Foundation. If you have any questions regarding the Terrorism Monitor, please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution of Terrorism Monitor is strictly prohibited by law. The Jamestown Foundation 1111 16th St, NW Suite #320 Washington, DC 20036 202-483-8888 (phone) 202-483-8337 (fax) http://www.jamestown.org Copyright (c) 1983-2006 The Jamestown Foundation. ************************ To manage your preferences or unsubscribe, please click here. <http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=landingpage&fn=Mail_LandingPage_Link&id=bvr mzsbefttoqxcjpcapjrntamzkbfp&type=tracking&page=manage> <http://bronto.com> <http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=message_open&fn=Key&id=bvrmzsbefttoqxcjpcap jrntamzkbfp> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? 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